Pansy is where the name comes from. Flower disease root rot

In ancient times, it was believed that pansies are magical plant. Therefore, some magical properties were attributed to him. For example, there was a belief that with their help you can bewitch your loved one. To do this, it was necessary to squeeze the juice out of the charming flower, and then sprinkle it on the beloved’s things while he was sleeping. And when he wakes up, he will love the one he sees first. The story telling about why they called it that is also interesting. But first things first.

Description

Many have heard this more than once beautiful name- pansies. The description of the plant will attract the attention of any girl. Small flowers have a tricolor color. Many people grow the plant as an annual, although it is a perennial belonging to the violet class. They grow up to 15-20 cm in length. Their stems are very thin and fragile, so the flower needs good care. The leaves are oblong, fleecy. Typically the color of the plant is purple with different shades. Many people love this wonderful flower because its growing season lasts almost six months. It begins to bloom at the end of April, and flowers appear before the first frost. The fruits ripen in June. After this, seeds scatter from them. If you grow the plant from seeds, it will be an annual plant. The flower is also used in medicine. The lower part, the grass, is especially useful.

Name

The legend that explains why pansies got that name is quite interesting. Although there are currently several versions. Let's look at each of them.

Folk customs

As you know, 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 is about pansies, which existed in Roman circles at the end of the 1st millennium. According to legend, men who spied on people were turned into a flower. Customs and traditions are also associated with this plant. different nations. For example, in Poland, girls gave this flower to their lovers if they were away for a long time. In general, this violet has long symbolized fidelity and chastity. In France they were presented as a lasting memory. But in England this flower for a long time was the best gift for February 14th.

Other names

In the Middle Ages, the role of pansies increased noticeably. They are called St. flower. Trinity. In Poland they are called brothers. This is due to the fact that several flowers “live” together in one flower, so they are given to those whom they love like a brother. In Russia they are also called triflowers, scrofula, etc. In Germany, the plant is simply called “stepmother”.

Growing violets

Pansies, the description of which is presented above, require painstaking care. Therefore, it is not recommended to give such a flower unless the recipient himself has asked to buy it. After all, not everyone has the opportunity to fully care for a plant.

So, what do pansies like? How to grow it? Few people know about this. Basically, there are only two ways. Flowers can be planted directly into the ground or seedlings can be grown first, which will then be transferred to the soil. If seeds were not collected last year, then in early spring Small sprouts may appear in the same place. Violets reproduce well by self-sowing, but this way they will grow chaotically. In addition, this can lead to cross-pollination 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 maintain the purity of the variety. Want to collect seeds? Then you need to choose plants with the most large flowers. After this, you should wait until the boxes turn yellow. You need to have time to collect the seeds before the boxes open.

In the spring, the pansy flower, pleasing to the eye with its variety of colors, blooms in many gardens. Legends and beliefs of different peoples tell a lot interesting stories about the origin and name of these plants. Let's get to know them too.

Description of the flower

Five delicate, often purple-yellow-white-blue petals are located on a branched stem about twenty centimeters high and are shaped like hearts. Large, surprisingly, they replace each other on the plant from spring to mid-summer. Such a colorful carpet is literally mesmerizing.

Legends and beliefs about pansy flowers give different interpretation their appearance. Many of the species bred today are hybrids obtained by crossing their wild ancestors with And the first results of such selection appeared in the 16th century at the court of Prince William of Hesse-Kassel. Today it is one of the most common garden flowers. Violet (viola) tricolor, pansies, bratki, Ivan da Marya - these are the most common names of this beautiful plant.

Russian legend about pansies

There lived a kind, trusting, pure-hearted girl. One day she met a guy who came to their village. Anyuta fell in love young man, believed in his sincerity. And before leaving, he promised to return and take her with him. Every day the girl went out onto the road and waited for her beloved, but he never showed up. It all ended tragically: the girl withered away from melancholy and died. And they grew up on her grave amazing plants with tricolor petals. According to the people, their coloring corresponds to different periods of Anyuta’s life. symbolizes the heroine’s hope for reciprocity and happiness at the very beginning of a relationship. Yellow - surprise that the groom does not arrive for a long time. Purple - sadness, the collapse of all dreams and death.

This legend about the pansy flower has other variations. The first says that a rich young man was married against his will to another, and the girl died of pain and grief. According to the second, the beloved went to war and died there. And Anyuta eventually turned into a flower, which still continues to wait for her sweetheart by the road.

