Unlike the heartsease , V. About the only constant feature of its flowers is that the base of the lower petal is always yellow. The flower may be entirely yellow or yellow combined with blue-violet or reddish-violet or both. This plant contributes the shorter more tufted habit, reddish colouring, a tendency to pronounced whiskering and valuable variability.
The crossing of these two plants results in the garden pansy, V. Just for the record, violas are derived from crossing the garden pansy with other species, in particular V. Both are good perennials , most have a neat, compact habit. Development of the heartsease began in the early years of the nineteenth century with large flowers and especially attractive colour combinations being selected.
Although basically annual plants, like a number of other annuals they could also be increased from cuttings and this was the way in which selected forms were perpetuated. It was not until that James Grieve, who gave his name to the well-known apple, crossed the selected forms of heartsease with V. From then on developments proceeded rapidly. Both for bedding and as a florist's flower for shows the numbers of pansies grew and grew.
The florist's varieties are very much a minority interest these days and for most people it's seed raised varieties which immediately spring to mind. Even at this early stage a 'black' pansy 'fine dark purple variety, almost black' called 'Faust' was listed. Twenty-four varieties were listed in , again including seed from show varieties plus 'King of the Blacks' and a number such as 'Roggli Giants' and 'Coronation Gold' which were still listed in For many years pansies were sown in summer for flowering in the spring.
The first change was a tendency for them to be sown in the spring and grown as summer bedding plants. But in recent years there has also been a trend to growing them for winter flowering outdoors. With such a vast array of varieties already grown as summer flowers and so few suitable for spring, it seems perverse to attempt to convert one of the very best spring flowers into a summer bedder. And it must be said that while all pansies will provide a fine show in spring from a sowing the previous year, there are many which will not thrive in the drier, hotter summer conditions.
So why bother? Why not simply grow them for spring when they can be relied on to perform well? But if you must grow summer pansies , the 'Imperial' series with their very large flowers in some stunning colour combinations are the ones to go for. Winter flowering pansies have received a great deal of publicity in recent years but there have been varieties of this sort listed for many years, 'Celestial Queen' was the name in vogue in the late s.
Sow in flats sunk into the ground against a north-facing wall, and cover with glass or plastic. Remove cover when seedlings emerge. Germination can take up to 50 days, so be patient. Growing After germination, violas are easy. Fertilize once or twice in early growth and provide a mulch around plants to keep roots cool as weather warms.
Because they are very hardy, pansy plants can be set out at least a month before the frost-free date in your area. After a week or so of hardening off, the plants can be put into their growing beds and left outside.
Where winters are mild, fall-planted pansies will survive and rebloom magnificently in the spring. A layer of straw mulch applied as soon as temperatures fall below freezing will protect the pansy plants through colder winters. Pansies are generally not affected by diseases or insects. However, where slugs are common, they will not bypass a bed of pansies.
Either set out slug traps or sprinkle a bit of diatomaceous earth around the plants. If signs of mildew or any fungi are observed, take a sample leaf to a garden center for correct identification and plant treatment. Pansies grow easily from seed but take a long time to mature, so they should be started early indoors about 10 to 12 weeks before the last frost date.
Press pansy seeds into the surface of the soil and cover to their thickness, as darkness is required for germination. Covering the pots with black plastic is a good idea. Keep the planting medium damp, and once the seeds have sprouted, about 14 days at 70 degrees F.
A week or so before transplanting into the garden, harden the pansy seedlings off by putting them in a cold frame or a sheltered spot outdoors during the day. This is especially important in southern climates.
Depending on the variety, pansies can have incredible winter hardiness, with some varieties easily overwintering as far north as USDA zone 5. Patient gardeners are rewarded, however, with many weeks of cheery pansy blooms.
Here in Pennsylvania, I begin starting pansies from seed anytime from mid January to mid February. Use new or sterilized seeding flats filled with high-quality seed-starting potting mix to start pansy seeds. Place the seed tray on a seedling heat mat to raise the soil temperature a few degrees and improve germination rates and speed. Even with a heat mat in place, pansy seeds take about two weeks to germinate.
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