The natural defense of the garden

The so-called "bio-defense" is just a modern name, given by researchers and scholars, indicating a very ancient practice, and it means the defense of the plants from pests and various diseases not by the use of chemical compounds (compatible s or not with the environment and still very dangerous) but through the use of products of natural origin, easily available, not harmful and easy to prepare at home.

From my experience, here are some recipes that will save the plants in the garden; it is very important to be able to defend our plants, just in this season, in which insects, especially parasites, begin to proliferate, especially in large cities.

Agrochemicals from Natural Products (Books in Soils, Plants, and the Environment)

Handbook of Natural Pesticides: Methods, Isolation and Identification, Volume II (Crc Series in Naturally Occurring Pesticides)

Handbook of Natural Pesticides: Insect Attract Repellents, Volume VI

Before the "recipes", I will give a brief definition of the main methods to derive from the plants the active antibacterial, insecticidal, repellent principles.
-Macerated
With this procedure (one of the most used in the prevention and cure of plant diseases) the water is given the opportunity to extract the active ingredients from the plant.The liquid, ideal for the fermentation of all preparations is the rain water (at least not in an area subject to acid rain). It must be choosen a container not made of steel but made of plastic, cement, clay or wood. The container for the fermentation should never be closed tightly, because this process requires ventilation. For this same reason, the macerate must be mixed at least once a day. It requires to leave the the plant used, immersed in water for at least a week, and this preparation can be used after one or two weeks of its preparation, when the liquid became dark and no longer gives rise to foaming.
-Infusion
To make a good infusion, should be avoided to boil the plants. The best thing to do is to pour the necessary boiling water over the gathered herbs and then soak for twenty-four hours.
-Decoction
The herbs should be put in cold water for twenty-four hours. After this time, you must heat the mixture over low heat for 20-30 minutes, depending on the woodiness of the plants used.
-Extract

You must soak the plants in water for three days at room temperature. After this time, you must filter the mixture and use it freely.

Handbook of Natural Pesticides: Insects, Part B, Volume III
CRC Handbook of Natural Pesticides Volume III: Insect Growth Regulators, Part A
Aphids on the World's Herbaceous Plants and Shrubs (2 Volume Set)
Aphids As Crop Pests
Advances in Pesticide Science Three Volume Set: World Food Productions - Environment - Pesticides; Synthesis of Pesticides, Chemical Structure and Biological Activity, Natural Products...; Biochemistry of Pests and Mode of Action of Pesticides ...

-Garlic & Onion

They are very useful against aphids, mites and the carrot fly.
Preparation: bulbs or leaves. 750 g of bulbs crushed in 100 l of water, or 5 kg of fresh plant (2 kg if the plant is dried). The maceration of the plant, must be spread, undiluted, directly on plants (against the carrot fly), while the infusion, still not diluted, should be spread directly on the plants or on the land. The alcoholic extract of garlic has a repellent action against aphids, moths etc. The essential oil of garlic also has a strong antibacterial properties.

-Wormwood
This plant contains essential oils that have a strong repellent action against aphids and several Lepidoptera.
Preparation: 3 kg of fresh plant (300 g when dried) in 100l of water. Use the whole plant and of course the flowers, that are to be collected between June and September. You can perform a maceration of the plant, this compound should be spread, undiluted, directly on plants to combat aphids and ants. You can also obtain a decoction, in which case you must pay, undiluted, directly on the plants; finally, the infusion is especially suited against aphids.

-Horsetail (Equisetum arvense)

This plant is a useful aid in the defense plant fungal diseases, as it reinforces the very skin of the leaves and the trunk. We use only the branches born in summer, sterile, rich in chlorophyll.
Preparation: 10 kg of fresh plant (1.5 kg when dried) in 100 l of water. You can get a decoction: in this case it has to be diluted five times and then poured directly onto the soil or on plants, against fungal diseases (I found in a text the advice to add to the infusion sodium silicate 1.0%, because it increases the effectiveness and persistence of the decoction itself, but I never tried this formula and I can not tell if it really works!). You can also macerate the plant, the mixture then must be diluted five times, this is to be paid directly on the plant (also for the macerate, I've found the advice to add to the mixture the macerate of the nettle and 0.3% of soap, because it increases the effectiveness).

-Fern

It is very powerful as a repellent, and rejects the aphids when they come into contact with it.
Preparation: 10kg of plant (1kg if dried) in 100l of water. You must use the leaves. You must make a macerate of leaves, dilute it ten times, and pour it directly on plants in spring, to repel aphids.

