Viola Voilà! Or, YOU'RE a Pansy!‏

It's funny how often the word "pansy" is misused as an insult, meaning weak, sissy, unmanly... Because, in actuality, pansies are pretty dang scrappy. While they may be petite and delicate looking, pansies pack a pretty good punch, giving containers and beds color and vitality early in the season.

They are a great spring and fall selection because of their hardiness, adaptability and tolerance to cold, especially if you live in a hardiness zone where frost (or *gasp* snow) is still prevalent in March, April and May. (Don't know your zone?) If you really want to see some determined flowers, check out these Icicle Pansies.

Pansies love full sun, but don't like the heat--go figure--and be sure to give them plenty of water. Try pairing with other spring bulbs for real impact. They are annual flowers, but some (not all) are pretty talented at reseeding themselves. Pansies are also known to be fairly disease and pest resistant, just another reason why they're tough cookies. (Speaking of cookies, did I mention that they are edible as well?)

Pansy, viola and violet tend to be used interchangeably, but pansies were actually derived from violas. (Just think of them as distant cousins.) The name pansy actually comes from the French word, pensée, meaning "thought" and because the flower resembles a pensive-looking face. Want to learn more?

Just for funsies, I came across this old citrus company crate label from: La Verne Cooperative Citrus Association. Mutual Orange Distributors. La Verne, Calif. Circa 1930s. Found on the Riverside Public Library, Citrus Label Collection.