Pansies / Princess of the Spring Garden

 

PANSIES & VIOLETS

 

 

After a long and brutal winter,  garden centers and stores are once again full of brightly colored pansies.  These delightful small spring plants come in a wide range of colors, blends and 'faces' on the same flower.  White, yellow, blue, purple, orange and mixed. Choosing your pansies can be a great deal of fun.  A pot of pansies by your door is a wonderful welcome to family, friends and yourself arriving at your home. Pansies also make a wonderful hostess gift.

 

 

The very popular 'Johnny Jump Up' has a small yellow and purple flower and reseeds itself successfully in our area.

Pansies are members of the large family named 'VIOLA'.  The state flower of New Jersey, the tiny 'Common Blue Violet' can be seen blooming in our local parks and lawns in mid-spring.  
Here it is drawn the with our state bird, The American Goldfinch.

 

For us, pansies are a spring flower which will bloom for three months until the heat of summer forces them to fade away. In warmer climates,  pansies can be planted in the autumn and they will bloom though the winter and spring, then fade when the summer heat is too much for them. When pansies wilt in early June, I replant the pot with summer annuals. Remember that potted plants do need more watering than flowers planted in the ground. Also match your plants with the amount of sunlight it will receive. In the garden plant violets in ordinary well drained soil, out of direct afternoon sun and keep the soil slightly moist.

To keep pansies blooming well, 'DEADHEAD' the spent blooms.  Once or twice a week pick off wilted flowers with your fingertips. This prevents the plants using energy to produce seeds and diverts it to create many more flowers. Pansies react great to this process, often blooming twice as many flowers.

 

Often pansies are sold root bound. This means the roots are overgrown in a tight knot at the bottom. When you take the pansy out of the cell pack you will find a white mass of tangled roots. This will prevent the plants from absorbing water and will stunt them.  Break the bottom of the root ball with your fingers or a knife before repotting to promote healthy growth. The plants will respond to this process better than you might think.  The basic practice should followed with all root bound plants.   

Please support our  local garden centers. They depend on our seasonal business and sell  the largest selections of plants, flowers and vegetables.    

                                                                                       

Happy Gardening,    James