Pansy

Growing in Pots, Balconies & Indoors

Pansies (Viola x wittrockiana) are compact, colourful cool-season bedding plants. The grower marks them as not houseplants, but their small size makes them ideal for pots, window boxes and hanging baskets, and they will flower on a bright, cool windowsill.

Quick Details

• Container Size: A small pot, window box or basket of about 1-3 L (0.2-0.8 gal); plant in generous groups
• Indoor Suitability: Not a lasting houseplant, but happy on a bright, cool sill or window box
• Best Spot: Full sun for the most flowers, or light (half) shade; they love cool weather
• Soil & Drainage: Free-draining potting mix kept evenly moist
• Watering in Pots: Water regularly; small containers dry out fast, especially in sun

Indoors & On the Windowsill

• Houseplant limits: The grower marks them as not houseplants; in warm, dim rooms they get leggy and stop flowering.
• Windowsill growing: A bright, cool sill keeps them compact and blooming – they perform best in the cooler parts of the year and dislike summer heat.
• Overwintering: Grown as cool-season plants, they flower through mild spells in sheltered pots and on cool sills.

On a Balcony or Patio

• Light & season: A sunny balcony is ideal in cool seasons; give afternoon shade in hot climates and keep the small pots well watered.
• Practicalities: Allow for the weight of a filled pot and for drainage runoff onto the balcony below – stand pots on feet or a tray you can empty.

Choosing the Pot, Soil & Long-Term Care

• Pot & drainage: A small 1-3 L pot, window box or basket with good drainage. Use strong drainage holes and skip a standing water saucer, which invites root rot; terracotta breathes and dries fast, while glazed or plastic pots hold moisture longer.
• Potting mix: A light, aerated mix – potting compost, or peat/coir with added perlite or vermiculite for drainage.
• Feeding: Feed lightly and regularly and deadhead often to keep the display going.
• Repotting: Usually replanted fresh each season; refresh the mix between plantings.

Bloom & Edible Flower Guide

Quick Details

• Bloom Season: Spring through autumn in cool climates; winter to early summer in warm ones
• Time to First Bloom: Fast – within a few weeks of transplanting
• Flower Appearance: Large flat “faces”, 3-8 cm, often a mix of two or more colours
• Edibility: The flowers are edible (the leaves too), used fresh in salads and as a garnish

Detailed Blooming Overview

The garden pansy is grown for its big, velvety flowers, which come in almost every colour – red, blue, yellow, black, purple, white, orange and burgundy – and are usually a blend of more than one shade, often with a dark central blotch. Both the flowers and the leaves are edible.

Flower Characteristics

• Large, flat flowers roughly 3-8 cm across.
• A wide colour range, most blooms mixing more than one colour.

Bloom Care & Thinning

• Thinning the bloom: As each flower starts to die, remove it with its stem to keep new buds coming.
• Pollination: Carried out by bees and butterflies.

Bloom Health & Protection

• Aphids and slugs: Aphids collect on buds and slugs nibble the flowers – since the blooms are eaten, prefer hand-removal, a water jet or insecticidal soap.
• Powdery mildew: Turns up in crowded, humid conditions – space plants for good airflow to limit it.