Violas and Pansies thrive in cold, frosty winter gardens

Planting Pointers:

Pansies and vilas both prefer the cooler months of the year, so its best to plant them now.

thye thrive in a sunny location during winter but will also grow weill in semi shade. plant pansy seedlings in well compost soil. it is a good idea to add 90g of superphosphate per sqaure metre of soil and dig over well. both do well in containers if the container is filled with new potting soil each time it is planted up.

the ideal spacing for pansies is 15cm apart, while violas can be planted 10cm apart. it is important to choose a well drained site, as both fallprey to root rot at the first sign of water logging.

to keep pansies and violas blooming for the longest possible time, be sure to pinch off all the old flowers and seed pods. This dead heading encourages more blooms and will keep up the colour for weeks

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