Springtime on Long Island presents itself with long anticipated milder temperatures and revelry in the knowledge that commuters arrive home before darkness falls. Daylight lingers past the final mouthful of dinner, and the sun's rays gently coax the crocus and daffodils to bud their way through the ground after their long hibernations. Any day now, home garden centers and east end farm stands will explode with the dazzling colors of pansies, the first gardening endeavors of the season.
After three months of bleak, grey days of nondescript landscapes, residents are eager to infuse pops of bright color to the scene. Few potted flowers have the power to radiate the warmth and joys of spring like the pansy, with each bloom's face nodding in the breeze in acknowledgement of winter's departure and spring's glorious arrival. Even a single pot strategically placed by the door to one's home and filled with pansies has amazing mood lifting capabilities. From window boxes and hanging baskets to retaining wall flowerbeds and strawberry jar pots, the flowers are at home anyplace that needs a boost of cheer and color.
Yes, the colors. There are so many to ponder as one browses and strolls through the aisles. A flower that was once limited to blue, crimson red or cheery yellow now brims from the wooden store shelves in a rainbow of hues. Light orange, pale yellow, violet, white, pink and mauve have joined the lineup, still displaying their faces of contrasting shades. Which one will capture your fancy, striking just the right note to reflect your springtime exuberance? Previously gravitating to the deep maroon shade, I find myself drawn to this season's purple variety.
Pansies can be purchased in cell packs or in small pots to be transplanted into any container of your choosing. Look to some of the farm stand displays for inspiration, and think outside of the classic terra cotta pot. From galvanized metal watering cans, pails and tubs to an old-fashioned wagon or a wheelbarrow, you can create a springtime floral display that is a unique, whimsical and decorative work of art. After months of being cooped up in fluorescent lighting and artificial heat, most folks are itching to get out into the warming rays of sunlight, sink their garden spades into the dirt and nurture the newly planted life. If time or green thumb confidence is completely lacking, however, many vendors sell decorative arrangements of pre-planted pots of pansies to simply place and water. Removing faded blooms will keep pansy plants flowering until summer's first heat wave sets in, by which time a whole plethora of other flowers will grace the farm stands, awaiting their new homes in Long Island's yards.
Every season has its highlights. Autumn on Long Island encourages pumpkin picking, winery touring, cider sipping and fall festivals. Winter ushers in snow days complete with snowman building and snow angel making, movie night huddles on the sofa with steaming mugs of hot chocolate, meeting friends at cozy coffee houses and reading under warm blankets. We all look forward to summer days on the beach and evening barbecues followed by sharing drinks and laughter around the dancing flames of a patio fire. For now, let's celebrate the arrival of spring. This means the first marinated steak tossed on the grill, opening day of baseball season, revisiting harbor villages that have been too blustery for strolling and planting the first color selections of the gardening season. Enter, the pansy.
After three months of bleak, grey days of nondescript landscapes, residents are eager to infuse pops of bright color to the scene. Few potted flowers have the power to radiate the warmth and joys of spring like the pansy, with each bloom's face nodding in the breeze in acknowledgement of winter's departure and spring's glorious arrival. Even a single pot strategically placed by the door to one's home and filled with pansies has amazing mood lifting capabilities. From window boxes and hanging baskets to retaining wall flowerbeds and strawberry jar pots, the flowers are at home anyplace that needs a boost of cheer and color.
Yes, the colors. There are so many to ponder as one browses and strolls through the aisles. A flower that was once limited to blue, crimson red or cheery yellow now brims from the wooden store shelves in a rainbow of hues. Light orange, pale yellow, violet, white, pink and mauve have joined the lineup, still displaying their faces of contrasting shades. Which one will capture your fancy, striking just the right note to reflect your springtime exuberance? Previously gravitating to the deep maroon shade, I find myself drawn to this season's purple variety.
Pansies can be purchased in cell packs or in small pots to be transplanted into any container of your choosing. Look to some of the farm stand displays for inspiration, and think outside of the classic terra cotta pot. From galvanized metal watering cans, pails and tubs to an old-fashioned wagon or a wheelbarrow, you can create a springtime floral display that is a unique, whimsical and decorative work of art. After months of being cooped up in fluorescent lighting and artificial heat, most folks are itching to get out into the warming rays of sunlight, sink their garden spades into the dirt and nurture the newly planted life. If time or green thumb confidence is completely lacking, however, many vendors sell decorative arrangements of pre-planted pots of pansies to simply place and water. Removing faded blooms will keep pansy plants flowering until summer's first heat wave sets in, by which time a whole plethora of other flowers will grace the farm stands, awaiting their new homes in Long Island's yards.
Every season has its highlights. Autumn on Long Island encourages pumpkin picking, winery touring, cider sipping and fall festivals. Winter ushers in snow days complete with snowman building and snow angel making, movie night huddles on the sofa with steaming mugs of hot chocolate, meeting friends at cozy coffee houses and reading under warm blankets. We all look forward to summer days on the beach and evening barbecues followed by sharing drinks and laughter around the dancing flames of a patio fire. For now, let's celebrate the arrival of spring. This means the first marinated steak tossed on the grill, opening day of baseball season, revisiting harbor villages that have been too blustery for strolling and planting the first color selections of the gardening season. Enter, the pansy.