Woman’s Weekly New Zealand – July 29, 2019

SOMETIMES, GOOD THINGS

COME IN SMALL PACKETS

Lee Ann Bramwell

GARDEN EDITOR

weeklyGARDEN

They say we change

as we age. Spendthrifts

grow frugal (not me!),

careful drivers become

(old) boy racers – and

gardeners who loved bright,

subtropical colours develop

a preference for pastels.

Going soft!

SWEET

nothings

I

still like vibrant oranges,

bright whites and vibrant

blues in the garden, but

something different has crept

in. The Partner scattered a heap

of pansy seeds around the year

before last and up came a host

of soft, warm-hearted flowers in

dusky pinks, creamy apricots and

icy blues. The packet described

the mix as “vintage” and I loved

it. They came back in great drifts

this year to hang out with us

during autumn and early winter.

Now, of course, I want more,

so I’m planning to grow some

in specific places, rather than

just flinging the seeds around.

Everything I’ve read about

pansies suggests growing them

in hanging baskets, but I am so

not a hanging basket sort of girl

and nothing would look more

ridiculous in our garden. But if

it’s your thing, plant the top and

sides of the basket to get the

appearance of a ball of colour.

Start pansy seeds inside eight

to 10 weeks before the last frost.

I’ve never figured out how to

predict when the last frost will

occur, and climate change has

made this even more of a

challenge, so an educated

guess will have to do.

Seeds started in late winter

should give you early spring

and summer flowering, or start

Above left: Every

home should have

one – a glass vase

of sweet peas on

the sideboard or

kitchen table.