365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Tuesday, August 27, 2024
Happy Faces
Day 319: Viola tricolor goes by a vast number of common names. I either call them Violas or Johnny-Jump-ups, but you might know them as Wild Pansy or Heart's-ease, or more rarely, Heart's Delight, Tickle-my-fancy, Come-and-cuddle-me, and Wikipedia suggests Jack-jump-up-and-kiss-me, three faces in a hood, love in idleness, or pink of my john. I can honestly say I've never heard any of the last four, but apparently "love in idleness" occurs several times in Shakespeare. In any event, they're a cute little flower, but in a tended flower bed, they can be a real nuisance. They reseed themselves with a vengeance, and although they're lovely en masse in the spring, the foliage goes brown as soon as hot weather arrives. I don't mind letting these johnnies jump up in my yard, but I desire no love in idleness or pink of anyone's john in my bed!
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