The story of the brothers

Belarusians, Ukrainians and Poles have their own version of the origin of the pansy flower. The legends and beliefs of these peoples are also somewhat different, but their essence is in the sinful love of brother and sister. The most touching story is that dating back to the time of the Turkish raids.

The conquering army attacked a Ukrainian village and captured civilians. Next to a beautiful black-browed girl, who was bursting into tears, rode a young Janissary. He liked the captive, and he supported her all the way. And then he offered to run away, promising to return her to her homeland and marry her. During one of the halts, they managed to accomplish their plan. And after they became close, the Janissary told the story of his life. That he was born in the same place where his girlfriend’s house was. That he was captured as a child. That his father was a blacksmith, and next to the house there was a pear tree and a raging stream. Then the girl realized that the Janissary was her missing older brother, and she burst into tears. They realized what a sin they had committed, and that happiness was now impossible. The young people turned into beautiful flowers, which people began to lovingly call brothers.

Myths about Aphrodite and Venus

Long ago, the gods played a big role in people's lives. Belief in their superpowers, magical powers, the ability to interfere with earthly life gave rise to many interesting stories. These include the legend of the pansy flower, which explains why the plant has this shape.

Beautiful Aphrodite decided to take a swim on a hot day. And although she chose a reservoir sheltered from prying eyes, she soon noticed that a whole crowd of people was watching her admiringly. The indignant goddess turned to Zeus with a request to punish those who dared to do such an act. But the Thunderer was in good mood and therefore simply turned the curious into flowers.

The ancient Romans have a similar myth about how men spied on Venus while she was bathing. They all suffered the same fate.

By the way, this legend about the pansy plant echoes a common story in which an ordinary earthly woman turned her gaze to something that was forbidden. Her punishment was to turn into a flower, whose color actually resembles a human face.

And from all these stories comes another symbolic meaning of pansies - curiosity.

The myth of Jupiter's love

Another ancient Roman legend about pansies is also interesting.

One day Jupiter descended to earth and, disguised as a shepherd, went to the temple of Juno. Among other girls, he noticed the daughter of the Argive king, Io, performing a sacrifice. Proud and unapproachable, she immediately conquered God and became imbued with feelings for him. But soon Juno found out about the secret meetings, and Jupiter, fearing for the life of his beloved, turned the girl into a white cow. Now she spent whole days, unrecognized by anyone, walking around the palace in Argos. Finally, Io found a way to explain to the king who she really was. Observing the suffering of father and daughter, Jupiter turned to the earth goddess for help. She gave the girl an incredibly beautiful and tasty flower. And its coloring became a symbol of the emerging love triangle.

This is one of the most common versions about the fate of Princess Io. A similar myth, again, can be found among the ancient Greeks. There, the girl with whom Zeus became interested was punished by Hera.

The German legend of the pansy flowers

This is a story about an evil stepmother. She is associated with the unusual. According to legend, there lived an evil stepmother - she is symbolized by the lower petal. The biggest and most beautiful. The woman had two natural daughters - these are the middle petals. Well, as in every folk tale, all the troubles fell on the unfortunate stepdaughters. That is why the upper petals on the flower are the smallest and most faded. But this is not the end of the legend. It goes on to say that originally the large petal was on top, and the symbols of the stepdaughters were on the bottom. In order to somehow punish the evil stepmother and make the life of the orphans easier, God turned the flower over. As a result, sharp spurs ended up next to the stepmother. And her beloved daughters received not very attractive mustaches. So the legend about the pansy flowers became an expression of popular sympathy for the grief and suffering of orphans.

The power of suggestion

If any legend about pansy flowers given here most often raises doubts about its reliability, then the traditions that have developed on their basis are taken for granted by many. For example, until recently in Russia there was an opinion that this is a plant of the dead, and therefore its place is not in the garden, but on the grave. For the same reason, even today the French never give a bouquet of white pansies.

An interesting find was discovered in a Trappist monastery that operated in the Middle Ages. On its wall, the artist depicted a pansy flower and a death’s head nearby, and made an eloquent inscription: “Remember death.”

