The ‘sulky’ plant that gives your garden a gorgeous winter bloom if you do two important jobs now
AS temperatures continue to drop, homeowners across the country are eager to finish their autumn gardening tasks before winter arrives.
And October and November are officially spring bulb planting months.
But while one plant has ‘winter’ in the name and seems like an obvious choice to buy now, gardeners have moaned it’s “sulky” and are boycotting it.
One novice gardener, however, complained on social media: “So many people say plant pansies for winter.
“I find they just sit there and sulk and don’t make any new flowers till late spring. Am I doing something wrong?”
A second chimed in: “I’ve never bothered either. Too flimsy.”
Meanwhile, a third wrote: “Slugs get mine so I’ve given up.”
So what are they doing wrong? According to the pros, winter pansies are tough and can bloom throughout winter and well into spring – even if planted as late as November.
If looked after properly, they can last up to three years and grow to 25cm high and wide – offering much-needed vibrant colours during the colder months.
These late bloomers are very versatile – ideal for growing in pots or mixed flowerbeds – and can survive in partial shade.
But to make sure you get the most out of your winter pansies, the experts at BBC Gardeners’ World say there are two important jobs you must do.
First, they’ve insisted you must make sure the plant is watered regularly as you can’t just rely on the winter rain to keep them hydrated.
They said: “Keep [winter pansies] watered during dry spells and especially when cold easterly winds are blowing, which can dry the soil.
“Pour water onto the soil rather than the foliage, to avoid spreading fungal diseases. From late winter, boost growth with a fortnightly feed of a liquid fertilizer.”
Secondly, it is important to dead-head your winter pansies to encourage more blooms.
BBC Gardeners’ World’s experts added: “Remove the faded and dead flowers regularly which encourages the plant to keep producing new blooms.
“Either pinch off with your finger and thumb or use a pair of garden snips to cut off the dead heads.”
And amateur gardeners have also jumped in to support these tips, as well as recommending a sunny spot.
“Keep dead-heading them. I find that really is the key to keeping them going and growing”, said one.
A second echoed: “Dead head and they keep going.”
Someone else advised: “Pansies are winter hardy, but they need warmer sunny days to initiate flowering, which is why they really get going just as you’re looking to replace them.”
Meanwhile, a fourth wrote: “Pop them in the sunniest place possible. That tiny bit of winter sun and a shelter spot will help them along.”
Top 5 spring bulbs to plant now
Chris, the Ornamental Gardens supervisor, at The Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall revealed his favourite plants.
Daffodils – there are huge varieties to choose from and generally perennial so they’re really good at naturalising.
Snowdrops – every garden should have a snowdrop!
Camassias, Fritillarias and alliums – and that will see you right through from early spring into early summer.
Top tip! When planting, the general rule is two to three times the depth of a bulb. If planting in pots, you’re dictated to by the size of a pot. Generally, in a pot, it’s twice the bulb’s depth. There are a lot of planting tools with a depth gauge. so it’s really easy to measure your bulb and appropriately plant according to that depth.