|
 You will find these cool weather favorites at your
local garden center. Pansies thrive in the cooler temperatures of
fall and during mild winters when your summer annuals fade or
succumb to frost. They make great fillers in garden beds and
containers or displayed in their own planter.
Cool Wave®, WonderFall and other trailing pansies are perfect for
hanging baskets, as trailers in container gardens, or as edging
plants in garden beds. You will need half as many of these pansy
varieties to cover the same garden space.
Plant a basket of white trailing pansies, add some sunglasses and
you have a ghost for Halloween. Scoop out the inside of a pumpkin,
add some drainage holes and use it for a planter. Fill it with
potting mix and you’ll have a biodegradable pot for the compost pile
when finished. Or simply set a container of pansies inside your
pumpkin pot.
Be sure to include a few favorite colors, fragrant varieties, and
some All-America Selections winners. Ultima Morpho was the 2002
winner that was selected for its distinct blue and yellow flower
design. Padparadja is a true orange pansy that is perfect for fall
and Majestic Giants pansy, selected in 1966, can still be found for
sale. Generations of gardeners have planted this large-flowered,
traditional-faced pansy.
Include pansies in your fall meals and gatherings. Only use pansies
and other edible flowers that have not been treated with pesticides.
Be sure to let your guests know that the pansies are safe to eat, so
they can enjoy this unique dining experience. Otherwise, you will
find blossoms at the bottom of glasses or left on plates.
Pick a few flowers, remove the reproductive parts, and freeze them
in ice cube trays to serve in your favorite beverage. Float a few of
the flower ice cubes in your favorite punch.
[to top of second column] |
Add a gourmet touch, some unique flavor, and color to
your salads by topping a bed of greens with a few flowers. Continue
the theme by decorating cookies or cakes with a few of your favorite
pansies. The cheerful flowers will generate happy thoughts and for
some, a way to enjoy the last of this season’s garden.
Brighten the start of school and your classroom while showing your
favorite teacher a bit of appreciation. A do-it-yourself planter
filled with cheery pansies is sure to elevate the mood of both
students and teachers alike.
All you need are two yardsticks, a 4” x 4” wooden planter box, and a
potted pansy and saucer that fit inside the planter box. Gather your
glue gun and glue sticks, sandpaper, and a hobby knife to create
your gift.
Cut the yardsticks into four-inch pieces and sand the cut edges
smooth. Glue the yardstick pieces vertically and next to each other
onto all four sides of the planter. Set the saucer in the bottom of
the planter box and place the potted pansy on top of it.
Purchase plenty of pansies. You are sure to find other creative ways
to utilize them this fall or simply use them as colorful fillers for
voids in gardens and containers.
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening
books, including the recently released Midwest Gardener’s Handbook,
2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses
“How to Grow Anything” instant video and DVD series and the
nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program.
Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms
magazine and her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.
[Photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com]
 |
