What a cold, windy, drafty day! Let’s tackle a familiar “face” for this weeks Plant of the Week. I want to rehash the Pansy, the perfect flowering annual for Indiana’s non committal early season weather habits. Not only do I want to discuss the benefits of using Pansies around your home, of which there are many. I also want to talk about a few great ideas for how to get the most enjoyment out of them! Lets get down to business and discuss why the Pansy is a favorite of gardens everywhere.

The perfect plant to cheer you up as you look out from the warmth of your home on a cool weekend morning. These little flowers have “faces” on them that are always smiling, with bright, warm, soul mending color. Their wide array of colors makes the pansy fun to mix and match together, making them perfect for pot arrangements. This is my first recommendation for how to use Pansies around your home. Pots full of bright flowers, like the Pansy, create a great temporary boost to the curb appeal of your home, especially during these early months. Even mix in Kale, Chives and other edibles to create color and maybe lunch for yourself! My second recommendation, due to their massive color appeal, is to plant Pansies in masses along borders or just about anywhere you think is fun! You see this done quite often in front of subdivisions, but the same eye catching effect can be done in your own front yard! My final recommendation is to use Pansies to attract your guests eye to another feature in your landscape. For example, maybe you have a plaque with a cute phrase or a favorite shrub that you want people to notice. A quick splash of color is sure to draw the gaze of any passerby! Planting ideas are wonderful, but you still need to make sure you are planting in the correct location. Be sure your Pansies are getting sunlight and water, perhaps choosing to grow them in a spot that will give them lots of morning sun and less afternoon sun.  Always be sure your pansies are receiving plenty of water or the hot summer suns will make them wilt or burn, similar to a certain Homo sapien that cares for them!

A wonderful low maintenance flower with bright colors that will bring some fun to your landscape.  Read more about pansies here and here to decide if they are meant for your landscape.