Most people appreciate the pansy for providing some of the earliest color in our spring gardens. They can survive and thrive in soil temperatures as low as 45° and do best up to about 65° soil. Even frost won’t do them in. Once the soil and air warms, they struggle. Did you also know that the pansy does great in the fall season? As the season progresses and the weather and ground cools; our old pal “the pansy” keeps going and going. It provides some of the last color before winter takes over.

The pansy does so well in the fall, given enough time to get established; it can survive the winter and rebloom in the spring. At the very least, it will often reseed itself. The fall pansy will take longer to reflower the next year than newly planted ones, but the wait is well worth it. (A note: if growing from seed, it takes six to nine weeks for the pansy to be ready for transplanting.)

So don’t just plant the pansy in the spring. With so many varieties, be a fall pansy gardener this year.

P.S. – They are also edible!

Trivia Answer: She wanted to “limb”er up.