Cool Wave Trailing Pansy

Pansies are the most recognizable cool weather bedding plant and I really like the new Cool Waves today on Southern Gardening.

Over the last couple of years I’ve really liked the Cool Wave series of trailing pansies. If the Wave in the name sounds familiar, it is. Cool Wave pansies were bred by the same folks that have brought the popular Wave petunias to many of our Mississippi gardens. These plants have a unique spreading and trailing growth habit that make for must haves in your garden. Cool Wave trailing pansies are much more vigorous than the standard pansy varieties. The plants are well branched and will really fill a landscape bed or hanging basket with good color all the way to next spring. The Cool Wave trailing pansies have great cold tolerance and these plants are hardy through USDA Zone 5 and are well adapted to our Mississippi growing zones. During really cold weather these plants will seem like they have frozen solid. But when the temperatures moderate and warm up a bit the plants will have only minor damage. Though any flowering during these temperatures will be goners with warming temperatures the flowering will return very quickly. Cool Wave trailing pansies need to be grown in at least six hours each day in full sun for the best flowering and growth. Many gardeners don’t realize that all pansies are heavy feeders. Applying a water soluble fertilizer every couple of weeks will maintain good plant growth. The Cool Wave trailing pansies are a fantastic plant that will look great in your landscape. I’m horticulturist Gary Bachman for Southern Gardening.