Labor Day

Today is Labor Day. Hopefully you have the day off work and that’s a good thing for you. So what is Labor Day? Technically it is a Federal Holiday in the United States that is observed on the first Monday in September. It is a celebration of the economic and social contributions of workers.

At our house, it’s a day we stop working for someone else and labor around our yard and home, beautifying it and eating. Basically it means we pull weeds, plant the fall plants and barbeque. This year I’m planting pansies and viola’s and barbequing hamburgers.

The hamburgers are all shaped into patties, sitting in the freezer. The Lemonade is also

ready and all I have to do is whip up a green salad. So I’m not worried about the food part of today.

Right now I’m concerned with getting my winter pansies and violas planted. I can hear my son mowing the yard right now, so that means he’ll be heading out as soon as he finished….probably camping with his buddies. I’m grateful for his help but dang that leaves me with a lot of plants to set out! So, focusing on the flowers:

First let me tell you the difference between the two plants. The pansy has big blooms with a “WOW impact that I like. The Pansy has smaller blooms that create color with a slightly less dramatic impact. Both plants will bounce back from snow and cold conditions. The biggest difference, I have found, is that once winter takes hold, the pansy goes dormant and doesn’t return until the weather gets significantly warm again.

The violas, however, don’t have that “WOW” factor in the beginning of the season but they make up for that by blooming longer and if there are warm spells during the winter they will quickly bounce back and add color to your yard again.

I have compensated by alternating both plants – a pansy and then a viola, a pansy and then a viola.

So now I’m ready to go labor in the yard. If I work quickly enough I‘ll get to enjoy a bounty of color as well as a barbeque with my husband. I hope you enjoy your day!