The Timeless Charm of Pansies
When I was in my early teens, I worked for a vegetable farm that sold bedding plants in the spring. Every Sunday, you could find me at the “flea market.” It’s equivalent today’s Facebook marketplace but in an open field with each vendor on their 10’ by 10’ plot. I’d be there with wagons full of flowers and a fanny pack selling plants.
Easter always brought folks out for pansies. It was no wonder since they were the most vibrant flowers to grace us so early in thee year, and they could tolerate a frost. You can dead head them or remove spent blossoms, but it’s not an absolute must.
They are not technically a perennial or plant that comes back every year in our climate but if the seed pods are left to develop enough, they can self reseed, and have been known to sprout the following year. — making us believe they are a perennial. I told you — they’re hardy!
In recent years the varieties have become more interesting. I especially love the frilly ones with more muted tones. The bright colors take the cake but I am a snot for unique colors.
This year we are going to use the bowls for instant eye candy and plant some around our front rocks rather than little 6 packs plant that take a longer time to fill out. This is a trick I learned while landscaping on Cape Cod. We would remove blooming plants from their hanging baskets and plant them into client’s garden beds - it was an instant wow factor!
Our front hedge is filled with green tips from emerging tulips and daffodils, so these pansies will provide instant color as they transition to the later crop, and with the chance of frost still lingering in the air, these resilient work shores will be fine.
On the cut flower side of things, we’ve trialed them as cut flowers and were surprised that they do work! We grew them in bulb crates un full sun, and between the competition and fast growing conditions, were able to pull off more than 10 inches in workable height. Prefect for bouquets and centerpieces. While the trial had it’s ups there are other cuts that out perform and have more resilient characters, so we do continue to grow them.
Regardless, I can’t shake the pansies. They bring back sweet memories of the flea market and the good people I use to work it with. If you ever hear of a flea market near you, I encourage you to check it out. It brings out people from the woodwork and you are sure to find a diamond in the rough!
If you’re a pansy lover and want to see what these things are all about. We are loading up the farmstand with them today, and will have lots of bowls for the Easter holiday. Don’t be a pansy - try this plant out!
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