Final weekend to spend your Garden Rewards Points!
Hello, again!
There’s nothing like walking into our production greenhouses first thing in the morning. While enjoying a cup of coffee, I also get to enjoy the intense morning light on the crop of our cold-tolerant pansies and violas that are just ready to go to the stores. The aroma of the pansies is nothing strong like roses, but a subtle hint of fresh greenery; it’s hard to explain, but once you’ve noticed it you’ll always remember it. If I had to wax poetic about it, it might go something like this…
In the early morning, when the greenhouse is still cool and the moisture from overnight watering lingers in the air, the blooms appear even more radiant, their petals glistening with tiny beads of dew. The soft rustling of leaves and the occasional flutter of a pollinating insect complete the serene atmosphere. Walking through aisles of pansies, seeing each plant brimming with cheerful blooms, is both invigorating and calming. Their velvety petals, marked with intricate dark blotches or delicate whisker-like lines, seem to smile in the gentle light.
For a gardener, this moment is both rewarding and full of anticipation. Soon, these resilient, cold-tolerant flowers will find their way into garden beds, containers, and hanging baskets, bringing their beauty to Wichita’s porches, patios, and landscapes. Whether planted for a pop of early-season color or to complement other cool-weather flowers, pansies have a way of transforming any space into a vibrant, welcoming retreat. Pansies are a staple for early spring color, thriving in cool temperatures and tolerating light frosts.
With newer varieties like Colossus, Spring Matrix, and Cool Wave, gardeners can enjoy bigger blooms, better cold resistance, and even trailing options for hanging baskets.
Colossus pansies are known for their massive 3- to 4-inch flowers, making them stand out in garden beds and borders. Their compact growth habit and sturdy stems help them withstand cool, wet conditions better than older varieties.
Spring Matrix pansies are another excellent choice, offering a well-branched, vigorous growth pattern that fills garden beds quickly. This variety is more heat-tolerant than traditional pansies, extending the bloom season into early summer. With a wide range of colors, including deep blues, purples, and bright yellows, Spring Matrix provides endless possibilities for vibrant spring displays.
For those looking to add color to hanging baskets and containers, Cool Wave pansies are the perfect choice. This trailing variety cascades beautifully over edges and can spread up to two feet wide, making it a great alternative to groundcover in flower beds. It produces continuous blooms in cool weather, outperforming standard pansy varieties and creating eye-catching displays in elevated planters.
I recommend regular feeding for pansies with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer such as ferti-lome All Purpose Water Soluble Plant Food. This is one of my favorite plant foods, a retail version of what we use in our greenhouses. Feeding pansies every couple of weeks encourages healthy growth and continuous flowering.
With the right varieties and care, pansies will brighten up your garden and containers well into early summer. Are you planning to mix different varieties for contrast, or do you have a favorite go-to pansy?
Be sure and save the dates of March 21-30 for our Spring Open House. Our crew has been busy stocking the shelves, unloading trucks with foliage plants from Florida as well as nursery stock from our greenhouses and suppliers. We’ll have everything out and ready to go for spring planting!
Your friend in the garden,
Marty Johnson
Owner - Johnson's Garden Centers
