Plant the large-flowered winter pansies immediately after delivery in a flower pot or patio pot. Choose a pot with holes in the base to provide adequate drainage. Cover the bottom of the pot with gravel or a layer of hydro granules. Use fresh potting compost and place the root balls of the pansies at the right depth. The planting distance is about 5 cm. Fill with compost and press firmly. Water generously immediately after planting and put the flower pot in a spot in full sun or part shade. Line a porous pot on the inside with plastic, or use an inner pot of plastic material. This will prevent evaporation and stop the root ball of the plant from drying out too quickly.

Pansies in the winter garden

The large-flowered, colourful pansies bring a lot of colour to the winter garden and are at their best when planted in larger groups. They will look very cheerful and welcoming along a garden path or in a small border or even the rock garden. Large flowered pansies also look great if you combine them with other winter flowerers, such as the Christmas roses and the early flowering shrub ‘Winter Jasmine’ (Jasminum nudiflorum). The bloom will last for months through the winter until April.

Large-flowered pansies are garden plants that require little maintenance. Regularly water to avoid the root balls from drying out and remove the spent flowers to encourage and extend the flowering period. Bakker recommends during the flowering period that you add plant food when watering. Winter flowering pansies are quite tolerant of cold weather.

Winter flowering pansies are certainly an eye-catcher in your garden or on the patio. The large, almost round flowers provide colour from autumn through to April. You can still enjoy the white, yellow, red and purple colours during the frost or snow. Each flower has a refined dark brown to almost black marking in the heart, which looks like a small face. Regularly pick a small bunch and you can then enjoy the wonderful colours indoors too. By picking the pansies they will flower even richer.