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| Greetings!
October is here and fall has officially begun! Our first pansy shipments have arrived along with lots of other interesting plants for your winter garden. We look forward to seeing you this month and hope you enjoy this e-letter packed full of information about pansies! |
There's pansies, that's for thoughts.
 The pansy's name comes from the French word pensee, which means "thought" or "remembrance" and was acquired because the blooms resemble a human face. Giving a bouquet of pansies to a friend lets them know that they are in your thoughts. Romanticized nicknames for the pansy abound and include heartsease, ladies delight, love-in-idleness and call-me-to-you. Now widely considered the world's favorite flower, the pansy was developed in the mid 1800's by Lord Gambier and his gardener, William Thompson, by crossing different viola species. There are currently over 250 pansy cultivars. |
Pick a Pansy (or Viola)
Choosing pansies for your winter garden should be fun, not overwhelming! Here are some things to know to make the decision-making process easy: Generally, the smaller the bloom the more there will be. Larger blooms are less abundant but have stronger stems that are good for picking. Pansy varieties with small to medium blooms include Supreme, Delta and Matrix. Larger blooming varieties are Majestic Giant and Dynamite. Because of their petite blooms, violas are profuse bloomers and can tolerate more shade than pansies. For interesting texture in your flower bed or container try mixing pansies and violas with different sized blooms. | |
| Growing Pansies and Violas
Steps to Abundant Winter Color
Pansies and violas are delightfully easy to grow! Follow these simple steps and by winter you'll be ready to curl up with a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy these care-free blooms through your window. Plant pansies and violas when days and nights are consistently cool (usually early to mid October). Both prefer at least 3 to 4 hours of direct sunlight, although violas will tolerate slightly shadier spots. Provide well-drained soil and make sure your containers have drainage holes. At planting, fertilize with time-released Fertilome Start-N-Grow. You can supplement with water-soluble Fertilome Blooming and Rooting through the winter. Keep the soil moist but not soggy and make sure pansies and violas are watered well before a freeze. Pansies and violas require minimal care through the winter but trimming spent blooms every few weeks and cutting back leggy plants will keep them pretty into the spring. |
Pansy Pairings
Winter Hardy Choices for Added Interest
While pansies and violas are the best choices for blooms in the winter garden there are many foliage plants that will add texture and interest to your winter containers and flower beds. Ornamental cabbage and kale provide bold foliage through the cold season and dusty miller adds a touch of silver that pops next to blue and purple pansies or violas. Many herbs are evergreen through the winter including parsley, rosemary, lavender, thyme and oregano. Perennials such as autumn and holly ferns, heuchera, creeping jenny, ornamental grasses, ivy and angel vine are excellent choices for foliage color and texture. This winter take the time to discover plants that will complement your pansy and viola plantings with interesting foliage! |
Food for Thought
Did you know that pansy flowers and leaves are edible? Brighten up a winter salad or dessert with pansy blossoms using this recipe for crystallized pansies from Southern Living Magazine (June 2008 issue).
Note: Crystallized Pansies may be prepared up to 48 hours ahead. Store in a cool, dry place.
Yield 9 dozen flowers and 3 dozen leaves
Ingredients
1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons meringue powder
1 cup water
9 dozen pansies (orange, yellow, white)
3 dozen pansy leaves
1 (16-ounce) package superfine sugar
Preparation
1. Beat powdered sugar, meringue powder, and 1 cup water in a large mixing bowl at medium speed with an electric mixer 4 to 5 minutes or until smooth and creamy.
2. Brush meringue powder mixture on petals and leaves; sprinkle with superfine sugar. Let stand on wire racks 24 hours. |
| October Check List
Lawn Care Late October (around Halloween) is the time to apply Hi-Yield Pre-Emerge with Dimension (green and red bag) to Zoysia and Bermuda lawns.
Fall Planting for Spring Did you know that Snapdragons, Foxglove and Dianthus perform best when planted in the fall? Planting these in October guarantees much bigger plants and more blooms compared to planting in the spring. Stop by this month and get some for your garden! | |
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We hope that you and your family enjoy a beautiful autumn and look forward to helping you with all your fall landscape projects!
Happy Gardening!
Sincerely,
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