Spring Planting

Q. Next year I want to buy already started pansy and viola plants and put them in my garden. I live in South Carolina. Will they do better than my seeds this year?

A. Plant them as soon after the last frost in your area. Pansies perform best in cooler weather and like rich well-drained soil high in organic matter. Provide full sun or partial shade especially south of Zone 7 where the hot afternoon sun will shut down flower production. When planting gently compact soil around plants to eliminate most air pockets and then water thoroughly. Continue to water plentifully as needed to supplement rainfall until the ground freezes. They will flower more profusely and longer in the season if spent flowers are removed to prevent seed production. Where winters are mild fall-planted pansies will survive and rebloom in the spring. In very moderate climes they will bloom in the midwinter but grow more vigorously in the spring as temperatures rise. Apply mulch as soon as temperatures fall below freezing to protect the plants through colder winters.