Pansies have long been a favorite in fall and winter gardens. These cheerful flowers will brighten landscapes and containers and bring a smile to any occasion. Find fun and new ways to add it to your garden and fall holidays.
You can find these cool weather favorites at your local garden center. Pansies thrive in cool autumn temperatures and mild winters when summer annuals die off or survive frost. They make a good addition to garden beds and containers or display in your own nursery.
Cool Wave, WonderFall and other hanging pansies are ideal for hanging baskets, as trailers in container gardens, or as border plants in garden beds. You will need half of these types of cheese to cover the same area of the garden.
Plant creeping white pansies in a pot, add sunglasses, and you have a spooky Halloween vibe. Remove pumpkin, add drainage holes and use for planting. Cover it with potting soil and when you're done, you'll have a biodegradable compost heap pot. Or just place a jar of pansies in a pot of pumpkin.
Don't forget to list some favorite colors, flavored strains, and a few All-America Selections winners. Ultima Morpho was the 2002 winner with its distinctive blue and yellow floral design. The roadside tomato has a true orange-purple color, perfect for fall, and Majestic Giants pansies, selected in 1966, can still be found for sale. Generations of gardeners have cultivated this large-flowered drumstick with a traditional face.
Incorporate your ideas into fall dinners and get-togethers. Use only pansies and other edible flowers that have not been treated with pesticides. Be sure to let your guests know pansies are safe to eat so they can enjoy this unique dining experience. Otherwise, you may find bouquets under glasses or on plates.
Pick a few flowers, remove the reproductive parts, and freeze them in ice cubes to serve in your favorite beverage. Mix some flower frosting into a cute punch.
Add sophistication, unique flavor and color to your salads by decorating your vegetable patch with flowers. Continue the theme by decorating cookies or cakes with your favorite thoughts. Cheerful flowers will bring happy thoughts and, for some, a way to enjoy the season's last garden.
Decorate the beginning of school and your class by expressing appreciation for your favorite teacher. A handmade planter filled with cheerful pansies is sure to cheer up both students and teachers.
All you need is two sizes: a 4" x 4" wooden bowl, plus a pot and saucer that will fit inside the pot box. Take a glue gun and glue sticks, sandpaper and a utility knife to create a gift.
Cut the dimensions into four inch sections and sand the cut edges to a smooth finish. Glue the measurements vertically and side to side to the four sides of the pot. Place the pot under the pot and place the pot on top.
Get lots of ideas. We're sure you'll find other creative ways to use them this fall, or simply use them as colorful garden fillers and containers.
Melinda Myers has written over 20 gardening books, including the recently published Midwest Gardener's Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts the wonderful How to Grow Anything course, a series of instant videos and DVDs, and the nationally syndicated TV and radio show Melinda's Garden Moment. Myers is a columnist and editor for Birds & Blooms magazine, her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.
