Cooler weather will be here before too long and it means one thing – it’s pansy planting time! There are so many great new selections that you may have a hard time making a decision. That’s where I come in, and I want to suggest Ultima Morpho, a recent All America Selections winner that simply did not get the press it deserved. To me, it is the prettiest pansy ever developed.
The Ultima series is not the largest on the market, but it certainly has some of the most beautiful varieties. The Morpho tops the list with its distinct bicolor design. The upper petals are medium blue with bright lemon-yellow lower petals, and rays or whiskers that radiate from the center. Ultima Morpho is named after the tropical Morpho butterfly, which also is blue and yellow.
Blooms measure about 2 1/2 inches across, and their color blend is superbly variable. Sometimes the yellow portion takes on darker orange hues.
Mounded plants reach just 6 to 8 inches high and wide – compact enough to set as accents, yet colorful enough for a mass display. In Southern fall plantings, Ultima Morpho has proven to flower freely all season.
Ultima Morpho is the award winner, but also keep your eyes open for the new-this-year Blueberry Thrill. It is the same size as the Morpho and bears an abundance of 21/2-inch flowers with a beautiful purple background, primrose and yellow overlay, and a small purple blotch in the center.
If red and yellow are your favorites, then look for the Ultima Radiance Red. These pansies are the same size and give the same performance as the Morpho and Blueberry Thrill, yet they have rusty red outer petals that give way to orange and yellow with dark whiskers in the center.
No matter which you choose, the key to pansy success lies in bed preparation. Pansies do not perform well in tight, heavy soil. Amending the planting area is one of the best ways to have success over these conditions. Add organic matter such as fine pine bark (pieces less than 1/2 inch), leaf mold, compost, peat and sand.
If you haven’t been happy with growing pansies previously, I would urge you to try buying baled peat. Incorporate a 3- to 4-inch layer of organic matter like peat in with the native soil to build up the bed and provide excellent drainage.
Be aggressive with your pansy planting, massing them in large quantities. Though certainly suitable for pocket planting at the front door, spot planting the pansy seldom yields the look you desire.
Pansies are available in various sizes, ranging from jumbo six packs to those grown in a 4- or 6-inch container. Larger plants in bloom give you the most immediate impact, as well as a larger root system that aids in establishment. Be sure to mulch after planting. Though I use pine straw in a lot of beds, I am partial to pine bark around pansies.
Many gardeners do not realize that pansies are heavy feeders. Feed with a light application of a slow-release fertilizer monthly, or a dilute, water-soluble 20-20-20 every other week. Pay attention to soil moisture levels as some cold fronts often drastically dry out the bed.