But still, in most cases, this plant has an optimistic meaning and symbolizes true love. So, in England, it was customary to give pansies to a loved one on Valentine's Day. In France, they are still used to tell fortunes about the betrothed. And in Poland, this method of love spell has been preserved: sprinkle the juice of a flower on the eyes of a sleeping young man and appear before him at the moment of his awakening.

Thus, in many countries, the popular folk legend of the pansy gave rise to various prejudices and beliefs, some of which are still valid today.

This is interesting

Each legend about pansies given here for children will be very interesting and educational. In addition, people's memory also contains real facts about a wonderful flower. So, in France, pansies were given the name pensee, which means “thought, thought.” Many people associate this with the structure of the seed capsule, which, by the way, scatters over distances several times greater than the size of the plant itself.

In the Christian world, pansies are sometimes called a flower. Indeed, if you look closely, at the base of the petals you can see a triangle - a symbol of God's all-seeing eye. And the rays emanating from it are supposedly the faces of the Trinity.

Pansies were Josephine's favorite flower. In history they are also known as the emblem of the Napoleon dynasty.

Dried pansy flowers are often used in treatment, as they contain a lot of salicylic acid.

Botanists call this flower viola tricolor or tricolor violet. This is a modest little plant that grows in open spaces.

It was these unassuming flowers that were introduced into culture more than a hundred years ago in England. They owe this to the gardener Thompson, who found and brought a wild variety of violet. Tricolor violet (Viola tricolor) began to be crossed with yellow violet (V. lutea), Altai (U. altaica) and horned violet (V. cornuta), resulting in many new varieties and hybrids. These plants were so different from the original species that it became necessary to distinguish them into a new, artificially obtained species - Wittrock violet (Viola x wittrokkiana). The name is given in honor of the Swedish botanist Veit Wittrock (1839-1914), who devoted his entire life to the study of this plant.

In England, pansies are still considered one of the most beloved plants. Even when leaving for other countries, the British try to plant these cheerful flowers in their new front gardens as a memory of their homeland. From England, violets migrated to France, Germany, and then to Russia.

According to the legend about the violet (about the pansies): the three-color petals of the pansies reflect three periods of the life of the girl Anyuta with a kind heart and trusting eyes. She lived in a village, believed every word, found an excuse for every action. Unfortunately, she met an insidious seducer and fell in love with him with all her heart. And the young man was afraid of her love and hurried on the road, assuring that he would return soon. Anyuta looked at the road for a long time, quietly fading away from melancholy. And when she died, flowers appeared at the place of her burial, the tricolor petals of which reflected hope, surprise and sadness. This is a Russian legend about a flower.

The ancient Greeks associated the appearance of these flowers with the daughter of the Argive king Io, who fell in love with Zeus, for which his wife Hera was turned into a cow. To somehow brighten up the life of his beloved, Zeus grew pansies for her, which symbolized a love triangle.

One day, the sun god Apollo was pursuing one of the beautiful daughters of Atlas with his burning rays; the poor girl turned to Zeus with a prayer to shelter and protect her. And so the great Thunderer, heeding her pleas, turned her into a wonderful violet and hid her in the shade of his booths, where since then she has bloomed every spring and filled the heavenly forests with her fragrance.

3Here, perhaps, this lovely flower would have remained forever and would never have come to our earth, but it so happened that Proserpina, the daughter of Zeus and Ceres, having gone into the forest for flowers, was abducted by the suddenly appearing Pluto, just at that time when she picked violets. In fright, she dropped the flowers she had picked from her hands onto the ground, which served as the ancestors of those violets that grow among us to this day.

And here’s what another legend tells: One day on a hot day, Venus decided to swim in the most remote grotto so that no one could spy. The goddess Venus bathed for a long time and with pleasure and suddenly heard a rustling sound. She turned and saw several mortals looking at her. The goddess was angry and decided to punish those who were too curious. Venus turned to Zeus with a request to punish the perpetrators. Zeus, of course, responded to the request of the beautiful goddess and decided to punish them, but then softened and turned them into pansies, expressing curiosity and surprise.

In Germany they call this flower stepmother, explaining the name as follows. The bottom, largest and most beautiful petal is a dressed-up stepmother. The two higher, no less beautifully colored petals are her no less beautifully dressed daughters. And the two uppermost white petals, as if faded, with a lilac tint to the petals, are her poorly dressed stepdaughters. Tradition says that before the stepmother was at the top, and the poor stepdaughters at the bottom, but God took pity on the poor, downtrodden and abandoned girls and turned the flower, while the evil stepmother got the spur that bothered her, and her own daughters got the hated mustache.

