One of the best ways to dress up your outside porches and patios is adding a fun and decorative Spring containers. Imagine How soothing it would be to walk outside with your morning coffee to be greeted by these beautiful additions to your home? Get started by finding the perfect planter – choose a fun color or pattern, or get creative and use an unexpected object.

Important! Just check to make sure the container has drainage holes at the bottom and you’re good to go!

Complimentary colors
Colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel blend well, e.g., Blues and violets complement oranges and yellows and red complements green.

Analagous colors.
Colors groups, think “Blues” or “Yellows” that are next to each other on the color wheel e.g., blue, blue-violet, blue-green or yellow-green, yellow, yellow-orange blend well since they share the same hues.

Triadic colors
You can also create dynamic and vibrant combinations using 3 colors that are equidistant from one another on the color wheel, e.g., purple/green/orange yellow/red/blue.

At Van Wilgen’s we have a saying: pansies are tiny but tough.

You might think that pansies need to be kept inside during this time of year with cold nights and warmer days, but that would actually be the worst thing for them.

To keep these cheerful springtime annuals happy, you’ll want to keep them between 45 and 65 degrees, but they can tolerate temperatures as low as 28 degrees, which is below freezing. As soon as the spring sun comes up in the morning, if the pansies were frozen, any ice will melt, and they’ll bounce right back to life. Right now through the end of June is the time pansies enjoy most so it’s the perfect time to take some home to brighten up your garden or containers for instant springtime color.

It’s a refreshing sign of spring when you can see and smell the pansies. For this area, pansies are an annual that typically lasts from March to the end of June. In cooler summers, they can even last as late as the end of August. To prolong the season and promote more flowers, be sure to deadhead your pansies as much as possible, and keep them in tip-top shape with Bloom Booster.

Just remember to keep your pansies outdoors. Unless you have a cold area in your house, they won’t last more than two days inside and will start to wilt. If you’re worried about a steep temperature drop outside you can cover them overnight with a sheet or a box. If they aren’t planted, you can bring them in overnight before you go to bed but make sure they’re out again by the time you make the coffee in the morning.

Not only are pansies beautiful in all colors of the rainbow, but they are also edible. With a taste like lettuce that has a sweetness to it, they’re great with mixed greens in a salad or some people crystalize them as a baking decoration.

No matter what color you prefer or how you like to enjoy them now is the time to plant and enjoy these tough little signs of spring!

You just can’t help but smile and believe spring is just around the corner when you walk into the garden center this week.

The colors of all the pansies definitely brighten any day. Our front patio along with the greenhouse is alive with colors of spring.

With the pansies’ arrival and the spring-like weather, I decided it would be a great time to plant up our display pots. It was so nice to get my hands in the dirt again! While planting, many customers stopped by to chat about what I was doing. The number one comment by far was, “Isn’t it too early to be planting the pansies?” Of course, my answer was NO. Pansies are not only pretty, but they are also one tough little plant. Did you know that pansies like it chilly and can handle temperatures as low as 28 degrees? This is what makes them the perfect spring plant in Connecticut.

Whether planting in a cute spring pot, or in a border garden, the pansy is sure to put a smile on your face and brighten your day.

Like pansies, we all want to think and feel Spring!

Darlene Granese