Aww . . .Pansies, those brightly colored flowers with the cute faces!

         The pansies are in at the Garden center and we are planting them. I have been watching the nighttime low temperatures within the last week and although we have had some bizarre temperature swings this spring, its time to plant. Early spring color is so desired in our landscape as we complete the cleanup tasks, removing fallen leaves and branches from the winter; pansies are a safe choice to plant.

         While pansies are an annual (must be planted yearly), they are members of the viola family and have perennial (plant that returns year after year from the same root structure) "cousins". We will be getting in some of those new varieties such as 'Columbine' and 'Etain' violas when the Garden Center opens on April 19th. The annual pansy is cold-tolerant and can survive light frost and even the occasional "surprise spring snowstorm".  Customers have told me that their pansies have come back year after year, but usually that is because pansies drop their seeds near where they have been planted or if the seeds have been carried off by the birds, a new pansy plant will come up in a different spot. I have been delighted by a pansy sprout and bloom in the middle of my driveway during a winter thaw in January in years past.

          We are planting pansies in one of the landscape beds that gets full sun, as pansies grow well in full sun during early to late spring, but will survive best if planted in an area where they will get some shade from the intense hot summer sun. It is important to water consistently, preferably early in the day to avoid any of the typical fungal diseases. Additional care tips include fertilizing with a low phosphorus fertilizer (to reduce the leggy appearance of the grown pansy plant) and to remove the blossoms that are faded or dead. We have also cut back pansy plants by a third to renew growth and blossoming for the fall season. If grown organically, pansy blossoms are an edible tasty garnish for salads and desserts. It doesn't get better than that!

Check out some intriguing Pansy Flower Recipes we found !!   

                                       

                               Aww . . .Pansies, those brightly colored flowers with the cute faces!