Some have seen in this flower woman's face expressing curiosity. They say that this face belongs to a woman who was turned into a flower because, out of curiosity, she looked where she was forbidden to look.

Pansy (viola tricolor) - one to two year old herbaceous plant from the violet family, reaching a height of 15-20 cm. The stems are thin, hollow, erect, covered with short hairs, ending in single flowers. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, round-heart-shaped or oblong-elliptic, hairy. Lower leaves cordate-ovate, and the upper ones are oblong-elliptical. The flowers are solitary, on long stalks, violet-blue, with different shades. Typically the top two petals are purple, the two side petals are light purple, and the bottom petal is yellow or white. Blooms from April to late autumn. The fruits ripen in June. The seeds are small, obovate, smooth. The fruit is a capsule, cracking with three leaves, from which the seeds scatter.

Tricolor violet grows almost everywhere in the European part of Russia, in Western and Eastern Siberia. Settles in dry meadows, clearings, forest edges, gardens, and vegetable gardens. As a weed, violet often settles in arable lands.

The medicinal raw material is the aerial part of the plant, grass. It is harvested during flowering, in May - July. The cut grass is dried in the shade, laid out thin layer on a wooden bed and stirring frequently. Dried herbs are stored in a wooden or glass containers no more than one and a half years.

For a long time, many countries have been trying to cultivate pansies for medicinal purposes. Only field pansies with small flowers, the petals of which are light yellow and whitish in color, are grown. The soil for sowing seeds should be good, but not greasy. Seeds are sown in March - April in rows, watered abundantly until shoots emerge and the rows are loosened several times. Sometimes seeds are sown in summer, and seedlings are transplanted in September and in May next year The harvest is already being harvested. Several crops are harvested over the summer.

Where did it come from? Russian name This plant - “pansy” - is not known for certain. True, some cultivated varieties of pansies with large flowers really look like the blue eyes of a girl, but the one that interests us is simple, modest wild flower, looks a little like girlish eyes. But, nevertheless, this plant is more often called pansies rather than “tricolor violet”. The Germans call this plant stepmother, explaining this name as follows. The bottom, largest and most beautiful petal is a dressed up stepmother. The two higher, no less beautifully colored petals are her no less beautifully dressed daughters. And the two uppermost white petals, as if faded, with a lilac tint to the petals, are her poorly dressed stepdaughters. Tradition says that before the stepmother was at the top, and the poor stepdaughters at the bottom, but God took pity on the poor, downtrodden and abandoned girls and turned the flower, while the evil stepmother was given the spur that bothered her, and her own daughters were given the mustache they hated.

Some saw the flower as a woman's face expressing curiosity. They say that this face belongs to a woman who was turned into this flower because, out of curiosity, she looked where she was forbidden to look.

As if to confirm this, they tell another legend about the appearance of pansies on earth. One day, this legend says, the goddess Venus decided to bathe in a remote grotto, where no human eye could penetrate. The goddess was calmly bathing, but suddenly she heard a rustling sound and saw mortals looking at her. Having become indescribably angry, Venus turned to Zeus with a request to punish the daring. Zeus, of course, responded to the request of the beautiful goddess and decided to punish them, but then softened and turned them into pansies, expressing curiosity and surprise.

The Greeks call this flower the flower of Jupiter, and they have a legend about its origin. One day, bored with sitting on his throne of clouds, the Thunderer decided, for the sake of variety, to descend to earth. In order not to be recognized, he took on the appearance of a shepherd and took with him a lovely white lamb, which he led on a string. Having reached the Argive fields, Jupiter saw a mass of people rushing to the Temple of Juno and mechanically followed the people. At this time, the famous Greek beauty Io, the daughter of King Inoch, was making sacrifices. Fascinated by her extraordinary beauty, Jupiter forgot about his divine origin and, laying the lovely lamb he had brought with him at her feet, revealed his love to her.

Proud, unapproachable, refusing the advances of all earthly kings, Io could not resist the spell of the Thunderer and became carried away by him. Lovers usually met only in the silence of the night and in the strictest secrecy, but jealous Juno soon found out about this connection, and Jupiter, in order to save poor Io from the wrath of his wife, was forced to turn his beloved into a wonderful, snow-white cow.

