Native to northern Europe, pansies are the hardiest of all annual flowers. Pansies may be planted in containers or in the ground. Those in the ground have a very good survival rate. Those in pots may be adversely affected by a severe winter. Both will do best if they get watered during winter when it's dry. I had a pretty good survival rate for all my pansies last winter.

I recommend planting pansies in containers on decks and balconies, so that your winter view is enhanced rather than marred by dead plants leftover from summer.

For fall holiday pots, mix pansies with kale, parsley, chard and peppers. Shield them from frosts and your display may last for months.

Pansies also make great companions for spring-flowering bulbs in the garden. If you're planting tulips, daffodils or hyacinths this fall, add pansies on top. You have to dig a hole anyway, so it takes just a little effort to plant pansies as the last step. Plant the bulbs, fill in the hole, and then plant the pansies in the already-loosened soil. Consider combining blue pansies with yellow daffodils, or purple pansies with pink hyacinths. The pansies and the bulbs make a much more impressive display together.

Plants are courtesy of Tagawa Gardens.

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