Johnny Jump Up Through The Ages

Many, many years ago Emma moved with her new husband to the farm that would be their home place.  Life was busy with hired hands to cook for, garden to tend and harvest.  So she was pleasantly surprised to find a patch  of wild flowers growing at the back door.  They didn’t need any attention, they just kept multiplying.  They were a little joy to observe in the families’ busy day.   Soon there were so many plants that she could share with her sisters.  That’s what sisters do, share.  So, now the little johnny jump  ups, for that is what they were, spread to other homes and gardens.  A spring flower, that went dormant when the weather got hot, and were forgotten.  But the next spring, they came back, bringing their children.
   When Emma moved from that farm to another farm, what did she take with her (besides her children and stuff).? Some johnny jump ups, of course.  Soon they were happy and multiplying in that location.  But she didn’t take all of them from the home place.  The original ones continued to grow and to multiply.
  When I joined Emma’s family, (I married her son) I admired the tiny flowers that were no trouble to grow.  She shared and soon I had a nice patch of flowers.  No care, no watering or fertilizing.
   The years passed, we moved,(taking flower starts with us, but leaving some at that farm).
   Emma has passed on to a better place but the johnny jump ups continue to delight.
   This spring the lady who now lives on the home place brought two large pots of Heartsease (another name) to the garden club plant sale.  The tiny wildflowers were at their prime and were soon purchased.I did not see who bought them, but I’m sure that next spring someone new
 will be pleased to see the childish faces popping up.

Johnny jump up's are dormant now, just a few showing. 

 
The question is, how and when did those little wildflowers get to that farm.
They are not native to this country, so some immigrant put flower seed in his pocket and brought them over from Europe.
 According to Life Portfolio of Wordpress  Here is the story.
   As early as the 4th century B.C. this small wildflower was noted in Greece.
Sometime after that an acute observer in Europe noticed a plant similar to the viola growing in an open area with more sunlight.  Someone named the plant a wild pansy.  The word pansy is traced back to the French word pensee, meaning thought or remembrance.
Hybridization was used to breed more  plant vigor and flowers that had no dark blotches.  These clear pansies were bred about the turn of the 20th century.
   Viola is a large genus containing 500  species according to Hortus Third.
Our johnny jump up is a European herb from which most common pansies are derived.
  In 1850 plant breeding occurred in England, Scotland and Switzerland.  

   Now we can enjoy the big pansies, the prolific violas and the little wild johnny jump ups.
   How lucky we are.

Violas made a beautiful mass in spring. 

 In the spring when they once again smile brightly, I'll share with my grandchildren.