But this transformation became the greatest misfortune for the girl. Having learned about such a terrible transformation, she began to sob bitterly, and her plaintive cry resounded like a cow’s roar. She wanted to raise her hands to the sky to beg the immortals to return her to her former image, but the hands that had turned into legs did not obey her. She wandered sadly among her sisters, and no one recognized her. True, her father at times caressed her like a beautiful animal, giving her juicy leaves that he plucked from a nearby bush, but in vain she licked his hands with gratitude, in vain shed tears - her father also did not recognize her.

Finally, a happy thought occurred to her: she decided to write about her misfortune. And then one day, when her father was feeding her, she began to draw letters in the sand with her feet. These strange movements attracted his attention, he began to peer at the signs in the sand and, to his horror, recognized the unfortunate fate of his beautiful daughter, whom he had long considered dead.

“Oh, I’m miserable! - he exclaimed, hugging the cow's face. - This is the terrible form in which I found you, my dear, priceless child, you whom I had been looking for for so long and in vain. Looking for you everywhere, I suffered greatly, but having found you, I suffer ten times more! Poor, poor child, you can’t even utter at least one word of consolation to me - instead of words, only wild sounds come out of your painful soul!”

The unfortunate daughter and father were inconsolable. And then, in order to at least somewhat soften the terrible fate of Io, by order of Jupiter, the earth grew pleasant food for the unfortunate woman - the tricolor violet flower, which the Greeks called the “flower of Jupiter.” The flower symbolically depicted blushing and pale girlish shyness.

In the middle of the century, the flower begins to play a role in the Christian world and receives the name St. Flower. Trinity. Medieval Christians saw a triangle in the dark spot in the middle of the flower and compared it with the all-seeing eye, and in the stains surrounding it - the radiance coming from it. The triangle, in their opinion, depicts the three faces of St. Trinity, originating from the all-seeing eye - God the Father.

It should be noted that in the Middle Ages this flower was surrounded by mystery and in one of the Trappist monasteries one could see on the wall a huge image of it with a death’s head in the center and the inscription: “Remember death.”

In the north of France, white pansies were considered a symbol of death; they were never given to anyone or made into bouquets.

But in the same Middle Ages, in some places pansies served as a symbol of fidelity for lovers, and it was customary to give each other their portraits, placed in an enlarged image of this flower.

In Poland this flower is called “brothers”; the Poles love it and give it as a souvenir only as a sign of great affection. A young girl gives such a flower as a souvenir only to her fiance. By the way, pansies have been credited with the ability to bewitch love since ancient times. To do this, the person they wanted to bewitch had to sprinkle the juice of these flowers on their eyelids during sleep, and then come and stand in front of him just as he woke up.

Pansies enjoy great love and popularity in Persia, where there are even more varieties for this flower. sweet words than for a rose.

In England, pansies are sent to lovers on Valentine's Day (February 14), when all the feelings hidden during the year receive the right to pour out on paper and are sent to the address of those intended. They say that on this day in England more letters with declarations of love are written than in the entire globe. Sometimes a dried pansy flower is sent in an envelope instead of a letter. And everything is clear to the recipient - this is a declaration of love.

Thus, this flower plays the role of an intermediary, expressing without words the thought and desire of the one who sent it. In England, this flower is also called “heart calm.”

First attempts at making pansies garden flowers date back to the beginning of the 16th century. At that time, pansies began to be grown from seeds in the gardens of Prince William of Hesse-Kassel, and in the 17th century, Vandergren, the gardener of the Prince of Orleans, began to grow pansies in the garden. He managed to breed five varieties of pansies.

This flower owes its even greater improvement to the daughter of the English Earl of Tankerville, Mary Benet, who, having made this flower her favorite, planted it in the entire garden and the entire terrace of her castle. Her gardener collected the seeds of the largest and most beautiful flowers and sowed them. Through natural cross-pollination, more and more new varieties appeared in the countess's garden, among which were wonderful varieties, which attracted the attention of lovers and made pansies one of the most favorite flowers.

Selection of more and more new varieties of pansies in different countries Europe led to the fact that in 1830 Darwin already counted 400 varieties of them, among which there were already velvety, satiny flowers that now decorate our gardens.

