The Pansy Project
I first heard about The Pansy Project on a package of pansy seeds. The artistic packaging was designed by Paul Harfleet, the founder of the international project which began over 17 years ago. Harfleet began “ceremoniously planting pansies at spots where homophobic abuse occurred” and he documents the emotional stories on his website and in other media.
HOW IT BEGAN – BY PAUL HARFLEET
A string of homophobic abuse on a warm summer’s day was the catalyst for this project. The day began with two builders shouting; “it’s about time we went gay-bashing again isn’t it?”; continued with a gang of yobs throwing abuse and stones at my then boyfriend and me, and ended with a bizarre and unsettling confrontation with a man who called us ‘ladies’ under his breath.I did not feel it would be appropriate to equate my personal experience of verbal homophobic abuse with a death or fatal accident; I felt that planting a small unmarked living plant at the site would correspond with the nature of the abuse: A plant continues to grow as I do through my experience. Placing a live plant felt like a positive action, it was a comment on the abuse; a potential ‘remedy’.
SOURCE:https://thepansyproject.com/about/
It took me 17 years to learn about The Pansy Project, but I am excited to try my hand at growing my own pansies and reflecting on new and different perspectives. Pansies require some patience to grow, so we’ve got some time to create something special. I invite you to join me in starting your own pansy project with me.
Why Pansies ?
Pansies are beautiful flowers that come in gorgeous colors. They are strong plants and can even survive in the snow. They are very useful plants and are often the first annuals you see in the spring – planted in brave circles around mail posts, in overflowing window boxes, and in walkway borders.
Historically pansies represent love and admiration for another person. Victorian-age practices have always fascinated me. Inserting pansies into a “tussie-mussie” (basically a bouquet of herbs) was a silent way of expressing strong feelings that could not easily be demonstrated in those times. It’s always the little things that get me.
A Little February Pansy History
According to the Urban Dictionary, a site where bigoted words and definitions thrive, a pansy is : 1) Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to a gay man; and 2) Offensive. a weak, effeminate, and often cowardly man. I didn’t bother to research any further to even try to learn how such a strong and resilient plant could become connotated with such negativity! The Pansy Project has turned that imagery around – or so we hope!
It’s February and the heart shaped leaves of pansies are reminders of love and Valentines Day (February 14th). In the UK, February is LGBT History Month. Started over 15 years ago by Schools Out UK, the annual event has raised awareness of LGBT issues, particularly in schools, the seeds of our society. LGBT History Month challenges homophobia or bullying of LGBT people and promotes tolerance and acceptance of all people as human beings, regardless of their sexuality. In the US, LGBT History Month is in October.
How to Grow Pansies From Seed
Pansies take time to grow. But we all know good things take time. And change doesn’t happen overnight, right?
We broke it down for you using April 8th as the date of the last spring frost for our zip code. You need to start the soaking stage (see chart below) at 10-12 weeks before that date. Use the Farmers Almanac Tool to discover your last expected frost date and then count backwards from there.
| Total Time elapsed | how long | where will they be? | what to do |
| 1 day | 1 day | SOAKING STAGE | soak the pansy seeds overnight in a bowl of water. discard the seeds that float; they are not viable |
| 15 days | 2 weeks | REFRIGERATOR STAGE | STRATIFY THE SEEDS for two weeks in the refrigerator at 40 degrees Put the viable seeds in a sandwich bag mixed with vermiculite or potting soil |
| 29 days | 2 -3 weeks | DARK STAGE | SPRINKLE SEEDS OVER A TRAY OF SEED STARTING MIXplant the seeds on a tray with moistened potting soil, that you place inside a black plastic bag where no light can get through. Pansies need darkness to germinate. |
| 50 days | 2-3 weeks | GROWTH STAGE Starts | Remove from the black bag and keep in a well lit area after the seeds begin to germinate. |
| 57 days | 1 weeks | Grow Stage continues | when the seedlings have at least two sets of leaves and are a few inches tall, move them to small pots and keep them in well lit area or under a grow light |
| 80 days | 2- 4 weeks | Growth stage continues light | Plant outside as soon as the soil is workable. Watch the weather reports, paying attention to overnight lows |
Summary
Learning about The Pansy Project, even 17 years into the story, was an eye opener for me. It’s never to late to learn and it’s always good to imagine what it’s like to walk in someone else’s footsteps.
We’ve never actually planted pansies from seeds; this will be a new experience for us. The start date is on the calendar: February 1st. Join us – let’s see what happens! (Meanwhile, get your materials ready …and don’t forget your pansy seeds.
