If I had never cultivated my interest in horticulture, the word pansy would have 'soft' or 'weak' connotations for me.

However, to the gardener, a pansy is a tough sub-zero temperature survivalist. Pansy plants survive and produce blooms in the cold of winter.

Universal Pansies, for these are the ones we most often plant for winter colour, are also know by their Latin name, Viola. If not in flower when you buy them, it will only take a few short settling in days before their five-petalled flowers explode with colour.

The various pansy flowers cover a colour spectrum spanning around 19 colours, plus any number of bicolour and blotchy combinations. Personally, I quite enjoy the interesting 'faces' the pansy displays when lemon yellow petals are daubed with black blotches.

The name pansy stems from the flowers resemblance to a face, with 'pensee' being the French word meaning 'thought'. The flower even nods forward as if in deep thought.

Not only do pansies come in a wide range of bright colours, they will bloom in the garden for up to six months during autumn, winter and spring. Few other plants, not to mention annuals, can make that claim.

Blooming throughout the winter, universal pansy flowers stop only for frosts and snowfalls. The plant's flower buds lie in wait through these very cold spells, only to bloom again with the first trace of warmer weather. I have found that they tend to endure winter weather much more successfully if planted three or four weeks before the first harsh frosts, a bit of a settling in and snuggling up period, if you like.

Growing to around eight inches (20cm) in height, Universal Pansies are ideal successors to the by now ragged looking summer bedding. So, get into your flowerbeds and, as we say in the West, 'horse out' all the spent Busy Lizzies, Marigolds and Petunias in favour of pansies at 9-inch spacings.

They will thrive best in full sun, but will also grow under partial shade with slightly reduced flowering. Adaptable plants, they are able to cope well with most ordinary soils, although performance is even better if you put some time and care into selecting and preparing the growing area. Choose a free draining location and work some organic matter, such as homemade compost, peat moss or another commercial soil enricher into about the top four to six inches of soil.

Aside from planting in beds and borders, the pansy is ideal for livening up sorry looking window boxes and hanging baskets. Team pansies with their partners in winter colour the cyclamen and heather. Just remember to use fresh planting compost, not the leftovers from your summer bedding. So until next week, happy gardening and remember, a weed is just a plant in the wrong place.

Comments (0) »

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment