As the temperatures cool down in the Triangle, pansies (Viola wittrockiana) burst into color and can add new life to your garden and containers through most of winter and into early spring.
Pansies, which are a type of violet, are prolific cold-hardy bloomers with heart-shaped petals and a rainbow of colors. It’s easy to see why they are an easy-to-grow garden favorite. Just plant them in well-drained soil, add a little time-release fertilizer, and make sure they receive 4-6 hours of sunlight each day. Deadheading (removing old blooms) will encourage continual flowering. They have a subtle fragrance, and are edible, too.
Pansy varieties are defined by the size of the petal – large, medium and mulitflora – and then divided into series based on the petal pattern and available colors.
Which series to select is based on personal preference. Do you like large petals with multi-colors or small flowers in solid colors? The choices seem endless with hundreds of available options.
A new series, Mammoth, features extra large blooms on strong branches that quickly fill the container for maximum visual impact. The 11 bold colors with names like Sangria Punch and Queen Yellow Bee offer a range of color options.
Featured image -Mammoth Sangria Punch (Goldsmith Seeds)