Pansies All Snuggled In Their Beds

The pansies (and their companions) are "all snuggled in their beds", and what a pretty sight they are, even in their tender little state. The rains we've had have helped them get settled in with Mother Nature's finest drink. Now we just have to hope for at least a weekly rain to keep them healthy....the watering by the City Crew isn't always enough for the young plants to get established.

Had to include some pictures of the special plants for this year. Last year's experiences taught mer that dark colored plants just don't show up well in the containers, even close up; so I stayed with the brighter yellows, light blues, and bright reds. As expected, the yellows are the ones that catch your eye when you drive by; but I'm hoping that the sweet little blue violas will have the same impact when they fill the pot.

Check out this little cutie....a viola called Angel 'Amber Kiss'.

I love the color combo and the bright center. It's a compact grower so I'll be interested to see if it keeps up with the others in the pot.

My favorite blue pansy this year is Ultima 'Morpho'....

the combination of bright blue and crisp yellow just grabs your attention and seems to generate an automatic "ah". It has been paired with viola Sorbet 'Yellow Delight'. That yellow viola is, hands down, the very best!! It will be seen in lots of other combinations around town.

I used Pandora's Box pansy last year and it is a come back winner this year. The best adjective for this one is "sweet". Named appropriatedly, the blooms come out in a variety of soft, but deep, pinks...touched by pale yellows....each flower being slightly different. The dark throat seems to make it appear to be talking. You can almost imagine what it might be saying.

"Golly Gee" "I'm watching you" "Attention!"

The Rain series is being used again in the containers to provide a spiller effect since it is one of the pansies that naturally grows long. Frosty Rain is the lighter version with soft, light blues; very nice but it doesn't have the impact that Purple Rain does. The deep purple combined perfectly with pinks, and the bright blue throat made it a great companion for any of the blue pansies and violas such as Sorbet Baby Face Marina. No surprise that it was a show stopper with the bright yellows. I combined it with Majestic Giant Yellow where its huge blooms were a nice contrast to the smaller but bolder blooms of Purple Rain.

As the containers fill in I'll update their status. This year I put at least three kale plants in each containers for a fuller effect. Here's hoping that they don't become thugs. But that's what we have pruners for...encouragement!

Sorbet Baby Face Primrose is another super performer much like Yellow Delight but in a softer, buttery yellow color. It pairs well with the soft blues.

One of the big blue pansies that I chose this year is Delta True Blue. I liked the simple lines and bright yellow eye. Have to admit that I'm not a big fan of "face" pansies, but I did use a couple from the Majestic series since with their large size they were able to overcome the intensity of the face.

Delta Blaze Mix comes in a combination of reds and yellows....no telling what you'll get from the container but the colors are truly vibrant, the flowers a good full size and prolific. These were set out alone or paired with Yellow Delight.

(Yes, it's a "face" pansy....but with such a pretty face, who could resist it.)

Another mix I used was Delta Pink Shades. This group really has a wide range of colors - from the palets pink to a deep rose. But all the colors are pretty in their own right; and mixed with Redbor Kale they make a striking combo.

Well, those are the stars of the show. The supporting characters were minimal this year - kales, parsley and ivies. I'm counting on the kales to put on a lot of weight and fill up the center of the containers. Everyone has been fed with slow release Osmocote and a dose of Daniels liquid fertilizer so they are off to a good start. Stay tuned for more.