Ok, I decided we're going to showcase MY favorite flower today. The often belittled, but never fails to please .... PANSY!! 
Pansy power
Pansies bloom in the fall, hang out through the winter, and then kick into bloom again in the spring. Many of today's pansies survive winter as far north as Zone 4, if you plant them early enough to be well rooted by the time the soil freezes and if you start with a superhardy variety.
Cold-weather champions: Varieties in the 'Sky' series lead the pack in winter hardiness; they're followed closely by the 'Delta' series. In the North, these varieties may have special tags labeling them as Second Season pansies. This means that they have what it takes to bloom in the fall, withstand extreme winter conditions, and then rebloom in the spring.
Plant early: Pansies stop developing new roots when the temperature of the soil drops below 45 degrees F, so in cold climates it's important to get seedlings into the ground as soon as you can.
Mulch well: You can further enhance the hardiness of autumn-planted pansies by mulching over them with 2 inches of very loosely packed pine needles or clean straw as soon as winter begins to rage.
Deadhead! Deadheading is imperative for prolonging blooming life (throughout the winter in a lot of zones!!) and prolonging life of the plant itself. Besides, your pansy plant will look ever so full and beautiful!
Jaeger
Oh, I love pansies too, especially Johnny-jump-ups. I can grow them in the spring and fall, but our summers are too hot and they die on me.
1Me too. I love Johnny-jump-ups. They are edible too. Here in EL Paso it is best to have them where they get shade. Plus the seedling will only sprout in the shade. I learned that this summer. I planted seeds in planters and they wouldn't sprout until I put them in the shade and then they sprouted like crazy.
"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of a dream."
2Willy Wonka
I adore pansies - they're so lovely.
I'm waiting until it cools off a little and then I'll happily plant some.
I've never understood why calling someone a 'pansy' is considered derogatory. I'm pretty sure a guy doesn't want to be called any flower: "You're such a dahlia" or "What a sunflower". It sounds silly, not insulting, whichever flower you use.
If you called me a pansy, I'd be proud - who doesn't want to be considered colorful, resilient and beautiful.
3Post A Comment
To post comments, please log in or register.