Pretty pansies

I love pansies, with there pretty colors and cute faces.  They  were  also my grandma's favorite, so I think of her when I see them.  In my climate they will bloom fall through spring.  I have had them self seed, which is always cool.  
This year I decided to start them from seed.  It's not going very well.  I guess since I had them self seed I thought it would be easy. Germination rate is not great, and they are growing quite slow.  Next year I will start them in the summer.  I bought some to enjoy.  I do hope the ones I started from seed bloom before it gets hot.  Live and learn I guess.

When I was a kid we had pansies in a window box and they were beautiful.  And the next spring I was laying in the front yard and found a single one growing in the lawn!  It made me smile and feel happy, the wind must have blown the seed out of the window box and vwa la the next year.

We've occasionally had some pansies survive the winter under the snow and bloom again the next year.

Pansies are the first flowers that I knew by name. I was 4 years old or younger. We were at great grandma's house and my great uncle was planting some in the flower bed. Why do I remember this day? It was the first time I ran into a spiderweb strong enough that I thought the spider was gonna wrap me up. Yes, I screamed like the little girl I was.

I still love pansies though. I keep thinking to plant some, but my seed money keeps running out before I get to them on my wish list. I comfort myself by admiring the wild violets instead. We have a lot!