February's heartsease

It is February and all thoughts turn to early signs of spring and signs of love. It is the month of Valentine's Day. A month when you let your spouse, family and good friends know that you love them and care. So while reading with my morning cup of tea, I came upon a sweet little passage about violets and knew I should write a post about this sweet little blossom.


Depending on our weather here in Holland, from this time on we can see 'bosviooltjes' or our wood violets appear. This year we are having a cold winter so it will be a while before the first appears. Called heartsease or commonly Johnny Jump Ups, these are wild pansies. Pansies mean "loving thoughts" while violets mean "faithfulness" in the language of flowers. Old fashioned wood violets are something I have never seen growing yet here in Holland. I did plant some last year at our cottage and hope they will return this year.

This is the first year I can ever remember that I don't have baskets and pots planted up with pansies. So far, with our cold weather, they have looked very poorly at garden centers and I have not purchased any yet. They are a very favorite of mine. So I am lingering over my photos of my baskets from last year and dreaming of adding these cheerful bright colors to my garden soon. In the meantime, I will content myself with this passage from the book "Flower Fables" by Louisa May Alcott...

"Then she spread the table afresh, and to it came fearlessly the busy ant and bee, gay butterfly and bird; even the poor blind mole and humble worm were not forgotten; and with gentle words she gave to all, while each learned something of their kind teacher; and the love that made her own heart bright shone alike on all.

The ant and the bee learned generosity, the butterfly and the bird contentment, the mole and worm confidence in the love of others, and each went to their home better for the little time they had been with the Violet."