Violet

Violet
When Napoleon married Josephine, she wore violets, and on each anniversary Josephine received a bouquet of violets. Following Napoleon’s lead, the French Bonapartists chose the violet as their emblem, and nicknamed Napoleon "Corporal Violet". In 1814, Napoleon asked to visit Josephine's tomb before being exiled to the Island of St. Helena. When he died, he wore a locket around his neck that contained violets he had picked from Josephine’s gravesite.
The Greek word for violet is io. Io is a character in Greek mythology and the daughter of King Argos. Zeus loved her. However, Zeus was concerned that Hera would discover their ilicit affair, so he turned Io into a heifer and then created the sweet-scented flowers that we now know as violets for her to eat while in her heifer form.

Description
Violets are small plants; they grow only six inches tall. The leaves are heart shaped and form a basal rosette from which the flowers rise on long stalks.
There are three common varieties of violet. The sweet violet has fragrant white or purple flowers and blooms in the early spring. The scent of the sweet violet is the strongest of the common violets. The wood violet is slightly larger than the sweet violet and is very similar to the common dog violet which blooms later in the season.
Uses
Violets are a versatile flower. They have medicinal, aromatic, medicinal, and even romantic uses.

Aromatic Uses
Many perfumes use the essential oil of violets. The flowers can also be used in potpourris and floral waters.

Culinary Uses
Candied violets are beautiful on top of cakes. Add blossoms to fresh salads and desserts for a decorative touch.
Common sayings include: Dream of violets and advance in life. Wear a garland of violets to prevent dizziness. Violets are considered a good luck gift, but when violets bloom in autumn, epidemics will follow within the year.