One factor that sets Wave® Pansies apart from the rest is their ability to be grown in a variety of different ways, and the large assortment of colors available ensures that you will always be able to find the perfect fit for them in your garden. These are full sun annuals that come up early in the spring, stay late into the fall, and are generally tolerant to any climate you put them in. Below are seven plants that we found work well with pansies, complimenting them with their form, growing habits, or conditions.
Fall Plants
Violas and pansies are both sun-loving, cold-tolerant plants that have similar care needs, which saves you the hassle of having to care for plants differently in your garden. Violas tend to be smaller and more compact, which can create an appealing visual contrast against Wave Pansies larger, more vigorous blooms. You can use violas in your sunny garden or container as a low growing filler to emphasize the height and bursts of color from your pansies. We thought that a combination of Viola Sorbet® XP Morpho and Cool Wave® Golden Yellow worked well together with the subtle golden tint from the viola pairing nicely with the bright yellow blooms.
Marigolds are a great natural defense against garden pests like aphids and nematodes, which are two pansy loving pests you can find in your garden. Marigolds emit a strong scent and secrete natural chemicals that can aid in pest prevention. Both marigolds and pansies are sun loving plants that will thrive together in your garden. When planting marigolds and pansies in your garden, you can experiment with layering plants by height. Plant your marigolds behind your Top Wave™ Purple Sunburst pansies and watch the visual depth that this combination creates.
Festuca is the perfect thriller plant for your pansy plantings, with their soft texture and vertical form contrasting against the more compact look of pansies. This combination will provide year-round interest, with the pansies coming up early spring while festuca brightens up your garden in the late winter months with its semi-evergreen foliage. The form of these two plants also gives striking visual interest. Festuca has sharp, clumping foliage that can be complemented with the softer pansy blooms to make your garden or container that much more engaging. Pairing Buddy Blue Festuca’s green-blue foliage with the darker Top Wave Blue Blotch creates a visually interesting combination for your plantings.
Spring Plants
Phlox is the perfect pick for a pansy companion flower if you’re looking for continuous blooms in your garden throughout the growing season. If you plant your pansies in the early spring, then fill in the holes of your garden with Phlox, you’ll have your pansies fill in the gaps before your phlox blooms. Phlox and pansies also come in nearly every color you could imagine, which allows you to express yourself in your garden with different combinations. We thought that the white ring of Top Wave Pink Shades paired harmoniously with Phlox 21st Century White, creating an elegant rosy carpet for your phlox to bloom above.
Lobelia is another great option if you’re looking for a plant that will tolerate the same growing conditions and soil moisture as pansies. These plants thrive in the cooler months of early spring and late fall, and need consistent moisture throughout the season, just like pansies! Lobelia could be used in combination with Cool Wave Pansies as the spiller in a container design, leaving the pansies as the star of the show. They also come in a variety of colors that can be paired with your pansies to create unique color combinations within your garden. We thought Cool Wave Raspberry looked particularly dashing next to Lobelia Riviera Lilac, imagine your garden drenched in this enticing wine-red color combo!
If you’re looking for a unique flower to pair with your pansies, look no further than the trumpet shaped blooms of Aquilegia! The delicate flowers and sharp foliage of Aquilegia contrasts nicely with the round blossoms of our Cool Wave Pansies, and the flowers will show up around the same time. Aquilegia will bloom in the early summer, and by then your pansies will be in full swing, ensuring continuous color in your garden. A combination of Aquilegia EarlyBird™ Red White and Cool Wave White gives an echoey feel between the harmony of the white petals as well as the golden centers on both flowers.
Alyssum is the perfect pair with pansies if you’re looking to plant in a container. The sea of small, fragrant flowers can act as a spiller in your design, allowing your Wave Pansies to take center stage. These flowers are primarily used in early spring designs since they prefer cooler temperatures, which means you can plant both your pansies and alyssum at the same time! Both flowers also offer beautiful fragrant interest which can stimulate the senses of your sun container viewers. Alyssum can be used to soften garden edges and will tumble gracefully over the sides of a container– what a versatile plant! We think that Top Wave Marina is the perfect pick to pop against the clusters of pearly flowers in Alyssum Clear Crystal White. Whether you’re planning your next container design or looking to create a sunny garden oasis in your backyard, we encourage you to use these plants to make the most of your Wave Pansies.