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By Katrina Margolis
Hometown Weekly Reporter
On April 8, the Needham Historical Society celebrated its 35th Pansy Day. April is, in fact, Pansy Month in Needham, and the pansy is the official flower of the town. On the day, the colorful flowers lined the entirety of the front walkway to the Historical Society, and inside, even more pansy-related delights awaited. This year’s festivities, in addition to the pansy sale, included pony rides, a popcorn machine, face painting, and a scavenger hunt.
“We really tried to do stuff for kids. Over the years, it’s morphed from a more adult-oriented event to a more active and kid-oriented event,” Gloria Greis, Executive Director of the Historical Society, said. “There’s stuff for adults - we have the gardening workshops and there was a quilt show and the Needham Art Association is doing a gallery show this month - but we also wanted to keep the kids busy and happy, too.” Greis said that the number of people who came out to celebrate this year was the most she could remember. “There were a lot of people early in the morning, but it’s been great. We’ve had a lot of kids.”
In addition to the kids’ fun, the Historical Society had pansies for sale in a variety of ways. Gina McClellan, who runs the Heirloom Shop, sold pansies planted into adorable teacups – a perfect Easter gift. “The Heirloom Shop we started probably five to seven years [ago]. It’s a nice way for the Historical Society to make money,” McClellan said.
The biggest question many may ask is: “Why pansies?”
Around 1900, Needham had a huge agricultural side, and pansies were one of the main flowers grown in town. Needham’s “Pansy King” was Denys Zirngiebel, a commercial grower who had a greenhouse on South Street. He grew pansies commercially for years, developing numerous varieties. “He was the grandfather of N.C. Wyeth, the famous painter,” McClellan added.
Pansies will be sold at the Historical Society through April 17.
