Plant Guide

Other Names:  Winter Pansy, Violet

Group/Class:  Grandio Series

Brand:  Sakata

Description:

A beautiful series producing early spring flowering and uniform plants perfect for baskets, containers and landscape applications; extra large flowers in bright and bold colors are sure to draw attention; easy to grow, requiring minimal maintenance

Ornamental Features

Grandio Deep Blue Pansy has masses of beautiful indigo flowers with a deep purple blotch at the ends of the stems from early spring to late fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. Its serrated round leaves remain dark green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Grandio Deep Blue Pansy is an herbaceous annual with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep. Trim off the flower heads after they fade and die to encourage more blooms late into the season. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Self-Seeding

Grandio Deep Blue Pansy is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting
• Hanging Baskets

Planting & Growing

Grandio Deep Blue Pansy will grow to be about 7 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 4 inches apart. It grows at a fast rate, and tends to be biennial, meaning that it puts on vegetative growth the first year, flowers the second, and then dies. However, this variety tends to self-seed and will thereby endure for years in the garden if allowed, although because it is a hybrid, the seedlings may not come true to type.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Consider covering it with a thick layer of mulch in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Grandio Deep Blue Pansy is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.