Pansy 'Swiss Giants Claret'

Pansy seeds require no prior treatment. How to Sow There are 2 ways to sow:

Sow indoors, December-March for flowering in spring and summer.
Sow in the garden, July-September for flowering in winter and spring.
 

1. Easiest method is a propagator on the windowsill - sprinkle your pansy seeds over the soil, sprinkle with water and cover with newspaper - remove the paper as soon as the seeds germinate (within 2 weeks). Keep the seedlings moist. Replant the seedlings as soon as they seem big enough to handle. After four to six weeks plant out in the garden. If still on the cold side outdoors, allow them to keep developing in pots in a cold frame.
2. Sow in the garden, preferably in full sun from July. Loosen the soil with a fork to at least 30 cm deep and scatter the seed over the bed. Label each bed and cover the seeds with newspaper (because pansies like the dark to germinate) - make sure the paper cannot blow away. Keep the bed moist and remove the paper as soon as the pansies germinate. Replant the seedlings as soon as they seem big enough to handle (after about 4-6 weeks). After another month or so, they can be replanted to their final position in bed, border or (hanging) basket or pot.

The seeds will germinate within 7-14 days.
 

Plant your pansies in full sun or part shade and water regularly as the (pot) compost must not be allowed to dry out. Large-flowered pansies provide lots of colour in your garden. Treat your planters, window-boxes, beds and borders with these lovely striking flowers. The various colour combinations mix and match wonderfully well. Plant next to early flowering shrubs like the winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum). Also great in the rockery. Pansies that flower in spring and summer can flower all the way through to July. Winter and spring flowerers will be seen through to April.

Regular dead heading will encourage new flowers to grow. We advise adding plant food in the watering can for extra profuse flowering during the growing season. Keep the bed (pot) free of weeds and your pansies will thrive.

Pansies are hardy and can last through the winter in borders or in planters. Although more likely to get frost damage in a pot they can withstand quite a lot. A stern winter can make it lose its leaf but new growth should start up again in the spring. Harvesting Although mostly grown for the showy flowers, the petals can be eaten as long as the plant is growing. Simply cut the flower head off with scissors or a sharp knife.

Each flower shows a delicate pattern in the centre, usually a dark purple - almost black. This garden variety looks wonderful in pots, window-boxes and hanging baskets. They will flower continually and are rather hardy. Also look cute in a bunch picked for on the living room table.