Petunias aren't Pansies

Although they may look similar. At least, they do to me. Do they to you?

Pansy - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pansy

Petunia - http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG1120.html

They're both pretty, so why does it matter? Well, here's what happened.

Sunday I made another return trip to Wa.lmart to get yet more items I'd forgotten to buy on my grocery run last Thursday. I decided (inspired by the gorgeous weather we've been having) to plant some flowers in the two large pots either side of my front door.

I've been thinking of getting pansies, because I've grown them before without problems, and because they are fragrance free. Yes, I get non-fragrant flowers...otherwise it's heck on my allergies, not to mention migraine inducing.

Yet while I was there, all I could remember was that the name started with "P". When I saw the Petunias, I thought "Hey, those look like them!" I made my little sister and her sibling smell them for me, both of them swearing they didn't have a scent. Then after yet another discussion on why I didn't want pink flowers (or pink anything!!! My little is no longer allowed input on paint selection or anything else involving colors.) I selected the ones I thought looked the best and put them in the cart. The rest of the time in the store and in the car, I kept thinking I smelled flowers, but thought it was just my sensitivity to the ones I'd been around in the garden department. (Those places are as bad for me in spring as candle & perfume aisles are year round!).

So we get them planted and I said "I could swear these smell". Both girls said again they didn't smell a thing. [g] So that night I decided to sit outside in the quiet evening air on my front step and soak up the ambience. Just relax, you know? And what do you think comes wafting up from both sides of me? Flower pefume. Yep. Those darn petunias smell. A nice spicy scent. Yet not so nice for my head. Sigh. And my migraine meds are too pricey at $60 per nine pills (yes, that's with insurance!) to justify keeping the flowers. So I now have $15.00 worth of petunias I need to relocate. Sigh. Problem is, only people I know that would take them would have them in places I frequently visit. And I still have to buy the pansies. That is, if I want to take another chance on planting flowers by the front door.

I'm second guessing that decision. :)