Annuals - Violas
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  (October) I have a couple of questions regarding pansies and violas. Will either of these live in hanging baskets? I always put them in beds and pots. I have never planted violas and was quite interested in them, but sometimes you have to take what you can find. My house is a dark reddish brick and some colors don't look good with the brick. I don't know how to combine colors to make them look good. I normally use a solid color (usually yellow) for a better showing but sometimes have to plant the mixed colors. I would appreciate any information you can give me. Also, my beds are quite large so I have to plant a lot. Usually in the fall I plant as many as 500 pansies in all my beds. Is there something I can plant in the beds so I won't have to use so many plants? I was thinking of lantana and fill in with the pansies or violas. I know they die back in the fall but then I could fill in with other annuals for spring and summer.

  While you can grow pansies and violas in containers, even hanging baskets, the size of the container will determine success. Small, shallow containers will often dry out very quickly -- even in the cooler months, and will also get a lot colder. This may shorten the life of the plants. Large hanging baskets should not be an issue, as long as you water. When planting winter color, there are other options. While violas and pansies are outstanding, consider dianthus, snapdragons, flowering kale and cabbage, Giant Red mustard and Bright Lights Swiss chard. Parsley and cilantro also make good winter fill. When it comes to adding color, think about grouping blocks of color for the most impact, and possibly using other shrubs, groundcovers and perennials in the bed for permanent fill. Large, entire beds of annual color are time consuming and quite a chore every spring and fall. I consider annuals the icing on the cake, giving spark to the landscape. Choose your color beds wisely to get the most impact. Lighter colors do stand out better and last longer in the day. Today, many annuals are sold in solid colors or in contrasting color combinations. Rarely will you see a flat of every color in the rainbow, which while showy, doesn't make as much of a color statement. One or two contrasting colors are usually best.

  I bought some viola seeds to grow for spring flowers. When is the proper time to start the seeds, and when should I plant them outside?

  You have actually waited too long. Viola’s are basically a miniature pansy, and are best planted outside in the fall, along with the larger flowering pansies. They survive the winter as well, if not better, than pansies, and will continue to bloom until hot weather sets in. The time to start the seed is in late August or early September. It is hard to start them outside then, since the temperatures are still so warm, but you can do it indoors. Rig up an artificial light source within six inches of the soil. Leave it on 10-12 hours per day until the plants are large enough to move outdoors. Buy some plants now at a local nursery and save your seeds for next year.

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