Majestic purple pansy taken in Spring 2005

Judy Conner

Pansies are the colorful flowers with the “faces.” In fact, they have one of the widest ranges of colors and are good for containers, borders, and ground covers. The pansy is treated as an annual due to its leggy growth. They’re hearty in cool weather.

Planting

• You can start pansy seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before you plan on transplanting them.
• Plant seeds in late winter for early spring and summer flowering, or plant seeds in the summer for winter flowering.
• Plant in moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil. Pansies like sun and cooler temperatures.
• Space the plants about 7 to 12 inches apart. They will spread about 9 to 12 inches and grow to be about 6 to 9 inches tall.

Care

• Remember to water your pansies regularly. One of the most common reasons pansies fail is because they are not watered enough, so if your pansies are not doing well, try watering them more.
• You can use a general, all-purpose fertilizer around your pansies to help them grow.
• Remove faded/dead flowers to prolong blooming and encourage more flowers to grow.

Pests/Diseases

• Mosaic viruses
• Downy mildew
• Powdery mildew
• Crown and root rot
• Rust
• Gray mold
• Spot anthracnose
• Slugs, snails, and aphids

Recommended Varieties

• Jolly Joker, which blooms in spring and summer and has orange flowers with deep purple upper petals and a purple outline.
• Princess Series, which offer a variety of colors such as blue, purple, and yellow.
• Fama Series, which flowers in winter and spring and offers a wide variety of single– and mixed–colored flowers.

Wit & Wisdom

• Pansies are a symbol for thoughts. Find out more flower meanings here.
• Pansies are also edible! They have a mild mint flavor.