The chemical composition of tricolor violet herb is quite rich in biologically active substances. The herb contains flavone glycoside, violaquercetin and anthocyanin glycosides (delphinidin, peonidin, violanine), a small amount essential oil, carotene, violaxanthin, alkaloid violaemetine, saponins, tannins, mucous polysaccharides, phenolcarboxylic acids, coumarins, tannins, up to 300 mg% vitamin C.

Tricolor violet preparations have an expectorant, diuretic, diaphoretic, and laxative effect. The anti-inflammatory properties of the plant are associated with the presence in its herb of pharmacologically active essential oil and mucus-like substances that have an antiseptic effect in the gastrointestinal tract, enhance the secretion of the bronchial glands and facilitate the removal of sputum. The saponins contained in the plant determine its expectorant and diuretic properties. Preparations from tricolor violet also have antimicrobial, enveloping, sedative and emetic (in large doses) effects. In particular, the herb infusion has a detrimental effect on protozoa and is a good expectorant for acute respiratory diseases, inflammation of the trachea, bronchi, lungs and urinary tract, as well as for urolithiasis. Great content Vitamin C and carotenoids in the herb make violet infusion useful for atherosclerosis, heart attacks, joint inflammation and rickets in children.

Preparations of pansies are used independently, in the form of infusions and decoctions, as well as in mixtures with other medicinal plants(in fees). Basically, violet preparations are prescribed as an expectorant and cough softener for acute respiratory diseases, chronic bronchitis and bronchopneumonia, and whooping cough. Violet preparations soften inflammatory deposits on the bronchi, facilitate the separation of sputum, increase the motor activity of the ciliated epithelium of the mucous membranes of the lungs, which promotes faster evacuation of sputum and therefore calms cough.

Violet preparations are also prescribed for inflammatory diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract, for urolithiasis, uric acid diathesis and for some other urological diseases. Preparations from the herb of the plant are used for allergic dermatitis, exudative diathesis, and eczema. For these diseases, herbal preparations are used topically in the form of lotions and for preparing baths.

Our ancestors loved violet tea: the dried herb was brewed as tea and drunk for scrofula and other rashes. Pansies were believed to be blood purifiers. An infusion of the herb was used in the treatment of milk rash, for which 1 teaspoon of the herb was infused in a glass of water. The herb was poured into water overnight, and the next morning the infusion was boiled and given to drink on an empty stomach mixed with sweetened milk.

In one of the ancient herbal books we read:

• a violet leaf, crushed and taken internally, will eliminate any swelling that occurs in the stoma (stomach) and which is born from excess heat;
• the root of that herb, boiled in wine and crushed and applied to the swelling of the spleen, will eliminate the swelling and draw out excess moisture from the spleen;
• whoever smells the color white violet will go away from headaches and get a restful sleep;
• a violet-colored spirit with violet grass applied to the head of a drunken person will sober him up;
• hops, like headaches, purple violet drives away;
• She relieves heaviness and heals the sick who fall.

Infusion: 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of raw materials into 1 cup of boiling water, keep in a water bath for 15 minutes, cool at room temperature 45 minutes, strain, squeeze out the grass. Take 1/3 cup 3-4 times a day after meals. With prolonged use of high doses, nausea and even vomiting may occur.
Herbal tea: the herb is brewed with boiling water in a ratio of 1:10, heated in a water bath, without bringing to a boil, for 5 minutes, left for 15 minutes, filtered and taken 1 tbsp. spoon several times a day.

Externally, for compresses and baths, violet infusion is combined with oral administration for various skin diseases.

Impossible to pass by pansy flowers indifferent. Whether they are on the balcony or flowerbed. Several feelings immediately overwhelm you: tenderness, romance.

All varieties are so similar to each other and at the same time so different. The delicate aroma and cheerful colors of the petals cannot but please the eye.

Description and features of pansies

Pansies called viola tricolor, popularly Ivan da Marya. They belong to the violet family. Plants exist as annuals, biennials and perennials.

Flowers are divided into spring and summer blooming. This is probably their uniqueness: any variety is suitable for choosing the flowering time.

It all depends on the landing time. The root is a brownish rod in the form of a rod with small branches.

The stem extends from 10 to 30 cm. The inside is hollow, triangular, erect or branched. Single buds with five petals sit on triangular peduncles with two bracts near.

