October in the Northwest brings grey skies, drizzly rain and shorter and shorter days but that doesn't mean you have to give up on having flowers blooming in your containers. Winter Pansies and annual Viola's come in dozens of colors that are sure to delight and compliment every garden. Pictured here is Delta Red Winter Pansy with a charming Ivy, and Heuchera "Peach Melba". I add the white Pansy to contrast and bring out the other colors in the combination.
Winter Pansies are inexpensive and will flower consistently up until the time you pull them out in May and replace with a spring/summer combo. To keep pansies happy plant them where they will get atleast 6 hours of sunlight, water consistently, and pinch off spent flowers. Slugs and snails do really love the taste of pansies so be sure to regularly sprinkle a bit of slug bait near them or you will find that your flowers have been eaten! I use Sluggo slug bait which is labeled as not being harmful to children or pets.
When you go shopping for winter pansies at your favorite local nursery you will also find other winter hardy plants to add to your containers. A simple combination would include 2 to 3 colors of Winter Pansy and/or Viola with an Ivy or Vinca to grow over the edge and an evergreen plant such Heuchera, Hebe, Heath, Carex or Euonymus. If you prefer edibles you can make a great combo with Rosemary, Thyme, Sage and Viola's for color. Another simple rule to follow when creating a container planting is to plant in odd numbers. In the above photo I have 3 red pansy, 3 white pansy, 1 Ivy, and 3 Heuchera. Nurseries still have plenty of plant material to choose from so don't leave those containers bare this year.
