Pansies and Violas are your go-to flower for cooler months! In our region, these beauties light up otherwise bare gardening beds and container pots with their spectacular color and intricate blooms. Today we are sharing tips to take care of yours this fall!
#1: Plant them in full to mostly sunny locations. They will bloom best where they can receive plenty of sunlight. Shady spots tend to make them leggy (as they're searching for more sunlight!) and not bloom very much.
#2: Plant them in color blocks for a jaw-dropping look! Or mix them for a colorful display! There is no wrong color palette when it comes to planting Pansies and Violas, in my book anyway. Of course, some colors compliment each other better than others, but they all look amazing and you can definitely mix several types together. We love planting color blocks of these flowers in gardening beds, and then mixing them up in container pots. This is only a suggestion- there are many beautiful ways to plant them!
#3: Remember to keep them watered every few days during this cold weather. Super important! To keep your Pansies healthy and doing their best during these colder months, water them every few days. The water actually acts as an insulator in the soil, insulating their roots. This is a great tip to follow for any newly planted tree or plant, as well (newly planted means anything you've planted within the last year).
#4: They may look puny for a few weeks during winter- especially if we have ice or snow. Yes, it happens. Although these flowers prefer the cold weather, they do tend to look a bit frozen for a few days or weeks if we have a super cold front come through. That's where Tip #3 comes in very handy- continue to water them to help insulate them. They stay perkier that way and also happier.
#5: Pinch back spent blooms on Pansies if you'd like, but you do not need to for Violas. There are few differences between Pansies and Violas, but this is one of the big ones. If you know you want lots of flowers all winter (who doesn't, right?!) and you won't ever be able to pinch back the spent (died) blooms of Pansies, maybe you ought to go with Violas. Pansies do not have to have their spent bloomed picked off, but they definitely bloom best when they do.
#6: The main difference between Pansies and Violas is the size of the flower, and as mentioned in the last tip. Violas have a smaller flower head than Pansies. Both are gorgeous and you can't go wrong with either one! If you can't decide, our motto is always go with both (wink wink). To see the difference in them- the first photo in this post is a Viola, and the rest of the photos featured are Pansies.
#7: After winter, continue to water and care for them. They will dazzle and amaze you until the weather significantly heats up in mid-May. Besides the fact that these gorgeous flowers look like they've been individually painted (swoon!), they also last forever. Not technically forever, but you understand what we're saying. You can plant them in September and they're still blooming in May (as long as they've been cared for!). That's an amazing flower life span for an annual flower and just another reason why they are so awesome.
Please ask us any questions below, or add your own personal tips for caring for these beloved beauties! We hope to see you at the Garden Center soon!