Carolyne Roehm

Mother’s Day, May 2006 >> Pansies and Violets

Pickable Posies
According to flower lore, because the petals of a pansy are heart-shaped, they were thought to cure a broken heart. That’s a weighty responsibility for such a light and cheerful bloom. I’ll settle for the smile a patch of pansies easily brings to my face when I pass them along my walkway or enjoy a nosegay gathered into a vase on my dressing table.

Pansies and violas do get high marks in my book for a variety of reasons. They are vibrant and pretty and infinitely useful, both in the garden and for cutting. With their happy faces that seem to peer back at you, they are also easy to procure and very affordable. In the height of the season in most of the country, you can often find a decent assortment of pansies at the local supermarket–a boon when you want something a bit unexpected for a last-minute brunch or casual dinner. I think plain, potted pansies are a charming addition to the table.

Outside, I plant pansies in terracotta pots to line the double staircase on the front façade at Weatherstone and to border the walkway of my cottage, Weatherpebble. I also plant rambling Johnny-jump-up violas at the foot of my roses to hide their leggy canes. Not surprisingly, pansies and violas function well as edging, too.

Some of my favorite varieties of pansies are Bingo Deep Purple, Joker Light Blue, Oliver Twist and Poker Face. Some favorite violas are King Henry, Plum Velvet, Sorbet Royal and Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.

Carolyne Roehm

Garden Notes:

When buying plants, choose those not in bloom, but with tightly wrapped flower buds present.
Pansies grow best with a full day of sun.
They loved to be plucked. The more they are picked–this amounts to deadheading–the more they will put out a show of bloom.
Cut back plants by half in midsummer to renew blossoms.

Cutting Notes:

Although pansies are not noted for their scent, the yellow and blue varieties, especially, emit a delicate perfume.
Arrange pansies and violas in small beakers or jam jars for simple bursts of color on a tabletop or around the home. They are best supported when grouped into floral picks beforehand.
Gather a bunch as an ebullient topper to an Angel Cake.

To make a nosegay, cut pansies with long stems and tie them with green florist string. Clip stems uniformly and surround with ivy or galax leaves. Secure with more string. If pansies are not available to you, we have wonderful, premade silk nosegays. If you are feeling creative, you can make your own with pansy and violet clusters.