Do you know why the pansies so called? How to grow pansies

In ancient times, it was believed that the pansy is a magical plant. Therefore, he was attributed some of the magic properties. For example, there was a belief that with their help you can bewitch a loved one. To do this, it was necessary to squeeze out the charming flower of the juice, after which sprinkle them with the things of the lover while he was sleeping. And when he wakes up, he will love the one he sees first. Interesting and a story that tells about why pansies so called. But first things first.

Description

Many have often heard this beautiful name - pansy. The description of the plant will attract the attention of any girl. Small flowers have a tri-color color. Many grow the plant as an annual, although it is perennial, belonging to the class of violets. They grow up to 15-20 cm in length. Their stems are very thin and fragile, so the flower needs good care. Leaves oblong, fleecy. Usually the color of the plant is violet with different shades. Many people like this wonderful flower because its growing season lasts almost half a year. It begins to bloom in late April, and flowers appear before the first frost. The fruit ripens in June. After that seeds are scattered from them. If you grow a plant from seeds, it will be an annual one. Applied flower and in medicine. Particularly useful is the lower part - the grass.

Name

Quite interesting is the legend, explaining why the pansies so called. Although there are currently several versions. Let's consider each of them.

1. There is a legend that says that the plant was named after a curious girl - Anyuta. She loved to peek at other people, and afterwards invented various stories about them.
2. In Germany, there is a story about why the pansies so called. In their opinion, the lower petal, the largest, is the stepmother. Two petals, located on the sides, are smaller in size - these are her daughters. And the top two, having a modest color, are stepdaughters, whom she does not like. According to the legend, the stepmother strongly offended her stepdaughters. A kind magician saw this and decided to punish her. It is believed that initially the largest petal of the flower (stepmother) was on top, but later, after the spell of the sorcerer, everything turned upside down - the stepmother was below, and the stepdaughters were at the top. As punishment, the evil woman received a spur and her daughter had a mustache.
3. The ancient Greeks interpreted the story differently, telling why the pansies were so called. Zeus fell in love with the daughter of the Argos king - Io. But his wife did not want to have rivals, so she turned a poor girl into a cow. A long time passed before she again managed to get a human face. To please his beloved, Zeus gave her a tri-colored violet, named in her honor.

Folk customs

As is known, all myths, legends and beliefs were created on the basis of historical data. Of course, this information was somewhat embellished, but it had a real origin. An interesting story about pansies, which existed in Roman circles at the end of the first millennium. According to legend, men were turned into a flower, which peeped at the goddess of love. The customs and traditions of different peoples are also associated with this plant. For example, in Poland, the girls gave their beloved this flower, if they left for a long time. In general, this violet has long symbolized fidelity and chastity. In France they were presented for a long memory. But in England, this flower for a long time was the best gift for February 14.

Other names

In the Middle Ages, the role of pansies increases noticeably. They are called the flower of St. The Trinity. In Poland, they are called mates. This is due to the fact that several flowers "live" in the same flower, so they are given to those they love as a brother. In Russia they are also called tri-flowers, scrofula, etc. In Germany, the plant is simply called "stepmother."

Cultivation of violets

Pansies, the description of which is presented above, require painstaking care. Therefore, to give such a flower is not recommended, if the recipient himself did not ask him to buy. After all, not everyone has the opportunity to take care of the plant in full.

So, what do pansy love? How to grow it? Few know about this. In principle, there are only two ways. Flowers can be planted directly in the ground or first grow seedlings, which then will be transferred to the soil. If the seeds were not collected last year, then early spring in the same place may appear small sprouts. Violets grow well by self-seeding, but they will grow chaotically. In addition, it can lead to a dusting of the plant. That is, it will change the color, size, shape of the petals. Therefore, it is recommended to plant flowers of different colors at some distance from each other. Otherwise, it will not be possible to preserve the purity of the variety. Do you want to collect the seeds? Then you need to choose plants with the largest flowers. After this, you should wait until the boxes are yellowed. It is necessary to have time to collect the seeds before the boxes are opened.