-Nettle (Urtica dioica & Urtica urens)
The two species of nettle have both stimulating and insecticidal properties: these properties are primarily derived from the principle which lies on the stinging hairs on the leaves. The nettle preparations are commonly used to stimulate the plants' growth and for protection against parasites, against which it plays a repellent action and makes them desist from eating the leaves of the plant.
Preparation: 10kg of plant (2kg if dried) in 100l of water. You can prepare a macerate, for whose implementation it takes or two days or four days. The first (the macerate for two days) must not be diluted and should be distributed on the leaves, against aphids; this treatment is very effective if performed at the opening of the attack of pests.
The second compound (that of four days) should be added to the infusion of horsetail, this compound is diluted in water to 20% and used directly on plants for defense against aphids and red spider.
(I read that you can possibly add 1kg of sugar per 20l of water, and 1% Marseilles soap, as this improves the effectiveness of macerate, for healing purposes).

-Chilli (Capsicum annuum)
The seeds contain a substance that has a high deterrent power against aphids.
Preparation: 200g of powder in 100l of water. The powder is obtained precisely from the seeds and berries. In small doses, it should be applied directly on plants throughout the year, only once a week if the weather is dry, but also two or three times in case of rain or wet weather.

-Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)
It acts by contact against aphids and flies. It also has a deterrent effect and also prevents many types of pests
and insects from devouring the leaves of the plants.
Preparation: 25/30kg in 100l of water. Use only the leaves or the whole plant, without roots, and before the formation of the fruits. You can prepare an extract to be paid, undiluted, directly on the plants, when you notice the presence of aphids or caterpillars or flies. You can also prepare a decoction in this way: 25 kg of leaves in 10l of water. The juice thus obtained is diluted in 90l cold water, the preparation thus obtained is poured directly on plants and is very useful against aphids and for the preservation of the leaves.

-Quassia wood (quassia amara, Picrosma excelsa, Picrosma quassoides etc.)

The active ingredient, which is extracted from the wood of these plants, is a powerful insecticide. It acts by contact and ingestion and have an action similar to the pyrethrum, but less effective and less persistent. It is less toxic than pyrethrum, is harmless to humans, pets and "util" insects (ladybugs, bees etc..), but the preparations of the quassia wood should not be used on fruit or plants with edible leaves, because the solution is very bitter. It is very powerful against aphids, scale insects etc..
Preparation: 2kg of quassia wood in 100l of water. It is often sold the sawdustof this wood, and then, in this case, the procedure is: leave the sawdust to soak in water for twenty-four hours, then bring to a boil on medium heat, and boil for about an hour. The mixture, cooled, is to be paid directly to the plants throughout the year, especially during the flowering of the plants.

-Ryania (Ryania speciosa)
It is a tropical shrub, very common in South America. You must use the stem, ground finely. Its ingredients work slowly but very effectively, by ingestion, on the young larvae of the parasites (unfortunately it does not destroy the eggs but only the larvae). I read that, currently, is considered the best insecticide against the pests of the apple tree. The active substance is quite stable and this allows longer intervals between one treatment and the other, compared to other insecticides (one full treatment every 5 to 10 days). Experimental investigations have however confirmed that the effectiveness of the product decreases proportionally with the increasing of the time interval between one treatment and the another. It is recommended the addition of a soap solution (2 kg per hectolitre of water). To prepare an infusion is needed: 400/600 grams in 100 liters of water (do not require soaking.) To ensure the effectiveness of the treatment, it is necessary to ensure a perfect coverage of the plant with the product, especially of the fruits during the period when the larvae emerge from eggs and there is the appearance of the first erosion on the surface of the fruit.
This substance is not toxic to plants, does not disturb the earthworms and has no side effects on either men or animals. It has a full and rapid degradability in the environment.

-Tansy
Formerly it enjoyed great consideration, this is evidenced by its etymology "Athanasia" which in greek means "immortality" . Its therapeutic properties have been always known, but its application in agriculture and gardening is more recent.
It has a repellent against moths, aphids and certain mites. In the past, the tansy, gathered in small bunches, was used to keep out the mices from the wheat stored in granaries.
Preparation: 3 kg of the plant (30 grams if dried) in 100 liters of water. You use the entire plant, rootless and without flowers, and must harvest it when its flowering occurs between July and September. You can make an infusion, which must be spread undiluted, directly on plants against aphids and ants. You can also prepare a decoction, to be paid, undiluted, directly on the plants. High doses and repeated treatments for a long time are not harmful to the plant nor to the useful insects.


