Plants of the Week: Pansies and Violas

 Spring isn't officially here until the pansies and violas make their first trip to the store from our farm greenhouses. And, so, they've started to arrive. While the colors and fragrances of these plants make them a gardener's cool- weather- favorite -flowers, the incredible variety of patterns, growing habits, and bloom sizes bring new fans each season. Our farm greenhouses grow most of what we carry this time of year, with several other local growers adding to the mix as needed. 

Combine with primroses, ajuga, and other perennials 

Solid colors or pansies and violas with 'faces' are beautiful

Pansies typically are planted in the spring garden. They like growing in the cooler winter season, where they may be started from tiny plugs in our greenhouses in late January to be shipped to the garden center by mid-March. The blooms are bigger and very vibrant. We grow them in the summer for fall as well, but the blooms tend to be smaller at first. The best part about fall pansies is that they will come back up for spring, making them perfect companions to daffodils and tulips. 

Happiest during cooler weather, even surviving the snow in winter

Let's get this spring going! The daffodils and hellebores are blooming. Fresh pansies and violas will be planted in the containers along the front walk. Bulbs in pots have started to emerge. With Easter just 3 weeks away, I'm ready!

Yellow violas with tulips

Bluish pansies with tulips

Happy place, happy face

Selection

Jump-ups

Looking happy to be headed to Cockeysville from the farm.