In grammar school, Billy slipped me a Valentine and ran away. "Roses are red. Violets are blue. Limburger stinks, and so do you."

Speaking of odor, little Billy's violet was the Viola odorata, the fragrant wild violet of deciduous forests the world over. Because it is found in so many places, its history is a muddle, but we do know that the genus Viola includes the viola, violet and pansies.

The Viola odorata, a small, clear purple violet, 3/4 inch to 1 inch wide, has found favor on almost every continent. We even have a native violet, the Western or California sweet violet. Viola odorata blends in with the soil and sometimes you have to lean down to see it. So what makes it special?

A handful of violets makes a beautiful, fragrant bouquet, and perhaps its popularity comes from its ubiquitous presence. Here in Napa Valley, the soil begins to warm in mid February and roots respond by taking up nutrients. New shoots and leaves push up, and soon a blanket of violets covers the ground. Growing only 8 inches high to a foot or so wide, the violet produces spring-blooming flowers that peek out in profusion from a humus-rich soil beneath woodland trees.

In literature, this violet is associated with love, faithfulness, devotion and remembrance and mentioned by Shakespeare at least 18 times. It is February's flower and the state flower in four of our United States. Some have described the violet with human attributes, such as a sweet or innocent face. A mythical king of Athens was known as the violet-crowned king, and the violet became the emblem of Athens. St. Valentine was said to have crushed the juice from these flowers to write a love note on its leaves.

Long before red roses became the symbol of Valentines Day, Viola odorata had captured our hearts. Bouquets of at least 50 tiny violets surrounded by heart-shaped leaves topped boxes of chocolates or were given as nosegays. Flower carts on San Francisco's Union Square offered these bouquets in early spring, a delightful local custom.

Violets and violas are mostly perennials while pansies are treated as annuals, although some make it through the winter if it isn't too cold. My violets are just coming out of winter dormancy now, but there are signs of life stirring. They readily reseed and put out runners which, if covered with soil, will create new plants. Their colors are violet, yellow or white. No blue violets -- sorry, Billy.

Pansies are showier than violas and their colors run the gamut from pastel shades to brilliant colors. The "faces" are larger, two to four inches wide, and may be blotched, veined or pure color. Nurseries have both pansies and violas available in the fall and spring. Violets are used in borders, containers and as cover for spring bulbs. Alyssum and violets are pretty combinations with tulips and daffodils.

Violets like shade to partial sun. Pansies tolerate more sun. The original pansy was the johnny-jump-up, or Viola tricolor, found in the wild. Its colors are yellow with blue or deep purple with yellow. It has been hybridized to give us many different clear colors.

The most popular hybrid pansy is viola x wittrockiana. The "x" means that we have deliberately hybridized it; the cross didn't occur thanks to wind or birds. There are many different strains or series of this hybrid. Whichever you choose, keep them blooming by cutting back all runners in the fall, and remove spent flowers regularly.

All violas need the same care: rich soil with good drainage, dappled sunlight and moderate water. Spring rains usually take care of that. Follow this advice for excellent spring color.

Napa County Master Gardeners (www.mastergardeners.org) answer gardening questions Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to noon, at the UC Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Ave., Suite 4, Napa, 253-4221, or toll-free at 877-279-3065. E-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on theWeb site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions?