The Last of the Violas

My balcony garden loves to be full of flowers
and the first ones I plant are always pansies and violas.

But at some point in time, they start to grow very leggy
and it's time for me to pick them in profusion
and fill my pots and tiny vases with these
delicate blooms.

I love the variety of their colours

and the watercolour reflection of these on the glass surface

Playing with reflections

and on the kitchen table
the tiniest yellow jug you could ever imagine!


These flowers make me happy...
I think it's those little pansy faces that seem to be looking at me
to say hello!

39 comments

  1. Such beautiful pictures....I love violas, they are so perfect and the colours are so delicious!
    Happy weekend.
    Helen xox

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    1. Thank you, Helen. Violas and pansies just touch our hearts, don't they?

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  2. Truly lovely little flowers, and your photographs of them are wonderful, Sandra.
    Have a fantastic weekend!

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    1. Thanks, Lisa. The loveliest things about this time of the year are the flowers! Our weekend will be wet, but I have a good book!

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  3. These flower lovelies make me happy too. Pansies are one of my all-time favorite early Spring flower and like you, I am enchanted with their many colors and sweet faces. Beautiful series!!

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    1. Thanks for visiting, Deanna! I think that those happy little pansy and viola faces seem to enchant everyone who looks at them!

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  4. Such happy-making photos - and flowers! Gorgeous.

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  5. Oh, gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous... You've perfectly captured the transient nature of these flowers - it's as if they've been suspended in time, by your images.

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    1. I love these little flowers so much that I would love to have them blooming all year round!

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  6. Lovely images of these dainty beauties.

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  7. A pretty posy of a post for the delightfully sunny weather I am currently enjoying. Thank you xxx

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    1. Isn't posy a lovely word - and it goes so well with pansies! Glad to hear you have it sunny your way!

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  8. They are so pretty! And I love that little pot!

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    1. Thank you, Linda. Tiny pots and jugs seem to be in constant use around here!

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  9. Such happiness in these sweet little faces, they just bloom their hearts out I think. One of God's wonderful creations. Such a lovely way to present them also Sandra. I just pulled mine out until next November when I can plant them again. Happy summer to you, I read that you are having a pest problem with some of your flowers. My dahlias are struggling now with the heat but I will be content with what I get from now on. Life is a cycle for sure and it is hard for pretty little flowers to go through the heat. I am just glad I have air conditioning and good books along with Netflix on the TV. Hope you are well I am sure I owe you an e-mail but I think I pretty much told you all here. :) Take care and yes send cool air. :)

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    1. Your flowers are too hot and mine are too wet! We just have to adapt to our respective climates! I even caught a bird pecking at my ripe strawberries! It sounds as if you're all set for your hot summer!

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  10. so lovely
    you are gifted with creating more beauty with beauty

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    1. Thank you, Tammie. The beauty of all that grows around us in nature increases our sensitivity to it and allows us to capture the essence within.

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  11. They are always one of my favorites outside too. So dainty and colorful.

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    1. Thank you. There is so much beauty around us and it's so tempting to want to capture it all and enjoy it many times through photography!

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  13. Such pretty little flowers Sandra! They'd certainly put a smile on my face every time I'd see them!
    Kate :}

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    1. All flowers are beautiful and bring us joy, but pansies and violas always bring a smile to my face!

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  14. Delightful little flowers - you are lucky to have a small enough vase for them. I have never had much luck with them myself but a few weeks ago I was given a container of them as a gift and they are still going strong - I am just wondering if you can take cuttings from them when they get a bit leggy - I will have to look into this. You have managed to capture them beautifully and show their true beauty in close up.

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    1. Hello Elaine, I seem to have a profusion of really tiny jugs and vases for all the tiny things which seem to suit balcony gardening so well! I've never tried to take cuttings from these sweet little violas, but if you leave them in the earth long enough they self-seed and will grow again next spring! My snapdragons and allyssum self-seed as well!

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  15. Wow - these photos are amazing, Sandra. So clear and vivid. I love the light through the flowers and the reflections. I planted pansies last week on my rock wall. They do well here all summer because it remans so cool. If I deadhead them, they grow quite bushy. Some are even coming up from last summer, but I'm not sure they'll grow enough to produce flowers. I like seeing these "volunteers" anyway. Your orchid Header is gorgeous. Your little pitcher is perfect for such a dainty bouquet.

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    1. I'm so glad you planted pansies in your garden. Yes, they do rather like the cool and I am happy they last a long time for you! Thank you for your kind words concerning the pink orchid header! You wouldn't believe how small these tiny vases and jugs are in real life. Using them is like playing with a doll's house!

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  16. Oh, how sweet and dainty! Your photos are so light and just filled with happiness! I'm sure they made you smile all day. I need to bring more of my flowers inside and enjoy them.

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    1. Cathy, those little flower faces do fill me with happiness!

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  17. I love violas too. The lavender and purple are my favourites, but the little golden ones are so cheery.

    When I was a child we called them "Johnny-Jump-Ups", but I think viola is a much prettier word!

    Enjoy the last of your smiling blossoms. :)

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    1. Hello Sue, "Johnny-Jump-Ups" is so unusual it makes them sound like little boys and 'viola' makes them sound like little girls!

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  18. Pansies are like smiling faces. Your photos are just lovely..all those colors are so beautiful. I especially like the yellow one on the mirror. I might have to try the mirror with some objects just to try my hand at still lifes.

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    1. Thanks Mary. I think that nobody can resist these charming little flowers. They somehow touch our heart!

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  19. Well, it makes me happy just to look at your beautiful images. You really have captured their charm, Sandra! I love your photo with the reflection on the glass, so pretty. Thanks for brightening my day.

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    1. Thanks, Gina. Spring brings us so many gorgeous blooms I wish they could spread out more the whole year round!

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  20. How lucky you are with all this beauty on your balcony, my dear! Great pictures full of nuances and colors. Your violets and pansies are a delight. Have a lovely day! xxx

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    1. Thank you, Anabelia! I love to surround myself with flowers and having a balcony is so important to me! You create beautiful flowers with your cotton and crochet hook! I always enjoy your designs so much!

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  21. Argh, why are these flowers so pretty! They make the world so much lovelier.

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