Gardening: Of Pansies and Violets

Cary, NC – Ever go to the garden store and wonder what to plant right now? Right now, it’s pansies and violets.

Flowers in the Winter

Gardening is a warm-weather affair up north. But here in the Carolina Piedmont, we can grow flowers all winter.

Planted now in beds, boxes, borders and pots, pansies and violas will grow on the warmer days of the autumn, survive snow and ice, and explode in size come spring.

Keeping it Simple

Sometimes, the garden store can be overwhelming. But during the fall, you’ll see pansies and violas up front and prominently displayed.

Keeping it simple: buy two-six packs, one each of pansies and violas (cost: about $3.50 ea). Get a bag of potting soil and plant the seedlings in three or four medium sized pots. Place in a sunny spot and water regularly.

Joy will be yours from now until the beginning of next summer.

Size, Color and Care

Pansies and violas come in a fantastic array of colors and color-combination: strong yellows and pale apricots; purples so dark they look black; vivid blues and mixtures of hues that look like faces.

Pansies and violas are smallish plants – three or four will fit nicely in a window box or medium pot. They like to stay moist, not wet. Don’t let them dry out. Use a liquid fertilizer like Miracle Grow every now and then.

Pansies and violas do best in a sunny or partly sunny spot.

Pansies and Violets: What’s in a Name?

Pansies are actually a hybridized version of violas. Pansies are generally bigger, thicker and bushier than their parent stock. But, technically, they’re all violas.

How about Violas and Violets? Are they the same thing? Yes – viola is the Latin name and violet the common name.

African Violets, popular for many years as a house plant, are not related to true violas.

More Info about Violas and Pansies

Photos

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