The petals differ in size. Two of them are larger than the others. The color of the petals has a different range of shades, even black. There are spots in the center of the bud, and a picture emerges, like a muzzle.

Poetic name of pansy gave rise to many legends. Many countries and even regions have their own answers about why pansies are called:

By ancient legend, the flower got its name in honor of the girl Anyuta, who could not stand the separation and injustice towards herself and died.

And it all started like in a fairy tale, the guy fell in love with the girl, she reciprocated. The seducer simply disappeared forever.

After her death, flowers with different colors, as if betraying her feelings: hope, resentment, sadness.

The Romans say that men spying on the goddess of love were turned into eyes.

In Russia, according to legend, a girl and a guy loved each other. Their parents separated them and married the guy to a rich girl. Anya died of melancholy.

Another legend, a girl, not getting a guy, died of melancholy. grew up on the edge of the road, as if they continued to wait for their loved one.

Planting and propagating pansies

Pansies in the open ground planted in a sunny place with slight shade. Partial shade is also suitable, but there is a slight difference in the final stage.

In the light they grow with larger buds than in the shade. But the duration of flowering in the shade is longer. Pansies prefer light, nutritious, well-drained soil.

Before planting seedlings, the soil is dug up and saturated with humus and mineral additives. Grow pansies can be done by seedlings, seeds and cuttings.

By seeds:

Planting material sown in June open ground to a designated bed. Pour a layer of soil on top and compact the soil a little.

As soon as two true leaves appear, make a pick. Roots in front planting pansies shorten This will make it possible to develop the root system well.

The step between seedlings is from 10 to 25 cm. It all depends on the variety. For the winter, cover the seedlings with spruce branches and create a barrier for snow retention. Pansies from seeds will bloom in spring.

Growing pansies from seeds

Seedlings:

The substrate is prepared and the seeds are sown in March. Sprinkle with soil and cover with glass. Containers are stored in a dark place until germination.

Periodically spray and ventilate the containers to prevent the soil from rotting. As soon as the shoots have appeared, the containers are placed in a bright place.

When two true leaves appear, the seedlings are planted in separate flowerpots. The seedlings are gradually accustomed to street walks. To do this, take them out onto the balcony or terrace.

Pansy seedlings are planted in open ground after stable weather without frost has established.

Although it is considered a frost-resistant crop, it can freeze. Flowering can be expected a month after planting in open ground.

Pansy flower seedlings

By cuttings:

Green shoots are cut off from mother bush in June. The cuttings are planted directly in open ground close to each other. In this case, choose a shaded place, for example, under.

Cover the culture with jars to create a good microclimate. As soon as new leaves begin to appear, it will take root.

By autumn the cuttings will get stronger, then they are planted on permanent place. Pansies at home can be grown using the same methods.

Only the landing site should be on open balcony. If you want to plant them on the windowsill, you should always keep the window open.

Caring for pansies

Loves sunny spaces when the temperature is from 10 to 25 degrees C. Flowers do not lose their decorative effect even at a temperature of 3-5 degrees C.

But more high temperatures will have a detrimental effect on the plant. The bushes will simply burn out, and those that remain will stop blooming and will resume flowering only in the fall.

Therefore, in such a situation, shading should be considered, for example, non-woven material. At home, you should not choose Western and south balconies. The most optimal side is the eastern side.

Watering should be moderate. Do not overwater the soil or let it dry out. Waterlogged soil can develop rot, which will lead to blackleg disease and destroy flowers.

At caring for pansies, do not forget about fertilizing. In the garden, feed the bushes once a month. Instances on the balcony require more frequent application, that is, weekly.

The first feeding can be done two weeks after planting. The plant responds well to complex minerals.

When adding them, you need to be careful not to catch the leaves, pour only at the root. Avoid fresh manure; the plant cannot tolerate it. Loosen the soil after watering. Remove weeds.

Rejuvenation perennial plants carried out after 3 years. This will give impetus to lush flowering. Maintain decorative properties by regularly removing faded buds.

For the winter, cover the flowers with spruce branches and remove them from them in early spring to prevent rotting.

Send balcony specimens to a room with a temperature of 5-15 degrees C. If you have a garden, you can plant them in the ground 21 days before frost.

Types and varieties of pansies

Among the variety of species and varieties, the most popular specimens are.

Small-flowered pansies

In the photo there are pansies Flamenco. Flowers, corrugated in various colors. In the center are petals with blurred shading of yellow and bright red.