-Important Note: Only the decoction and infusion of horsetail are to be distributed under the sun, all other compounds must be sprayed during the coolest hours of the day, and preferably at sunset.


-Another important note: the chemical medication of the plants is easier to use and its effect can be considered more secure, but in the long run, their back harmful effect can not be ignored. Instead, these biological preparations are not sold on the market and should be prepared at home (as necessary, adjusted, according to the proportions, the amounts of herbs and water to be used) ; to ensure their highest effectiveness is necessary to act with great speed in order to capture the most favorable moment for the elimination of the parasites: in short, we must take great care and act in time. Furthermore, it should be noted that each preparation will be effective only if made from herbs gathered in the right manner and at the right time (late morning or full afternoon), in the right places and not contaminated, exposed to sunlight; above all, well dried and stored properly. It is certainly more complicated to use these preparations as compared to the simple use of chemicals products, but in that way you will not ever run the risk of harm the plants themselves that you want to heal, the beneficial insects (like the bees, whose progressive decrease is a warning signal) and other living species of the environment, be it a balcony, a garden, a vegetable garden or an entire cultivated field.
Impact of Pesticides on Farmer Health and the Rice Environment (Natural Resource Management and Policy)
Agrochemicals from Natural Products (Books in Soils, Plants, and the Environment)

Certified Organic and Biologically Derived Pesticides: Environmental, Health, and Efficacy Assessment (Acs Symposium Series)

Natural Products for Pest Management (Acs Symposium Series)

Natural Products for Innovative Pest Management (Current themes in tropical science)
Natural Products for Innovative Pest Management, Volume 2 of Current Themes in Tropical Science;

Elefsina Bay and Koumoundourou Lake: serious examples of environmental pollution

Elefsina is located on the Saronikos Gulf towards the SE of the mainland, 24km from Piraeus.
The first time I saw this place, I was horrified by what I saw: gargantuan-sized gas works, steel works, cement works, oil distilleries, all found within metres of what looked like residential zones. Dust flew everywhere, piling on the side of the road like mud, especially outside the cement works. No one wore masks; no one seemed to care that they were inhaling dust. I tried to see the hidden beauty of this land, but the horrors of the modern men makes it very difficult: one must have the ability to see the past, or have great imagination, to recover the lost splendour of the Thriasian Plain and the city, once called Eleusis, now Elefsina in modern greek.

Elefsina was one of Ancient Greece's most sacred towns, about 20 km NW of Athens, but it's since become a byword for air and sea pollution. Elefsina, though, is spearheading efforts to clean up the country's coastline. The region around Elefsina was recently identified as one of the most endangered areas of the Mediterranean (as for example: Elefsina currently is the city with the highest ever officially recorded temperature in Europe of 48.0 °C ). It is curious: this place was in antiquity, one of the most fertile and pleasant valleys of the whole Greece, it used to be an agricultural and cattle-breeding area; but it is also the largest plain in Attic, the closest to the capital and with a splendid position near the sea, with a vast bay and easy links with some other important places, such as Corinth, the whole Peloponnesus and the Aegean islands.

After its glorious past in ancient times, for a long period, the city of Elefsina fell into oblivion: during the period of Turkish domination it was almost uninhabited and a few years before the establishment of the Greek state it is mentioned as a small fish -village. In the year 1860 it seems that the history of the contemporary city began by the settlement of merchants, the construction of a railway track (1884) and the opening up of Corinth Isthmus. The installation of the soap-making factory of Charilaou (1875), the cement industry TITAN (1902), the distilleries VOTRYS (1906) and KRONOS (1922) meant the industrialization of the city while, in 1938 the first pollution of Elefsina bay from oil transported for the industrial needs was noticed. The needs of the industries for labour force create successive waves of domestic migration.

The settlement of 2.000 Greek refugees from Asia Minor in 1922 is followed by the population blow-up of 50’s by the settlement of inhabitants of Epirus, Chios, Dodecanese, Corfu and later on (1960) of Crete and repatriated Greeks from the Black Sea. By the simultaneous installation of many big and small industries, Elefsina changed completely its form. Presently, refineries, steel mills, cement factories, shipyards, ammunition industry, 2000 smaller industries, handicrafts and commercial business are operating in the broader area. Although the natural environment has been spoiled from industrialization, in the last years, by a number of interventions, the atmospheric and sea pollution in Elefsina bay has been slightly reduced.

