Violet – delicate flower

Violets are popular garden and wild plants with delicate flowers. There are about 500 species of violet. They include the common blue violet and the pansy.
They grow in places that have warm summers and cold winters. They can grow well under trees and shrubs. The smallest violets are about 5 centimeters high and the largest can reach a height of more than 50 centimeters.
Their flowers have five petals and are most commonly deep purple, blue, or lavender. They also can be white, yellow, reddish purple, or a combination of colors.
Some people eat flowers and they are used to make perfume.

Violets are one of the oldest horticultural crops. The first mention of it in the botanical garden of the Scottish city of Edinburgh dates back to 1683. In the XVIII century famous English florist F. Miller began to cultivate this plant.
Herba Violae tricoloris is used for baths or for internal use, as a tincture or tea. It treats respiratory diseases, rheumatism, atherosclerosis, gout, is used in urology and dermatology.
In 1984-1990 one gram of seeds was in space aboard the US space shuttle Columbia. The purpose of the experiment was to determine how the heredity changes in weightless conditions and the intensity of cosmic radiation. The result was a space series of varieties with prefix Ever: Optimara EverGrace, Optimara EverHarmony, Optimara EverLove, Optimara EverPraise. Their distinguishing feature is the thick green fringe around the edge of the petals, very luxuriant and continuous flowering.

Violets are divided into “boys” and “girls”: “girls” have bright light spot on the leaves and “boys’” leaves are entirely green.
Germans celebrate Violets Fest on the first Sunday of March.
Since ancient times, violet is a symbol of modesty and chastity.
Violet was a flower of happiness for Josephine de Beauharnais, Napoleon’s beloved wife. Delicate violets were faithful companions of their love story. They were present when Josephine met Napoleon and accompanied them on their wedding day. After the death of the Emperor at Saint Helena two little violets were found in his medallion.
In northern France white pansies considered a symbol of death.
The Romans used a violet as a healing herb and add it to the wine.
This modest lovely spring flower is loved worldwide by kings, poets, artists and ordinary people.

It is known that a big fan of violets was Sarah Bernhardt. She said that violets were her favorite flowers. After performances her fans gave her only violets; her toilets and flat was filled with fragrance scent of violets. Sarah was very eccentric. It is known that she always used to take coffin with her, used to sleep in it, made a photo shoot and rehearsal of her funeral.
For the Greeks, violet was an ambiguous flower. On the one hand, it was considered a symbol of grief and sorrow (as the memory of the kidnapped daughter of Zeus), on the other – the emblem of spring every year reviving nature. The ancient Greeks also loved decorate with violets their houses, statues of their gods, and themselves. Violet wreaths were worn by children when they reached the age of three, thus indicating that for them innocent years passed and now they come to life as young citizens. Violet in general was the favorite flower of the ancient Greeks.

The Romans, not less than the Greeks, were interested in violets. They used it as a medicinal herb, added to the wine, which immediately received the name of the spring drink. Without violets Romans did not imagine joyful event, or a religious festival. In the cities, such as Rome, Genna and Sicily, there were even a coin with an image of violet.

In Russian folklore, violets are called Anyuta’s eyes. The legend says about the beautiful girl with a kind heart and trusting soul – Anyuta. She lived in the village, and was naive. Everything was fine, until she met a guy, with whom she fell in love with all her heart and unconditionally believed him. But he was afraid of her love and left her, but promised to return. Anyuta was waiting for him, looking at the road, and slowly faded from depression. After her death at the tomb of the girl rose flowers with three colored petals, each of which represented the feelings she felt for the guy: the first petal – the hope of reciprocity, the second – a surprise from unfair resentment, the third – the sorrow of unrequited love.

Violet – delicate flower

Violets in paintings