The volume of the inflorescence is up to 5 cm. The bush stretches up to 23 cm. landscape design used to decorate flower beds, borders, flower beds.

The flowers are frost-resistant, so they can easily tolerate cold climates. northern regions. Flamenco is different long flowering, starting from April and ending in late autumn.

They are grown in partial shade, but do better in sunny areas. If you plant flamenco seeds in June, then in August you can safely transplant them from the growing bed to a permanent place. Next spring the flowers will delight you with lush blooms.

Pansies flamenco

Rococo. The compact plant stretches up to 20 cm. The folded and corrugated petals collected in a bouquet look like terry ones.

Rococo in flower beds look like exotic plant. There is one drawback: Rococo has poor frost resistance.

Rococo pansy flowers

Among homemade pansies You can highlight F1 Angel. Miniature buds up to 4 cm in diameter can be of different colors.

Pansy variety angel

Description of medium-flowered pansies

Quedlinburger Riesen. The volume of inflorescences is up to 7.5 cm. The buds are white, blue, yellow, crimson with a yellow eye in the center of the petals and black spots near the base.

Pansy Quedlinburger Risen

Giant Forrunner F1. The buds are bright yellow with brown spots petals closer to the base. Among its fellows it is considered the most winter-hardy specimen.

Pansy Giant Forrunner

Large-flowered varieties of pansies

Shalon Supreme. Inflorescences up to 8.5 cm. Corrugated petals of pale lilac color with light shades. A spot in the center of one of the petals with a cream edging.

Pansy Shalon Supreme

Dynamite. Snow-white buds are combined with rich raspberry tones on the lower petals. What makes the variety original and popular. The diameter of the inflorescence is up to 8.5 cm in diameter.

Pansy flowers Dynamite

Magnum F1. The variety was developed quite recently. The diameter of the bud is over 9 cm. Gentle blue petals with bluish spots.

Pansy magnum

Pansy diseases

Pansy flowers are susceptible to the following diseases:

Cucumber mosaic. The carriers of the virus are insects. The leaves of the flower are wrapped in a roll and torn. The buds look unsightly.

The disease can be prevented by destroying aphids. The infected cannot be saved; they are simply uprooted and burned.

Damage to a flower by cucumber mosaic

Root rot. The disease starts from the roots and is transmitted to the entire plant. The color of the leaves changes and the roots turn brown.

Control: pay attention to the composition and acidity of the soil, adjust watering, treat with fungicides.

Flower disease root rot

Bacterial spotting. The favorable environment is cold, damp weather. The roots become overcooled and spots appear on the leaves.

Control: treat with copper oxychloride; after cold precipitation, collect and burn the infected areas.

Plant damage by bacterial spot disease

Late blight rot. The stems are affected near the very base. The leaves acquire a yellow, then blue tint. If it is on the balcony, you should tear out the plant and burn it. Throw away the earth.

Late blight rot on leaves

Powdery mildew. The first signs on the leaves are white coating, which is transferred to the buds over time.

At the first stage of the disease, these are just spots. They can be easily washed off, but then they increase in size and acquire a denser structure.

The color turns grey. Nitrogenous fertilizers pose a high risk of infection. Control: for preventive purposes, spray the bushes with whey. In case of disease, treat the flower with fungicides, for example Topaz.

Powdery mildew

Pests of pansies

Spider mite. The bush is enveloped in small cobwebs, and dots appear on the leaves. At the initial stage of infection, treat with mineral oil, soapy liquid, and tobacco infusion. If it doesn’t help, use Ditox, Fitoverm, Kungfu.

In the photo, a plant pest is a spider mite.

Aphid. The leaves become deformed, turn yellow, and the characteristic aphid appearance appears. sticky coating. A minor lesion is washed off with a solution of water and soap, planted on ladybugs. In more severe cases, treat with Akarin, Antiilin, Bison.

In the photo there is an aphid

Slugs. Pests nibble the leaves of the flower. It is necessary to fight them even before planting seedlings. Dig up the area, pour in substances that make it difficult for the slug to move: eggshell, crushed stone, etc.

Slugs in the photo

Scatter ash near the bushes. You can prepare traps and collect the “harvest” in the morning. Because slugs attack at night. When fighting slugs, reduce watering and do it only in the morning.