The Elefsina Bay, a medium-sized port, is one of the most industrialised and environmentally degraded areas in Greece. The quality of life and economic development in the bay’s communities suffer from pollution and hazards from port and industrial activities, as well as from an uncontrolled urbanisation that has limited the communal spaces and constrained the access to the sea. The situation in Elefsina is typical of many other industrial port and urban areas in Greece, South-eastern Europe and the EU in general. The region’s dominant problem, which brought about the most serious environmental problems is the presence of many industries. In the region operate over 3000 industrial and craf-based installations, from which, some of the biggest industries of the country, such as: two oil refineries (Hellenic Petroleum S.A., Petrola Hellas S.A.), two steel industries (Hellenic Halyvourgia, Halyvourgiki S.A.), two cement industries (TITAN, Halyps Cement-Italcementi Group), an ammunition industry (PYRKAL), two shipyards, ship scrapping installations, a commercial harbour (as well as a roadstead, where vessels can lie at anchor), establishments of petrol products storage and processing, three fossil fuel processing units, one paper processing industry, scrap units, chemical industries and pits.

Besides that, there is also the forthcoming operation of the gigantic new cargo facilities and railway station of Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE). Air is also highly polluted, due to the industrial activity, fossil fuel consumption and traffic circulation, the costal zone pollution is the top-ranking environmental problem and another problem is traffic congestion and noise pollution, due to heavy vehicles circulation, like lorries or busses: the noise pollution is considered as a very serious environmental problem.
The industries operation have turned the Thriasio Pedio to a particularly polluted area ( air/ sea/ ground/ underground water pollution), in fact Elefsina is the town where the majority of crude oil in Greece is imported and refined. After the end of the war, but also of the civil tragedy that follows it, Elefsina enters definitely into the course of industrialisation. Its geographic situation and its harbour favoured the development of any kind of economic activities. Thus, apart from the old industries that are now modernized, new factories are established in the town area. In 1953 the steel factory starts functioning. In 1955 the oil factory is built and few years' later smaller factories like the ice factory and the shipyard Savvas are founded. Athens's nearest military airport is a few kilometers east of Elefsina. It has been used since the mid-20th century. Its runway is about 2 km and its buildings are to the west. It sits in the Thriasian/Eleusina Plain.

However, the concentration of so many factories in the town and in the wider area of Thriasio Pedio,where so many industries are in function, has catastrophic results on the environment. The air and water pollution has negative consequences also on the population's health. The strong protests and oppositions of the inhabitants result in remediate measures and in a small reduction of the pollution.

Water pollution


Aquatic areas can naturally remove a certain amount of pollution by dispersing it harmlessly.

The marine pollution in both Saronikos Bay and Elefsina has been reduced since biological treatment of industrial waste has taken place.However, measurements showed that there are still many chemical substances which disrupt the normal life of sea creatures.
Western Attica wetlands have an inestimable value. Yet ignorance of the state destroys them daily. Until a few years ago, the wetlands were "undervalued" by the local communities and state. As a result today the Lake Koumoundourou, near the Elefsina Bay, has very significant problems: air and ground pollution, industrial plant and fuel tanks, which come from the industries of Thriasio Pedio. The problems’ aspects are so dangerous and threatening, that each environmental measure must be regarded as a matter of great urgency. Earth is slowly dying, while flora, fauna, air and water have been seriously wounded both in quality and quantity.

 

 
Koumoundourou Lake (Lake of ancient Rheitoi)

The lake is fed by the water from the springs of mount Parnes; the surface of the lake is about 143.000 m2. One important characteristic of the lake is the constant discharge of a fresh, unpolluted water source on the north side, which keeps the oxygen level constant and improves the quality in general. As a natural environment the lake has mixed water due to mixing with the sea at percentages of 60–40 %. The lake Koumoundourou has great interest both as an important wetland and a historic site. At the lake have been recorded by the Greek Ornithological Society 50 bird species including: the world's threatened Ferruginous Duck, the pintail, the Northern Shoveler, the wigeon, the pochard etc.
The ancient lakes Rheitoi were dedicated to the goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone. The ancient Sacred Way met the ancient Rheitoi. Lake Koumoundourou is classified as a historic site since 1974.

