First and Last

The pansy at the bottom was pressed and preserved since the spring. It was one of the first picked from the plant. The one in the little vase (toothpick holder, actually) got saved from the cold this morning. It is the last one remaining on the original plant.
It was -4ºC this a.m. and that's a bit warmer than the -7º of yesterday. [But totally unacceptable!] The cold had turned this normally true purple pansy flower to nearly black.
I am impressed by how long the pansies bloom confined in their planter on the deck. Only regular dead heading was required. Rarely needed extra water because we had enough rain. They are on the list I have already begun for the 2014 garden.
Hope springs eternal in the gardener's heart!