Planter Planting Time

It's mid-April and it is finally time to start putting out the flowers.  I let the last flowers of fall die off and start to compost a bit in the planters.  A little extra compost never hurt, right?  I know just what to plant - it's the same flower that I've planted every Spring since I was a little girl.  The only thing that changes is which color I choose.

I pulled out all of last year's remains and mixed up the soil in the planter.  It's nice and fluffy now so the roots from the flowers will not have to work too hard to reach out and grab ahold in their new home.  I have to admit that I know the folly that I am starting.  These flowers are for Spring - maybe a little early Summer bloom, but then they should...go away.  I just want a little color from what should be a Spring-only plant.  But I know that is not what is going to happen.

Because I'm talking about pansies.  Cute little Johnny-jump-ups (viola cornuta) and pansies.  My DH loves purple, so I went with a mix this year.  The johnny-jump-ups have that very traditional purple/yellow/white face and the pansies I chose are a dark velvety purple.  They really compliment each other nicely.

I put the pansies in the center of the container.  They only grow about 6-inches tall, which is sort of short for a center plant in a container.  But these containers are on front steps of our bucolic manor and anything higher would get hit by shopping bags or our very enthusiastic pup when she goes out for a walk.  So 6-inches will be just perfect for the height.

The johnny-jump-ups will go around the edge of the container and cascade a bit over the side.  This is going to make the planters look really full and the johnny-jump-ups will get a lot of room to move around in the breeze.  Right now they look very subdued - as if they know what their job is and are resigned to doing it.  They remind me of that sweet little look that our pup give me when I'm holding a bribe biscuit in my hand.  I realize that no matter how I planted them, they're going to do what they want.

I put some time-released fertilizer on top of the soil.  That should give them enough food to get started and hopefully ease their transition from the warmth of the greenhouse to the cool night-time temperatures that they will now live with.  They're starting to perk up already.

They really are such pretty little flowers.  I just hope they know that it's okay if they don't last until Winter.  Really.