Lake Koumoundourou has a long history of pollution, but also a great historical value in the area of the prefecture of Attica with its capital at Athens. Nowadays the installation of the large refinery of “ELPE”, the oil tanks of “Elinoil”, and the military depot have created a very adverse situation for the lake’s environment. Leaks and spills from the oil refinery and depots polluted the lake to the extent that almost no life could be observed in the environment. After the intervention of the Agricultural University of Athens the level of the lake was raised by 20 cm and the additional pressure functioned as a barrier preventing large quantities of pollutants from entering the lake. Nevertheless a huge contamination still took place. This small lake is in the vicinity of the national road, the camp AVEK 871 that supplies with fuel and oils the majority of the Greek army, the ELDA, as well as with an important amount of fuel tanks belonging to private companies. This wetland has been disordered and is close to extinction unless efforts for its protection take place, such as protection from the intense industrial development in the area, as well as limitation in the licks of the underground fuel reservoirs. Works of infrastructure shall also be done in order to collect the rainwater that rinses out the national road ending in the lake, as well as to collect the contaminants from the use of detergents, dissolves and oil at the AVEK camp.

Lake Koumoundourou has been polluted by toxic chemical substances, which are by 10 times greater than maximum safety levels. Also, underground pollution from the neighbouring waste disposal center further pollutes the Lake. Underwater pollution from highly dangerous industrial pollutants is also significant. Additionally, pesticides and fertilizers from agricultural activities further deteriorate the situation. Moreover, the absence of modern water supply and sewerage treatment networks in the whole area and their consequent uncontrolled disposal in the environmentally sensitive Eleusis Bay had resulted in Greece’s condemnation from the Court of Justice of the European Communities [Decision of the 24th of June 2004 (Case C-119/02)]. The same happened [Decision of April 2005 (Case C-163/03)] due to the lack of infrastructure in the sector of dangerous waste management and their disposal at Eleusis Bay.
The wetland ecosystems are very rich and productive, with multiple values. The 23 remaining wetlands in Attica, which compose a network of highly important places for the migration and wintering birds, are under a considerable pressure and even threatened with extinction. Blatant example, the lake Koumoundourou.

The Koumoundourou Lake, a lake that was an ancient place of worship, is an example of obsolescence and indifference, in many ways. It has the "misfortune" to be in the Western region of Attica, a strife-torn region, although of great archaeological interest, that has been condemned to endure a toxic death. This lake has been polluted by oil spills and leaks from both the refinery and the military depot, containing large amounts of different petroleum extracts. In addition, the aquifer has also been polluted by an underground pipe connecting these two installations as well as by percolated surface pollutants and leaks from the refinery tanks.
The lake is seen on the road Athens -Corinth. It was once a sacred place, now struggling to live among oil tanks, military facilities, heavy industries and a lot more "threatening" neighbors. In ancient times there were two pools: both lakes had been preserved until the 19th century and featured two water mills. Until the 1950s both lakes were natural fish reserves. The large lake, the northern, Kephalari, was drained in the early '50s and was backfilled during the construction of the oil refinery at Aspropyrgos. Its place is today marked by a swamp. Then, only one lake is left, a part of which has been drained to build the highway. The strange is that this ecosystem is under protection: since 1974 has been declared an archaeological site and the lake, and 50 meters around the area, is designated as suburban park!

Despite all the pressures and threats, the lake stands up and offers residency and relaxation to many species of birds!
Residents of surrounding areas have responded and defended the lake. Required by the state be interested in this, the release of several times the wire which kept "imprisoned" and stressed the significance and cultural value. Brought close to schools, awareness and continue to raise awareness through discussions and events, so that no one else lost this paradise. As if that were not enough already acute problems before 1.5 year (then) Ministry of Development had the 'famous' idea to carry oil tanks in Perama camp on the shores of the lake, but also to build a road junction in this area. There were many reactions because it is so important that this small lake be saved from destruction: the lake has to live and live, as some people claim and require breath in an already troubled Thriasio Plain.

>Some informations taken from greek sites:

- From the Department of Defense we learn that:
The lake is subject to the provisions of Military Security (with laws from 1936 to 1953).
The visit of the lake can be done by informing the administration of the camp.
Visitors are required to surrender their identity at the gate of the camp.

- From the Ministry of Culture, we learn that:
Approved Environmental Study Update the lake (F1/12/56/25-1-2005) .
Visiting schools are free to visit all archaeological sites, but the responsible to answer for Lake Koumoundourou is the Defense ministry.
2.3 Our demand for more frequent and more intensive audits on its own and modern means of OP control of air and groundwater pollution (oil spills, leachate from landfills) is also required for another reason. Lake Koumoundourou declared other than historical site (1974) valuable wetland.
Basically, it is foundamental the reopening of the access to the lake.
Collective action brings results. The dozens of signs prohibiting the entrance of the lake are now inactive. Their existence, suggest rather the need to conceal the pollution, despite the military character of the area given that it is also an archaeological site.

