Pansies (Viola × wittrockiana), with their heart-shaped, overlapping petals and their wide range of bright colors and patterns, are cool-weather favorites that can survive a light frost. You can find these versatile cottage garden flowers providing a burst of color in both early spring and late fall gardens. They are really biennials. They are sold in their second year, when blooming, and are grown as annuals. These low-growing beauties make great companions to spring flowering bulbs such as daffodils and wood hyacinths. They are also an early food source for insects. Unfortunately, pansies are not deer resistant.
The English nobleman William Thompson bred the first modern pansies in the early 1800s from the wildflower Viola tricolor and the horned violet Viola cornuta. In it, he saw a “miniature impression of a cat’s face.” The blotched, cheerful “faces” of these flowers have captivated children and adults alike ever since, and they have charmed their way into our hearts. Pansies now enjoy new popularity as the perfect edible adornment to many culinary dishes and desserts.
Modern gardeners can choose from hundreds of pansy varieties, from trailing ones like ‘Cool Wave’ and ‘Waterfall’ to antique ones such as ‘Imperial Antique Shades,’ with their soft color tones that range from apricot to rose. Some varieties of pansies are pure black and others are pure yellow, such as ‘Matrix Yellow Clear’ Pansy. Pansies are treated as cool-weather annuals, but the new varieties have increased strength and are more heat tolerant than older varieties. Hardy varieties include the Sky series, Delta series, and Accord series, among others.
To get the best from pansies, keep them moist and cool, and use an organic slow-release, balanced fertilizer to maximize flowering. They grow well in full sun, although they may continue to bloom into summer if planted in some shade. To keep flowers blooming, clip them frequently and deadhead faded blooms.
Make sure pansies are planted in a well-drained location. Tuck them around perennial plants that thrive in part shade, such as coral bells (Heuchera). Plant a few colorful pansies in a pot by your door in early spring and you will smile every time you pass by.
Light blue pansies with darker centers and yellow eyes are very effective when planted in groups and tucked in and around daffodil foliage. Here, they contrast beautifully with Siberian wallflower ‘Citrona Yellow’ (Erysimum allionii ‘Citrona Yellow’).
Cream-colored pansies blend with darker yellow violas and pastel-colored wood hyacinths in front.
I planted purple pansies to complement the frosted leaves and light blue flowers of ‘Jack Frost’ brunnera (Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’), commonly known as bugloss. The mix of the dainty forget-me-not flowers of the perennial brunnera with the happy faces of the pansies are a charming blend. Brunnera grows in zones 3–8.
Ruffled or frilled pansies are so charming, especially when planted in a vintage, slightly rusted urn. They are so impressive when planted in the cool weather of early spring!