Pansies
The first time most beginning gardeners hear of pansies and that you can plant them in the Fall to grow and bloom through Winter and into Spring they can't believe it. People can't understand how a flowering annual plant that looks as tender as a pansy can withstand the cold.
Pansies are winter wonders. In regions where winters are colder, and there's just not much one can do to color up the landscape, pansies are one of a few if not the only flowering annual that will not only survive the winter but bloom through it as well! Severe cold might wither individual blooms, however, during warmer days of winter the plants will continue to produce buds. In ealrly Spring pansies go absolutely wild producing flowers that literally cover the foliage.
Pansies come in a wide variety of colors and bloom types and sizes. Some are bicolor; have faces (blotches), while others are solid in color. Some produce smaller but more blooms while others, such as the majestic Giants, produce exceptionally large blooms. While yellow, white and purple are traditionally the most popular colors modern hybridizing has expanded the color array to cover nearly every shade in the book of colors. Pastel shades of pink, peach, lavendar and rose are also available now, and oranges as well as many vivid bicolors.
Pansies are edible...yes, this means you can eat them! Try mixing the flowers in a salad for a colorful and tasty addition. Some varieties have a pleasant scent as well. They're a non-toxic plant that are child and pet safe. Yes, pansies have a lovely scent, and they are also edible! Unlike some winter blooming plants.
Where to Find Pansies
If you live in an area where pansies will grow, most well-stocked local nursery and garden centers will carry a large selection of pansy varieties in cell-pack or 4" pot containers. There are online sources for seeds if you like starting your own plants indoors.
Where to Plant Pansies
When determining where you will plant your pansies look for a location that provides plenty of sunshine. If you plant them near the house do so on the side that gets the most warmth from the sun. Under trees is okay as long as they are deciduous trees (lose their leaves during winter) that allow the sun to shine through bare branches.
How to Plant Pansies
Pansies can be grown in flower beds or containers provided the soil is well-drained. Consistently wet soil is a killer.
Flowerbeds - It's best when planting pansies in the garden do so in a well-prepared raised flower bed. A raised flowerbed provides good drainage while also creating attractive, contoured raised mounds throughout the landscape. A raised, mounded flower bed will also help your flowers to stand out in the landscape. Position raised flower beds as focal points throughout your landscape. Entrways are a great place to start, such as at either side of the entry to your driveway or around the mailbox or near entryways to your front door, walkways and paths or outdoor living areas. When planting in flower beds, individual pansy plants should be spaced 4 to 6 inches apart for best effect.
Containers, Pots and Planters - Pansies can also be planted in any type of container: planters, pots, window boxes, hanging baskets etc.. When planting in containers, make sure to use a light professional potting mix (not cheap-grade potting "soil") and containers that have holes in the bottom that will provide adequate drainage. When planting in containers, you can plant pansies closer together than when planting them in the garden beds. In containers, spacing can be as close as 2 inches.
Pansy Companion Plants
Yes!...there are other plants that will thrive in the outdoor landscape during the winter months...and many of these are perfect for combining in beds and/or pots with pansies.
Ornamental / Flowering Vegetables - Perhaps the most popular pansy companions are the many selections of flowering cabbage and flowering kale, which are two among many colorful cool-season vegetables plants. These "flowering" vegetable plants can be used ornamentally in the garden and make perfect accents or centerpieces in combination beds or container plantings with pansies.
Evergreen Ornamentals - Evergreen conifers, such as the conical-shape Golden Arborvitae, Hetzi Column Juniper, the silver foliage Carolina Sapphire Cypress, Leyland Cypress and many others, make excellent centerpieces or backdrops for pansy plantings. Too, these conifers make perfect little Christmas trees that can be lighted during the season. In late Spring, when pansies are done, these evergreens can be removed from the bed or container and planted elsewhere in the landscape where they can grow to their mature size.
Bulbs - Tulips, Daffodils, Hyacinths and other spring-flowering bulbs can be planted at proper depths beneath pansies in garden beds or container plantings. In the Spring, foliage and flowers from these bulb plants will rise above or be nestled among your pansy flowers. Creative gardeners can really come up with some neat combinations of textures and color. See: How To Plant Flower Bulbs
Fragrant Plants - To add fragrance to a pansy combination planting, plant Rosemary or Tea Olive - both of which are evergreen and flower during the cool season.
Other Cool Season Flowering Plants - Other cool season flowering annual and perennial plants, such as Dianthus, Diascia and Snapdragons provide a different texture and flower-look in pansy combination plantings.
Other annuals and perennials , such as Dusty Miller, Heuchera and perennial evergreen ferns, such as Autumn Fern, provide interesting foliage color and texture in pansy combination plantings.
See Also: Annual Plants for Fall and Winter
How to Care for Your Pansies
Pansies are very easy to care for when planted in the right type of soil.
Feeding - Pansies are a low nutrient plant meaning they do not require much fertilizer. At time of planting fertilize with a timed-release plant food to feed your pansies over many months. Use a specialty Pansy Food that contains nitrate nitrogen. Mixing the fertilizer into the soil before setting out the plants is recommended. Reapply fertilizer in late winter/early Spring to promote profuse blooming. Alternatively, you may use a natural or organic fertilizer every 4 to 6 weeks to promote health and increased blooming. Removing faded blooms will also stimulate more flower production.
Pruning - Pansies do not require pruning, however deadheading (removing spent flowers and stems) helps to increase flowering. If you purchase pansy plants that have "stretched" (become leggy) in the pots they are growing in, cut them back by 50% of their height at time of planting. Doing so will promote quicker "rooting in" and a bushier plant that will produce more stems and flowers.
Watering - Water your pansies only when necessary and during the morning hours. Watering in the late evening or at night may cause fungus development. Overly-saturated or consistently wet soil can promote the onset of damaging disease such as stem rot. Allow the soil to dry out a little between waterings to avoid this and other diseases. Remember, during the cooler months soils do not dry out as quickly.
Pest and Disease Problems - Pansies don't have many problems with insects as most are not active during the cool season. If you plant your pansies in well-drained soil ,and don't over-water, diseases are usually not a problem. If any individual plants develop stem rot, identified by a black ring or section of the stem, remove them immediately and discard to avoid spreading.
Now you have no excuse to complain about the lack of color in your Winter garden!
SEE: Other Fall Blooming Plants