I plant gorgeous dark purple pansies in the fall around the edges of one of my rose beds. They almost always survive our Zone 6 (Kansas) winters and begin blooming vigorously and early in the spring. Since the local bunny rabbit nibbles it during the winter (or maybe it is early spring), the pansies are quite thick and low to the ground when they do bloom.

Now that it is warming up considerably, they are beginning to get leggy and need more water. Sometime in June they will get too hot and wilt away, at which point I replace them with hot summer annuals like moss roses.

Here's my problem: My garden will be one of the featured ones on the June 14 city-wide garden tour, and I'd love to still be able to feature those dark purple pansies, but even if they are still blooming, they will probably be very leggy and messy looking by then. Our hot weather usually comes about the 2nd or 3rd week in June.

I was wondering if I might take a lesson from the bunnies that prune my pansies during the winter. What if I drastically cut back the pansies right now (about a month before the garden tour) and watered/fed them carefully. Do you think they might be blooming on nice full plants--lots of blooms without the legginess--by June 14?

If this plan would work, I'm more than willing to sacrifice the blooms right now. Any advice on the best way to feed them for June 14 bloom? I have balanced chemical fertilizer, continuous feed fertilizer, RoseTone, plus some others. Maybe ring them with a lot of composted manure?

Appreciate any advice you can give.

Kate

Every year they come out with more heat tolerant pansies and violas - in the same old colors so you wouldn't always notice the difference. So maybe your current crop is one of the better varieties and will stay in good shape for you. You should be able to see the buds forming a week or so in advance. If you don't see buds and the leaves are starting to turn yellow, run out and buy the moss roses.

I have seen pansies and violas do amazing things. They don't always follow the rules!

Good luck.

Wouldn't you know it--weather has been rainy and cooler for the past week. But may head up to 90 in a couple more days, so .... we'll see. LOL

Kate