by Dawn E Denmar

Created on: August 29, 2010

Pansies are a great choice of Fall flowering plants to brighten up the garden or yard. Their delicate and pretty little flowers come in a multitude of variegated colors which add a splash of vibrancy to flower beds which are beginning to die down. 

* Using pansies in the flower border

As summer bedding plants die down, it's possible to prolong the life of the garden flower bed by interspersing drifts of multicolored pansies into the border.  The Fall

pansy colors are bright enough to add a touch of sunshine to the dullest days and range from bright yellows, reds and oranges to blues, whites and pastel lilacs.  Pansies can be pure colors or the more common variegated variety which which always looks so pretty in Spring and Fall as it lifts its multicolored face to greet the sun.

Under planting drifts of similar colored pansies at the front of borders and below shrubs will give an instant face lift to the garden and provide several weeks with strong blocks of prolonged color. 

Fall flowering pansies can be used to add touches of color to water gardens and look particularly good in the alpine bed or rockery too.

* Hanging baskets

Planting Fall pansies in hanging baskets is another way to use these versatile plants and cramming the basket with a number of plants will provide a generous display as the plants start to spread.  Certainly, if the baskets are in full or partial sunshine the plants will perform well and give a long lasting display, well into the Winter, which looks fantastic at the front of the house.

* Containers

Pansies can also be planted in containers to add spot color to any area of the garden which looks a little dull.  The plants will perform well in shade too, proof of their versatility at a time of year when there are not too many flowering plants.

* Plug plants

Probably the cheapest way of stocking the garden with Fall pansies is to bulk buy small plug plants in mid to late Summer.  These plants can be grown on throughout the last few warm weeks of the Summer and then planted into their Fall locations as they reach mature sizes. The plants will need to be watered regularly, particularly in hot weather and, ideally, will grow larger if kept in a sunny location. 

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