Pansy Day - Saturday 4/9/16!

The pansies are coming! The pansies are coming!

Pansies are spring in a flowerpot – the first to bloom and a welcome burst of color after a cold, snowy winter. Who can resist?

Pansies are Needham’s official flower, and April is Pansy Month. The Needham Historical Society’s Pansy Festival will take place on Saturday, April 9th from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm. Join us for pansies and perennials, gift sales, exhibits, a cup of hot coffee, and a good time for all. There will be a coloring contest and scavenger hunt for kids.

The Historical Society will also be selling pansies from April 8 through April 15th at its headquarters at 1147 Central Avenue. Pansies are available daily, from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm. The price is $3.50 for a six-plant flat. All proceeds benefit the programs and activities of the Needham Historical Society.

Why pansies? In the late 19th century, pansies were grown in Needham for Boston’s flower markets. Needham’s “Pansy King” was a Swiss botanist named Denys Zirngiebel. He grew his prize-winning pansies for decades, and sold his plants and seeds to commercial growers all over the country. Zirngiebel was the grandfather of another important Needhamite, the great illustrator N. C. Wyeth. The Wyeth home was next door to the Zirngiebel home on South Street. Both homes can be seen in Wyeth's work. For more information on pansies and NC Wyeth, visit our website, www.needhamhistory.org.

For more information about Pansy Day, our programs, or about membership in the Needham Historical Society, please call Gloria Greis, Executive Director, at 781-455-8860, or visit our website at www.needhamhistory.org.

Photo Credit: Andy Caulfield