Green Space: Grow a bed of pansies in winter

Last year, a friend of ours brought over a half flat of pansies.

“Here, plant these,” she said.

Wait a minute. Planting pansies in November?

I did it, and in late December, a couple of flowers appeared. Then it snowed, and I figured so much for that good idea. The blue and yellow flowers looked so forlorn out there popping out of the ice.

Short story: They worked. Our pansies survived the winter, admittedly a mild one, and gave us a nice show first thing in the spring, when all else was still asleep.

These are the marvel of winter pansies. They are hybrids designed to survive the chill and keep on producing. There are some caveats, as you would expect.

It doesn’t happen all the time. A lot of pansies are being sold as winter ones that really are not. The blooming season of true winter varieties is throughout fall to the first snow, then first thing in springtime. Look for Icicle, Delta and Arctic Blast varieties.

Planting locations are crucial for this to work. You need an area protected from the freezing direct winds of winter. They quickly dehydrate the plants and kill them.

My spot is in a bed against our house. It’s near our side door, and that makes them easy to enjoy. On sunny days, the house radiates heat into the bed, warming it somewhat.

Next up is the watering routine. Expect to water throughout the blooming seasons and add some on unusually warm winter days if there’s no snow.

The plants must struggle through the winter. That makes fertile soil crucial. They need compost nutrients to see their way through the perils, and well-drained soil is a must.

Mulch lightly, but only after the soil cools. This helps prevent soil heaving caused by rapid freezing and thawing. I use straw. Check your plants often as the heaving can pop them out of the soil.

The first winter pansies were yellows and blues. Plant scientists have added whites, oranges and purples. A new trailing-pattern pansy has arrived from Ball, Cool Wave.

If the winter turns severe, protect your plants with leftover Christmas pine garlands. Christmas tree branches work well, too. The main thing is to protect them from the harsh winds.

The best time to plant is right now. Our soil is still warm and that will boost root development over the winter. Then the miracle happens in early spring and blooming continues into summer.