Did you know pansies are a great plant to add to your fall garden? I’d love to share my tips for growing pansies!
Pansies are one of my favorite fall flowers because they’re so easy to grow. Today I am sharing a few tips on how to grow these delightful plants!
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Before I get into the specifics of how to grow pansies in the fall, I would like to share a few things about pansies!
The origin of the pansy actually stems from the tri-color viola which is a European wildflower.
Both pansies and violas are attractive, versatile and compact plants. They are the perfect plants to be used in borders, window boxes and patio pots.
The way the petals are arranged and the various colors that the plants come in, some people call the blossoms “faces”. Pansies have such sweet faces! Pansies come in a wide range of colors, including red, white, purple, yellow, and apricot.
They are even available in a diverse assortment of shades of blue! Very few flowers are available in the color blue!
Pansies and violas are considered cold-tolerant annuals. They really don’t like the heat so they are best enjoyed from fall thru spring. To learn more about cold-tolerant annuals, please visit this post: Cold Tolerant Annuals for Spring Planting
Tips for growing pansies in the fall
Pansies are often sold by the flat or in smaller packs. There is a flat of pansies on the bottom left of this potting bench. This bench used to sit outside my flower shop.
Pansies are considered hardy in several growing zones. The perfect planting time to plant pansies directly into the ground will depend on your zone. If you don’t know your zone, you can find it by referring to the chart put out by the USDA. You can find it here: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
When I lived in Illinois, I was in Zone 6a. Late September was the perfect time for me to plant pansies in the ground. It was before the first frost. The roots of the plant would have time to get established.
Pansies need to be fertilized every three or four weeks.
To encourage new growth, deadhead the plants. Deadheading means removing the spent blossoms. To do this, simply follow the stem that is attached to the spent blossom and snip the stem. I use a pair of garden shears but you can snip it off using your fingers.
Pansies can tolerate cold temperatures. They really thrive in cooler weather with day time temperatures ranging from 40 to 60 degrees. They can tolerate periods of single digit weather but their foliage may wilt and turn gray.
Pansies like full sun, meaning 6 to 8 hours of sun each day.
Whether the plants are in a container or planted directly into the ground, please remember to water them. Water at the base of the plant. Try not to get their foliage wet. Wet foliage tends to attract disease.
Pansies actually do quite well in a container. It is important to use potting soil designed for plants in containers. Keep the container in a sunny location during the cooler months.
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Pansies & The Language of Flowers
The language of flowers is very interesting topic. The language of herbs and flowers has been used in Europe for centuries, but it reached its height of popularity during the reign of Queen Victoria. The first floral dictionary was assembled in France in 1819. This work became the basis for several floral dictionaries that were published in later years.
Every plant had a different meaning. Sometimes a single plant could have different meanings depending on how the plant was used or grown. Certain plants had religious significance as well. The language of herbs and flowers is called floriography.
In Victorian times, messages were sent via the use of tussie mussies. Tussie mussies date back to the 1400s. They were small bundles of herbs and flowers, each with a symbolic meaning, carried to help ward off sickness and freshen the air. Tussie mussies are sometimes referred to as nosegays. The name came from ladies holding the bouquets close to their noses whenever they would leave their homes.
Tussie mussies were often wrapped in a doily. The sender would carefully chose a variety of herbs and flowers to convey various sentiments. The pansy had several different meanings but they are surrounded the word thought or thinking. Using pansies in a tussie mussie could also signify that one person was missing the other person.
Pansy Themed Decor Items
If you have been following me for very long, you probably already know that my Mom collected a lot of different things. She once wrote down the alphabet and she had a collection for every letter except X I think! While I wasn’t able to keep everything from all of her collections, I did keep several of her pansy items.
I even added a few items of my own!
I hope you enjoyed reading about how to grow pansies in the fall!
For a few more tips on growing pansies, please check out this post!
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Thanks for your tips on growing pansies in the fall. I do love the little faces in the pansies.
Aren’t the little faces so sweet? Have a wonderful day!