Pansies are everywhere come spring, blooming in an array of colors from white to pink to orange – even black – and they’ve become the most popular winter bedding plant across most of the milder parts of the world. If planted in the fall (the preferred time), they begin blooming in November. Then come spring they shift into high gear and flower with reckless abandon until higher average temperatures turn them into fodder for the compost pile. Northern gardeners enjoy pansies as early spring bedding plants, with flowers produced into early summer.
Traditional pansies, like the faced
Majestic Giants, are favorites with many gardeners.
Photo Credit: Gerald L. Klingaman
A pansy-filled flower bed can create a bold, colorful statement.
Photo Credit: Gerald L. Klingaman
Pansy faces have been softened by breeders to develop beautiful hues, like with this medium-flowered clone.
Photo Credit: Gerald L. Klingaman
From Zone 7 and south, pansies are best planted as a winter annual to give a good display come spring.
Photo Credit: Gerald L. Klingaman
These colorful annuals are one of our earliest garden flowers, being cultivated since at least the 16th century in England. Originally, the pansy flower was either single-colored in shades of yellow, blue or violet, or they had two petals of one color and three of another shade. And these blooms were small – less than an inch in diameter.
My, how far they’ve come!
Today, modern pansies can be divided into three major groups:
- The traditional large-flowered pansies are complex hybrids with blooms in the 3-inch range and are usually marked with some type of face pattern. These faced pansies became the rage in England during the 19th century. (Pansy shows were held to judge the most perfect kinds, just as rose and orchids shows are held today.)
- The Johnny-jump-up group (also called the multiflora group) is based on Viola tricolor and has blooms in the 1-inch range. Faced or single-color forms are available. (These clones have better heat tolerance than the large-flowered pansies.)
- The third group, sometimes called the panolas, are hybrids between the first two groups. Flower sizes are in the 1½-2-inch range, with colors most commonly in one shade. This group preserves the heat tolerance of the Johnny-jump-ups, giving them an extra two weeks in the garden before summer heat stretches them out beyond redemption.
Pansies are evergreen, cool-season plants that perform best when average temperatures are 75 degrees F or cooler. (When the season warms above this temperature, the plants still survive, but they begin to stretch, get leggy and may become a liability in the garden.) In northern areas, where pansies are not likely to overwinter, plant as soon as the ground is workable in spring. (Provided they’re properly hardened, spring plants will tolerate temperatures as low as 20 degrees F with no problem.) In Zones 7 and south, pansies are best planted in the garden in October or early November.
These garden winners perform best in full sun but will bloom in light shade. Space plants 8-12 inches apart to give good bed coverage. (They offer a height and spread range of 9-12 inches when in bloom.) They’re not heavy feeders, but they do need some nutrition to continue a good spring display. (A light fertilizer application at planting with a topdressing of 13-13-13 applied at the rate of 1 pound per 100 square feet in February will usually suffice.) Deadheading keeps the plants looking tidy and helps promote flowering, but it’s only recommended for those with obsessive tendencies or the masochists amongst us.
Their amazing colors and outstanding blooming capabilities make pansies true beauties in the garden. Try them in your planting beds and you’ll quickly learn why these annuals are such popular growers.
