SOME FLOEAL LEGENDS 



BY 



EDWARD TYRRELL, 



TORONTO. 



¥ N continuing my notes on the history 

 I and lore of plants, your readers will 

 -^ please bear in mind that I have col- 

 lected these from various writers, the most 

 prominent among them being Shakspeare, 

 Phillips, Tyas, Kerner, Hibberd, Paul, Hole 

 and others. Some are superstitions of old 

 times, and there are redeeming traits in these 

 old mythologies, " their floral ornaments 

 and allegorical combinations of fruits and 

 flowers are symbols of a divine idea." My 

 desire is that young people (and older ones 

 too if they will) should encourage a habit of 

 learning more about trees, plants and flow- 

 ers, because they become far more interest- 

 ing when we have some knowledge of the 

 region from which they came and the his- 

 tory connected with them. 



Although for the present I am giving the 

 histories of flowers, I do not wish your 

 friends to think their gardening work should 

 be confined to the culture of flowers alonC' 

 though Mrs. Hemans thinks that the fine 

 passion for flowers is the only one, which 

 long sickness with its chilling influences 

 leaves untouched. In one of her poems she 

 writes : 



" Oh lovely flowers, the Earth's rich diadem, 

 Emblems are ye of Heaven and heavenly joy. 

 And starry brilliaflce in a world of gloom ; 

 Peace, innocence and guileless infancy 

 Claim sisterhood with you and holy is the tie." 



■ We should also be interested in all the 

 branches of horticulture, and endeavor to 

 realize by actual work the joys and pleasures 

 connected with gardening, in the satisfac- 

 tion that the meanest tasks are elevated even 

 to dignity by the fact of their necessity, and 

 to feel a pride that there is not one manipu- 



lation but that they can perform although 

 their means may enable them to enjoy all the 

 refinements of life, Hibberd says " that cf 

 all worldly occupations, gardening is the 

 noblest, the most useful, and the one which 

 promises the richest mental and material re- 

 wards." 



This topic is interesting, but I shall leave 

 it and continue my quotations, which this 

 time are on the pansy and mignonette. 



Pansy (Viola Tricolor). — The name 

 pansy is derived from the French word 

 '' pensee," a thought. In floral language it 

 means " think of me." This pretty flower, 

 the favorite alike of poet, florist and rustic^ 

 is a species of the violet, not the little flower 

 that perfumes the air, but a species entirely 

 distinct both in its habit of growth, and in 

 the form and color of its flowers. One 

 writer says it was reserved for a young lady, 

 aided by an intelligent gardener, to show the 

 world the extraordinary variations to which 

 the flower is susceptible. About 1810 or 

 1 81 2 Lady Mary Bennett had a small gar- 

 den planted entirely of hearts-ease in the 

 garden of her father, the Earl of Tanker- 

 ville, at Walton-on-Thames. This young 

 lady was desirous of having as many varie- 

 ties as possible, and at her desire the gar- 

 dener, Mr. Richardson, raised as many kinds 

 as he could from seed. From this small be- 

 ginning the present passion for these flowers 

 took its rise. Mr. Richardson showed them 

 to Mr. Lee, of Hamersmith, who instantly 

 saw the opportunities of making this a flor- 

 ist's flower. 



Another writer says that about this time a 

 Mr. Thompson, of Iver, England, gardener 

 to Lord Gambier, commenced the cultivation 