-To protect the Lake Koumoundourou must:

* Stop the aboveground and underground pollution of the lake, the control of neighboring industries (mainly Hellenic Petroleum Aspropyrgos, landfills, etc.) and take immediate and strong measures of protection (decontamination, measurements, etc.).
* To become a site visited so that the citizens can assess its value.

>Wetlands of Attica: oases of life with an uncertain future

(Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at the bookstore IANOS)
This year's celebration of World Day of wetlands: the remaining wetlands in Athens have to face serious problems. The hundreds of wetlands in Greece is the most valuable ecosystems in the country. Nevertheless, the year we passed the Greek Ornithological Society received more than thirty-five complaints related to degradation of wetlands in Greece.
The protection and conservation of wetlands in Athens is vital - aesthetic, emotional, scientific and economic - for everyone. These areas are of particular value because of their proximity to urban yoke of Athens. They perform a variety of valuable ecological functions: support a great variety of life, retain the rain water, rich with this aquifer, but also ensure a balanced change.
The threats and pressures facing wetlands today around Athens have led to severe degradation, and thus degrade the quality of life. Poorly designed flood control projects, oil tanks, off plan construction, illegal hunting, extensive polders are just a few of the growing threats to wetlands listed in Attica.
In conjunction with citizens and volunteers who care about the location and environment of Attica present the priceless value of these wetlands to Attica, the problems they face are urgent and deep, still they propose solutions to preserve them as "oases of life in urban landscape".
''People react and fight to protect these wetlands, as the Agency for Protection and the VOURKARI Movement to save the lake Koumoundourou. Furthermore, twelve of the most important wetlands in the country are monitored regularly by volunteers of the Ornithological Society.''

This, in antiquity, the sacred lake of Persephone, is the modern battlefield, where an unequal struggle unfolds. On one side stands the ruinous industries and political giant and on the other, battling defender, the natural world of the lake. In this semantic specialty, 'guerrilla Lake', the world of wetland are armed only with the ability of survival. The birds and the lake try againto resist to the toxic war. Not protected by any modern law, just struggling to survive in a place that is canceled in the minds of sophisticated Athenians.

 
(only some photos are taken by me, the others are kindly provided by these two blogs:
http://limnik.blogspot.com/

http://thriasiofoto.blogspot.com/)

The Pansy: curiosities and insights

In these days, as the persistence of the sun in the sky increases, the days are getting longer and the air is warm and fragrant, the pansies are blooming in my garden.

The spectacle of their bloom and their colors, all different and equally amazing, are adding a touch of grace and joy throughout the whole garden. It is a joy to watch them bloom every year, so I could not avoid writing an article for praise them, telling their botanical characteristics, their origin in ancient legends and myths and their various and great medicinal properties .

It is an herbaceous plant, annual, and it has a small root. The stem can reach 40 cm in height and is very simple, covered by tiny hairs, almost invisibles. The leaves are oval in shape. The flowers are brought individually by a thin stem. The corolla has five petals, their color is highly variable, it can go from blue to purple (all combinations are indeed possible: yellow, gold, orange, purple, violet, red, white, and even black very dark purple, many with large showy face markings. A large number of bicoloured flowers have also been produced). These aren't small blossoms you have to strain to see. Pansy flowers are huge and held high above the plant, like colorful little faces looking at you.

Finally, the fruit is an oval-shaped capsule, and when it reaches maturity, it opens in three parts that contain many brown seeds. It grows naturally in meadows and cultivated fields. It is often cultivated for its beautiful and striking colors. When cultivated, one must choose a limestone and clay ground, well fertilized and exposed to the sun only for few hours in a day, because this flower prefers the shadows.
It should be watered abundantly in spring and scatter the watering in summer to suspend almost all in the autumn and winter. Growing pansies could be very successfully during fall and winter. Experts recommend to sow seed indoors in mid-summer, six to eight weeks before transplanting. The pansies can be transplanted into the garden once the summer heat has been broken and cooler weather arrives. It does not fear the frost of the winter, for this reason it is a plant that is also widespread in the wild. Protect your pansies during cold weather by temporarily allowing them to wilt. The dry leaves are not damaged by cold; they recover nicely when warmer temperatures appear. But if the soil is frozen while dry, with frigid winds howling across the leaves, the roots of the pansy plants will be unable to transport water back to the leaves. For this reason, keep beds thoroughly mulched with at least two inches of a living organic mulch during the winter. In fact, that's the real secret of pansies: the only time they won't grow well is in the hottest months of summer, generally July and August. So if you plant them early in September, you have a chance of enjoying an amazing ten months of bloom, especially if we have a mild winter.
 
