spring gardening: pansies are hard to kill

I’m new to gardening. As a little kid my parents had a garden but I never made any decisions on when or what to plant. My role was limited to anything that required weeding or harvesting. This is the first home we have owned therefore this is the first piece of dirt I’ve had the opportunity to work with and grow things on. Every year I get a little bit wiser and my dirt around my home gets a little more color.

One of my favorite and most reliable flowers are pansies. The directions are simple: water and lots of sunlight. When the flower starts to droop, prune at the base of the stem to increase the amount of flowering. I haven’t even mentioned the best part…. they are cheap! $2.50 for 6 at my local nursery.

Tip: Place a coffee filter in the bottom of the pot before dumping the dirt. The coffee filter will plug any drainage holes that there may be, keeping the dirt in the pot and not on your feet.

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map