Welcome Spring with pretty pansies…
The cheerful faces of this cool season annual are a Midwest treasure… a welcome necessity after a long winter. Pansy plants are tough and can withstand temperatures below freezing or even a dusting of snow. The flowers are charming as a single variety in a container or as a combination with other cool season annuals such as sweet alyssum, snapdragons, nemesia, ranunculus or daffodils, hyacinth and tulips.
‘Spring Fever’ Container Combinations: Since pansies are a symbol of spring with their cheerful faces and love for cool weather, make sure to include an abundance in your spring plantings.
Tips for Growing Pansies: Grow them in a location with morning sun, rich organic soil and good drainage. Cool weather is perfect for peak blooms– flowering anytime that temps are above freezing. Deadhead spent flowers to increase the number of new blooms. Pansy flowers tend to fade and disappear with hot summer weather. The stems elongate and the plant looks ‘leggy.’ Either dig up and place pansy plants in an out-of-the-way place where they can wait for cooler fall weather or place the tired plants on the compost heap.
Combine Pansies with other Cool Season plants:
- Green, White & Pink: Green and white is always a crisp & classic color combination. Begin your container design with a vertical element such as pussy willow branches. Surround it with a selection of pansies. Choose from large-faced, white pansies with dark purple centers (Viola x wittrockiana); petite, white Johnny-jump-ups (Viola); elegant, soft-pink Persian Buttercups (Ranunculus asiaticus); and scented ‘Safari White’ Nemesia as a filler. Add trailing strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) plants with fresh, green leaves, pink flowers and tasty red berries. All of these spring flowers will mix together and thrive in partial to full spring sun.
- Pansies and Crunchy Mixed Greens: Bright green lettuce leaves always seem to combine well with brightly colored pansy flowers. Since both plants appreciate cooler weather, they naturally make good companions. Spice it up with a mix of red and green leaf lettuces or the textured foliage of arugula, radicchio or parsley. A shallow, terra cotta bowl is a perfect complement to bold leaf shapes and the perky faces of pansy blossoms… a good combination for a sunny spot. The flowers and greens are edible if grown organically.
- Complementary Colors: Opposites attract! Lavender or deep purple pansies ‘sing’ when paired with pale or bright yellow. Tuck in a few clouds of fragrant Sweet Alyssum in white or varying shades of purple… a living Easter basket!
Tips on Containers:
- Anchor it: Put a brick or gravel in the bottom of your container if it is too lightweight for windy or stormy spring weather.
- Save your Back: When you use heavy containers, lighten your load by placing a plastic bag filled with shipping peanuts into the center of the container. You won’t have to use as much potting soil– saving on expense and weight.
- Invest in a Light, Outdoor Container: Spring is a good time to purchase a faux, cast-stone container like LavaStone brand. You’ll be able to enjoy planting creative arrangements in every season because LavaStone won’t crack or break because of freezing temperatures.