A Passion for Pansies.(fall flower gardening): An article from: Mississippi Magazine

Pansies, Violas and Violettas: The Complete Guide (Crowood Gardening Guide Series)

The Book of the Pansy, Viola, & Violet;

PANSIES, VIOLAS AND VIOLETS. WITH PLATES   

It is a classic flower of the spring, because it blooms from late March until August (in climates where summers are not too dry and hot).

Chalon Giant Pansy 100 Seeds/Seed -Heirloom SALE*

The pansy must be harvested when blooming in spring; the parts used for medicinal purposes are the flowers. When harvested, it must be cut close to the ground, removing any leaves and woody parts. The flowers must be provided to dry in the shade, in thin layers. The dried flowers should be stored in paper or canvas bags.

The pansies are used as an expectorant and emollient in respiratory diseases, especially those due to phlegm, but the most important property of these flowers is that of purifying the skin. Some researchers have reported the utility in case of acne, eczema and pimples, and even the milk crust of childrens. I read that the pansy has also a diuretic and slightly laxative property. The better exploitation of its virtues need a contemporary interior and exterior treatment with infusions and skin applications. 

Here are the most common prescriptions for dual-use, internal and external, for the treatment of skin diseases, with cleansing and diuretic:
-Internal use: make an infusion of four grams of flowers in 100 milliliters of water. You should drink a cup in the morning, fasting.
-External use: Make a decoction of flowers of six grams in 100 milliliters of water. Do washing and wet on the parts of the skin that are irritated.

A very old and popular use of this flower is cosmetic: take a cup, filled to three quarters of violet flowers (fresh or dried), and pour over them the boiling milk until cover all the flowers with milk. Then allow to cool, stirring the mixture. Once ready, use this milk to soften the skin of the hands and face. 

The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Magical Plants [COMP ILLUS ENCY OF MAGICAL]

The Complete Herbal Guide: A Natural Approach to Healing the Body

Tells the myth that the young Attis, Prince of Asia Minor, dying, gave birth to the pansies from his blood. Desperate for his death, his betrothed, Atta took her own life and also from her blood sprang other pansies; those born from the blood of Attis are the pansies with reddish petals, while all other varieties grew from blood Atta. In the imperial Rome it was celebrated the cult of Attis, and his feast day, March 22, was called "dies violae" the day of the Pansy.

 Classical Myths and Legends in the Middle Ages and Renaissance: A Dictionary of Allegorical Meanings

In greek, the pansy is called "ion". Ion was the founder of the ancestry of the Ions; one day after the hunt, he came on the river Alpheus where the Ioniades, the nymphs of pansies, offered him a crown of yellow pansies as a symbol of human and divine kingship. These flowers, among the Greeks, were always called "flowers of Ionia". The Athenians, the Ionian race, had a particular fondness for the pansy, Pindar also called Athens "City crowned with violets", crowned by the sacred flower which gives kingship and power.
Even in England this flower has always been loved, by the Celts and even during the Middle Ages: it is said that the Knights of the Round Table consulted the pansy to know their fate by interpreting the number and arrangement of rays from the center of the flower: seven lines (a lucky amount) meant constancy in love, while more meant fickleness and even disappointment in affairs of the heart.

The legend of the pansy says the flower was originally white but turned bright purple where it was pierced by Cupid's arrow. It's said that you can see a loved one in the face of a pansy. Even the flower's named is derived from the French pensee, meaning thought, reflecting the flower's reputation for bringing thoughts of loved ones. Shakespeare clearly understood the meaning of the flower when, in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" , he wrote that the sleeping Titania will fall in love with the first creature she will see when she will awake, thanks to the pansy juice on her eyes ("the juice of it, on sleeping eyelids laid, will make a man or woman madly dote (fall in love) upon the next live creature that it sees.". The pansy is also known as Heart's Ease, for it was believed that carrying the flower would ensure the love of your sweetheart.  
The pansy was one of the ingredients in a Celtic love potion, because the pansy was supposed to have magical love powers. The petals, being heart-shaped, were thought to cure the broken hearts of the lovers.
According to a german legend, the pancy once had a wonderful and strong scent. People came from miles to smell the flowers. By doing this, the people destroy the grass around the pansies. The pansy prayed to the Gods for help because the feed for the cattle was being destroyed. So the Gods took away its loveable scent, but gave it great beauty instead. The pansy is associated with the St. Valentine's Day and has long been exchanged by lovers. According to a legend, the pansies should not be picked while the dew is upon them, for that would cause the death of a loved one. The pansy should never be picked in the middle of a spell of fine weather, or it is said that the rain will surely soon return. Oddly enough, to dream of this otherwise delightful little flower is said to forecast an unpleasant experience or misunderstanding with someone of the slumberer's own sex.

