Johnsons's Garden Centers Text File document - copyright 2004
PDF file available at http://www.johnsonsgarden.com/newsletter/flowers.html

A "Face" for Three Seasons
Sept/Oct 2004
Wes Karst, Johnson's West 13th Greenhouse Manager

    September is here and so are the bright faces of winter-hardy
pansies at Johnson's. Nothing says fall like the arrival of pansies and
the first blooms on our fall crop of mums. Which, by the way, make a
good combination for reviving a flower bed for the fall. Other good fall
combos are pansies and flowering kale; pansies along with your marigolds
in their fall glory; or pansies with our new bud-blooming heathers!

    Fall is also the time to plant for a spring combination of pansies
and tulips. You can plant your tulip bulbs along with your pansies this
fall with the promise of a beautiful two-layer effect in your spring
flower bed.

    When planted in the fall, pansies bloom well into December and are
hardy even in our coldest winters, surviving temperatures of -20
degrees. When temperatures get below 10 degrees, the plant will go
dormant. Blooms usually reappear by February and with very little care,
you'll enjoy pansies through the spring and into the early summer until 
the summer heat takes its toll.

    A key to keeping your pansies looking their best for three seasons
of color is good soil preparation. To get pansies off to a healthy
start, mix ferti-lome Premium Pansy Food and Cotton Boll Compost into
the soil at planting time. Water in well with ferti-lome Root
Stimulator. Plant pansies in a sunny, protected, well-drained location.
Part shade is okay, but heavy shade may keep your pansies from blooming
properly. Mulch pansies to retain soil moisture and to provide
insulation. We recommend Cottonseed Hulls because they form a compact
mat around the pansies, working just like a blanket to keep pansy roots
comfortable this winter. If we have a dry fall or winter, remember to
water your pansies.