Winter Pansies

Elisabeth — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:44:00 GMT

The stores at this time of the year often carry pansies that are specially bred to withstand winter temperatures, even in areas where those temperatures can be rather harsh. Is it all advertising hype, or do these pansies actually perform?

The answer depends on where you live, where you plant the pansies, how much snow you have and whether the plants have a chance to become well-rooted before hard frosts set in. Ordinary garden variety pansies and violas are naturally cold tolerant, which is why they are traditional spring and fall plants. I live in a cold winter area, but it is not uncommon to see ordinary Johnny jump-up type violas blooming in clear spots of ground between the snow piles in midwinter. Modern breeders have improved on that cold hardiness trait through hybridizing and selection and come up with plants that have an even greater tolerance.

The best advice is to buy the specially bred pansies, plant them in protected spots near buildings or walls and hope for relatively good weather. The worst enemy of even the hardiest plants is winter conditions that combine extremely cold winds with relatively little snow cover. The ground is colder, as are the air temperatures and even tough plants like specially bred pansies may give up and die.

This does not mean that you shouldn't buy these pansies and enjoy them. It just means that "winter pansies" is a relative term.

Pansies

Elisabeth — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 22:38:00 GMT

Pansies and violas are among the most beautiful and winsome flowers. Though they are available in the fall, I see them as the essence of springtime.

When I was growing up, the little purple and yellow Viola tricolor that we called "johnny jump up" came up all over our yard every year. We used to pick bouquets of them for my mother, who put the short-stemmed beauties in a small porcelain vase that she kept for that purpose. Now those same johnnies come up in my yard. Last month, during a brief thaw, I saw one triumphant early johnny jump up flowering in my back garden.

Pansies are old and new; simple and complicated. They combine well with crocuses and daffodils in pots or as edgings for garden beds. If you can afford lots of them, try filling a very large pot with a single variety. Better yet, fill two very large pots and use them to flank an entryway or walkway.

I am especially fond of Viola tricolor 'Bowles Black.' These are the size of johnny jump ups, but their petals are darkest purple with small yellow centers. 'Bowles Black', which is named after a fabled, early twentieth century English plantsman, reseeds itself readily.

This weekend I will go to the garden center and buy some pansies and violas for the pots in front of my house. With regular deadheading, they should flourish until summer, when they will be retired to a shady spot for a well-deserved rest. In the fall they will bloom again and, with a bit of luck, overwinter successfully.

The word "pansy" comes from the French word "penser", which means "to think". I can't think of them without smiling.

Growing Wise : pansies

Winter Pansies

Pansies