Dorothea Lynde Dix proclaims that “Perhaps no flower (not excepting even the queenly rose) claims to be so universal a favorite, as the viola tricolor; none currently has been honored with so rich a variety of names, at once expressive of grace, delicacy and tenderness.”
The pansy was said to be Jove’s flower, as Rapin contemplates about “…all the beauties in the vallies bred,/See Jove’s own flower, that shared/The violet’s pride; - its want of scent/With triple charm supplied.”

The Language of Flowers: Symbols And Myths

A Contemplation upon Flowers: Garden Plants in Myth and Literature

Myths And Legends Of Flowers, Trees, Fruits And Plants

De Carmine Pastorali (1684)

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. Berkeley Square by John Balderston. (Noble's comparative classics)

Treasury of Irish Myth, Legend & Folklore: Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry

Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe: Early Scandinavian and Celtic Religions

Meaning of Flowers Myth Language & Love

Language of Flowers Symbols And Myths

Pansies are edible and they taste good in certain recipes. Be sure to wash them well before adding to recipes especially if you have used an insecticide on them.

Edible Flowers: A Recipe Collection

-Herb and Pansy Salad            
Ingredients
•4 cups mixed salad greens
•¼ cup fresh dill springs
•¼ cup flat leaf parsley leaves
•¼ cup basil leaves, rolled and thinly sliced crosswise.
•1 large lemon, halves
•pinch of salt
•fresh ground pepper to taste
•1 cup toasted pecans
•¾ cup feta, crumbled
•1 cup pansies or violas
Directions
1.In a salad bowl combine greens and herbs.
2.Squeeze lemon juice (remove seeds) over and season with salt and pepper. Toss.
3.Right before serving add walnuts and feta and toss.
4.Sprinkle flowers on top and serve.

-Melon Salad with Pansies or Violas      
Ingredients
•¼ cup vegetable oil
•2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
•dash of salt
•dash of fresh ground pepper
•3 cups assorted melon cut in ¾ inch pieces
•2 small cucumbers, sliced thin
•Salad greens
•Pansy or viola flowers
Directions
1.In a tightly covered container combine vegetable oil, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper.
2.Shake to combine well. In a bowl combine melon pieces, greens, cucumber, and pansies or violas.
3.Right before serving pour on dressing and toss to combine well.

-Candied Flower Petals Recipe
Ingredients

•1/4 cup egg white, beaten                       
•1/2 cup caster sugar
•2 cups of pansies (if you use the entire blossom make sure to remove the stamens).
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350F for 30 minutes while preparing petals, then turn off the oven.
2.Clean and dry blossoms or petals.
3.Use a fine brush to paint a thin layer of egg white on each side of the flower petals or blossoms.
4.Gently place them into a shallow bowl of caster sugar and sprinkle sugar over them to coat each side.
5.Remove from bowl and place them on a piece of waxed paper, or place them on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil.
6.Sprinkle more sugar over the petals.
7.Allow them to dry until stiff, about 8 hours, or place them in the oven (preheated, but with the heat turned off and oven still very warm) for about 4 hours or until petals are stiff.
8.Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

The Edible Flower Garden

The Edible Flower Garden (Edible Garden Series)

Edible Flowers: From garden to kitchen: growing flowers you can eat, with a directory of 40 edible varieties and 25 recipes, with 350 glorious colour photographs.

AeroGarden 800551-0300 6-Pod Seed Kit Incredible Edibles Flowers

The Gourmet's Garden: Cooking With Edible Flowers, Herbs and Berries

Edible Flowers 25 Recipes and an A-Z Pictorial Directory of Culinary Flora

An Herbalist's Guide to Growing and Using Violets (Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin A. 239): A Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin

Good Enough to Eat: Growing and Cooking Edible Flowers

Rosalind Creasy's Recipes from the Garden: 200 Exciting Recipes from the Author of the Complete Book of Edible Landscaping