Pansy Planting Ideas

Working with Color

• One advantage of working with pansies is the extensive selection of colors you have available. To give your garden a cohesive look, pick a particular color palette. For example, you can opt for monochromatic look, with many shades of a single color, or work with contrasting colors, such as purples and yellows, for an eye-catching planting. Varieties range from deep reds and purples to light pinks and lavenders. For warmer colors, choose from bronze, orange apricot and even deep mahogany shades. For a bright punch of color, select varieties with white or yellow flowers. The most popular pansy varieties have similar markings as violas, with dark centers and a yellow and purple or blue color combination, giving the appearance of a face.

Raised Beds

• Pansies are a fairly hardy choice for a flower garden. Nonetheless, they are susceptible to diseases such as anthracnose, gray mold, leaf spot, root rot and mildew. Common pests that attack pansies include aphids, spider mites and slugs. To better defend your plantings against soil-borne diseases or soil-dwelling pests, plant them in raised beds filled with compost-rich potting soil. Raising the pansy bed will also add an element of variety to your garden. Play off the raised bed by putting some other plantings nearby at ground level. Expect the pansies to grow to 6 to 9 inches in height.

Borders

• If you plant your pansies directly in the ground, you can be even more creative in the shapes of your beds. A long, narrow bed of pansies works well as a border, ideal for lining a pathway, a sidewalk or even a house. However, if you use the pansies along a house or wall, make sure they receive sufficient direct sunlight; in most cases, this will require that you put them on the south side of the structure.

Bursts of Color

• To add color to specific points in your garden or even your deck or terrace, plant pansies in containers or hanging baskets. Pansies' fast rate of growth means that you won't have to wait very long for the containers to become lush and attractive. If you plant them by seed, start them indoors for early spring color. The seeds require darkness to germinate. If you use a lightweight container, you can plant them there directly; otherwise, transplant them once they've developed two sets of leaves, as you would when transplanting into the ground.