Why We Plant Pansies in the Fall . . .

I love my pansies.    Whenever we first find them in late winter or early spring, I bring home at least two flats.   Tired of sad looking winter greens, the pansies are a bright spot of color that smiles as you, too!

But I also plant pansies in the fall -- not nearly as many -- not even a flat.    Some years we can't find the fall pansies but I'm always elated when we do!

The back window box gets planted with pansies and if there are any left over, a pot or two in the back garden.

My love of winter pansies came quite by accident.   Many many years ago, we were having a fall party and I had an old wheelbarrow (which is now the Fairy Garden) and I wanted to plant mums in the wheelbarrow so that pretty flowers would greet guests as they came to the party.     It was a mission for Husband Jim -- getting the plants as I was busy in the kitchen.

And he came home with a flat of pansies!     Not what I wanted at all.   I sighed and planted them -- grumbling I am sure about husbands not paying attention and how simple it was to get the one little thing that I asked for.

We had a mild winter and those pansies were a joy not only all winter long but far into the spring as well.   They bloomed their little hearts out until it got too hot for them.    

I did "eat crow" and apologized  to Husband Jim for he did make the right choice after all.

From that year on, fall pansies are planted at Linderhof!

This year, the winter has been mild -- many many days of temperatures in the 60's!    The pansies . . .

How can you not like a flower that smiles at you?

Have been blooming their hearts out.    It is always so nice to see them in the morning when I walk into the breakfast room.

They look like pure velvet.

We like a mix of colors especially in the fall.  

This pot is just made for pansies -- the summer annuals never look as good as the pansies in fall and winter!

And we did have enough left over for one of the planters.    This planter looks especially good with pansies in it!

This spring, I am sure, that perhaps I won't need two flats of pansies -- for the window box and the one planter should be ready for spring!

These happy little blooms in winter are the reason that I plant pansies in the fall.    It's a gamble -- a harsh cold winter and I get very little bloom in the fall before they're frozen out but a mild winter makes planting pansies the right choice!

And besides pansies in the garden, we love to use them in our food -- sprinkled on salads and decorating

Fresh pansies decorate a cake beautifully!

cakes and cupcakes.    Like the spring bulbs, pansies remind us that real spring shall be coming sooner rather than later!

It was a rather rainy drippy night, tonight.    But we need the moisture and we haven't heard the "S" word and perhaps this winter will be the snowless one!

I found a package of sirloin tips at the market on Sunday and put them in a marinate overnight.   It's from dear Friend Carolyn (Of A Southern's Notebook Fame) and she uses it mainly on London Broil (as do I) but I thought that the tips would be spectacular in the marinade.    I was right.     Carolyn gave me the recipe a long time ago -- with the understanding that I would tell no one.    And I didn't.    But then she's posted about it HERE so I'm silenced no more!

A big plate of the marinated sirloin tips with peppers and onions.    Leftovers shall be served at room temperature as a topping for a salad of baby greens topped with a shower of Bleu cheese.

It's Wednesday and I'm sharing my pansies with Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday.