March Means Pansies . . .

I love the changing of the seasons -- from summer to fall to winter to spring.    Each has it's own uniqueness and I often think that Fall is my favorite season -- the coolness after sometimes a too hot summer is always so refreshing.    Perhaps, too, because of when we were school age, Fall was really the beginning of the year in our eyes.

But then there is spring -- the brown that is mostly winter on the prairie goes away as grass and trees green up.    Temperatures too are milder and we can go without heavy coats and mittens and boots.    Windows can be opened to bring fresh air inside.

And then there are the flowers . . .

The Pansies . . .

Winter finds the planters by the back door and the front entry filled with Christmas greens.    But after three months, the greens are tired and dried out and look as though they are as ready for spring as we are!

And then one day there are pansies in the garden center . . . and home with me comes three flats!

Two of them go into the planters by the back door.     It's a snazzy entrance, really, considering that it really leads down to the basement.     In bygone days, it was the "service" entrance and all deliveries would have been at this door.

The planters have been there "forever" and fit the space well.  

I love these rectangular planters that are a bit chippy.     Year after year, they mark the seasons from spring's pansies to summer's begonias to fall's mums to Christmas greens.

And then there are the planters in the front.

One on each side of the entrance stairs.

Iron planters that are a bit chippy as well.    Husband Jim wants to repaint them -- I like the shabbiness of them.    As though they've been at Linderhof "forever" when, in fact, we've not had them all that long!

The one nearest the street . . .  and

The one closest to the house.

Because the pansies are not a long term planting . .

We tend to plant them tightly -- so that they'll give us a good show while they last.

I've not "always" planted only purple or yellow or white pansies preferring, really to do a nice mix of whatever colors are available in the garden center.

But this year, I decided to buy all three flats alike.    Whitish faces with a purple center and purple outer leaves.

Just looking at them make me smile!

And I had a few left . . .

So I stuck them in the garden trough.     The "orb" in the middle is hyper tufa that I made!

These pansies join the ones I planted in the fall

In the big planter in the back garden and . . .

In a favorite concrete planter in the back garden.     

These pansies have bloomed almost all winter long for the winter has been so mild.     We have really enjoyed them this winter and many of the blossoms have decorated cakes and cupcakes and cookies . . . and salads when we've had company!

It's Sunday and I'm joining The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.     It's not really spring yet, but we, at Linderhof, thinks it is!