Get a head start this spring with pansy containers
As winter comes to an end and spring starts to gift us with the warmth of the sun, garden centers and nurseries begin to put out the first flowers of the year. When trying to decide what to take home, I recommend grabbing a few packs of pansies for spring pansy containers. With all of the color options to choose from there is so much you can do when incorporating them into your spring containers. Scroll on for a handful of spring pansy container planting plans and watch the YouTube video above where Garden Gate staff Kristin and Jennifer share a step-by-step tutorial of a couple of the spring pansy containers highlighted below.
Add pansy containers to your patio or entry
Plant up a few spring containers and a bare patio or terrace is suddenly filled with color. Your balcony becomes a bright spot in the apartment complex and neighbors are asking where those plants came from. Grouping containers together provides an even bigger show that draws attention to the entry, or you can use bright blooms to dress up a tabletop on the deck.
Spring containers are just the beginning of all the ways you can express yourself this growing season. Once they fade, you can get creative again by swapping plants out for a whole new look in summer and fall. In the meantime, get inspired by the spring pansy containers ideas here and maybe you’ll have to make another trip to the garden center!
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Go bold with red flowers this spring
This combination is perfect on a patio or next to your front entry because its bold colors make a statement that lasts for weeks. Plus you can enjoy the light, sweet scent of the pansy and nemesia as you walk by. Cool spring temperatures help these flowers last, but eventually you’ll need to deadhead.
Container maintenance tips
Pinch or snip pansy, nemesia and marguerite daisy stems back to a leaf joint to encourage more blooms. The daffodil only blooms once. So when it’s done you can pull the bulbs if you’d like to avoid unsightly yellowing bulb foliage as it ripens in the container.
The red osier dogwood stems cut from the garden provide height, color and texture even when the flowers are fading. Once the weather starts getting warmer, stems can get leggy and flowering slows. This is a good time to replace cool-weather plants, such as the pansy and nemesia. You can leave the gaura and marguerite daisy in place to add height and interest to late-season combos.
Plant list (number to plant)
A) Marguerite daisy Argyranthemum Grandaisy® Red Improved (1)
B) Gaura Gaura lindheimeri Belleza® Dark Pink (1)
C) Dwarf daffodil Narcissus hybrid (1)
D) Pansy Viola x wittrockiana Spring Matrix™ Scarlet (4)
E) Nemesia Nemesia Sunsatia® Blood Orange™ (2)
F) Nemesia Nemesia Nesia™ Sunshine (1)
Container is 20 inches in diameter
Petite pastel container
This sweet little cool-season planter makes the perfect addition to a tabletop. You can still see your conversation partner across the table because the pint-sized plants won’t grow too tall in spring. As warmer weather approaches, the kale, sweet alyssum and viola will start to outgrow this 12-inch pot. But you can plant them in the border to enjoy blooms again later in fall, or just toss them on the compost pile.
Plant list (number to plant)
A) Sweet alyssum Lobularia maritima ‘Snow Crystals’ (3)
B) Lewisia Lewisia cotyledon Elise Mix (1)
C) Ornamental kale Brassica oleracea ‘Dynasty Red’ (2)
D) English daisy Bellis perennis ‘Pomponette Mix’ (1)
E) Viola Viola cornuta Sorbet® XP Beaconsfield (8)
Container is 10 inches in diameter
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Ranunculus & pansy container
Jam-packed with colorful spring blooms like snapdragon, tulip and pansies, this container will give you something gorgeous to look at until warm-weather annuals are ready to take over. Here, the different shapes and textures of the flowers make as much of a statement as their colors. Put this planting on a patio or front step where it’s easy to bend down to enjoy each individual flower.
Container planting tip
It’s OK to pack spring containers tightly because you’ll probably remove and replace plants as they fade with the approach of warmer weather. When planting, you may even need to gently press rootballs to squeeze them into the container. This won’t harm the plants as long as you’re careful not to break any stems.
Plant list (number to plant)
A) Snapdragon Antirrhinum majus ‘Solstice Orange Tricolor’ (1)
B) Tulip Tulipa ‘Jimmy’ (2)
C) Persian buttercup Ranunculus asiaticus ‘Maché Yellow’ (1)
D) Toadflax Linaria maroccana Fantasy™ Yellow (2)
E) Twinspur Diascia barberae Flying Colors® Red Improved (2)
F) Pansy Viola x wittrockiana ‘Fizzy Grape’ (1)
Container is 18 in. in diameter
Get four-season structure in a container
Adding evergreens, such as boxwood or arborvitae, to a container is a great way to get structure in every season. ‘Green Velvet’ is tolerant of pruning and can be shaped however you like. Hold off on pruning until all danger of frost has passed in spring to avoid damaging tender new shoots. When you’re growing shrubs in containers, get a pot that’s as large as possible (these are 24 inches in diameter) so there’s plenty of room for potting mix to hold moisture and help insulate the roots.
Boxwood tip
To get boxwoods through winter in zone 5, spray an antitranspirant to help prevent moisture loss and burned foliage, and water occasionally if temps are above freezing.
Plant list (number to plant)
A) Boxwood Buxus ‘Green Velvet’ (1)
B) Pansy Viola x wittrockiana (12)
C) Lobelia Lobelia erinus (3)
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Petite pansy container
This little pot is the perfect way to add a splash of color to your patio in early spring. Cheery pansies come in a rainbow of colors so there’s sure to be one that will suit your garden’s palette. And they’re usually sold in multipacks, so you get plenty of bang for your buck.
Yellow and white is a classic combination that always looks good and is sure to charm. Add a small rosemary plant in a 4-inch pot to the center for contrast. This slow-growing herb won’t really take off until temperatures warm in summer.
Pansy growing tip
Pansies love the cool weather of spring and fall and grow best when temperatures range from 40 to 65 degrees F during the day. They can even take a light frost. If pansies start to flag in warm weather pull them out to give the rosemary room to grow and fill the pot — you’ll have plenty of stems for your favorite recipes!
Plant list (number to plant)
A) Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis (1)
B) Pansy Viola x wittrockiana (8)
