On this first day of spring
I offer you pansies
What better flower to symbolize spring
than the dainty pansy or viola?
In Victorian England, the pansy flower was used for secret courting.
Any display of love or passion was severely frowned upon
and in order to communicate to potential romantic partners
the pansy was used to express one's feelings.
The pansy flower was used to convey such sentiments as
I'm feeling amorous towards you
I'm thinking of you
I miss you
The word pansy comes from mid-15th century French from the word 'penser'
meaning to think or ponder over something;
'pensée is the feminine form of the verb 'penser'.
The French word pensée is derived from the Latin word 'pensare'
which means to consider
and 'pendare' means to take measure of a situation
to take everything into consideration.
***
Plant some pansies in your garden
on your balcony.
Bring them into your home
and be touched by their tenderness.
***
