Pansies are a cheerful addition to any garden. Like so many of the plants in my garden, they are both edible and beautiful. Pansies are a great way to liven up the winter garden, and they tend to flower well with chilly days, so long as they get adequate sunshine and water. They look great in pots, and are a nice detail to add colour to the vegetable patch. If you are using them as a filler, it is easy (and tempting) to buy them from a nursery, but they are also very easy to grow from seed. I grow mine in seed raising mix in the greenhouse in autumn- which is great, as there is a smaller range of plants that can grow in winter.

Pansies are technically perennials, and can last over a few seasons under the right conditions. However, they are generally grown as annuals. To extend the blooming period, pick flowers regularly or deadhead if you want to leave the flowers on the plant. Top up with a liquid fertiliser as they grow. If you grow them in pots, move them from a full sun position in winter, to a filtered shade position in spring/summer to extend flowering.