To some of us, the pansy/viola is a happy, smiling face reminding us of a gardener friend from long ago. The first sign of that special flower brings a smile to our face and warmth to our heart. After all, this flower is known as the "pixie" of the plant world. How perfect is that to have in your winter/spring gardens!

Botanically speaking, members of the genus Viola, which includes the pansy, viola and violets, are perennials. We just happen to treat them as annuals. The varieties that we grow are happiest in cool weather. Planting them now ensures wonderful color in your spring gardens.

There are many different cultivars of pansies and violas offering a wide range of colors and flower sizes: colors from white, yellow, apricot, violet, blue-purples, dusty rose and combinations of all of these colors! The flower sizes range from 1-4 inches.

Pansies are best in sun to light shade. If you plant them in deep shade, they will grow, but not reward you with as many flowers. Plant them toward the front of your flower beds, along with your shrubs and other flowering bedding plants. You may not want to put them too close to the edge if your planter is next to your grass--scary weed whackers may chop off their heads! These plants love to trail and would also be beautiful in raised beds, planters and window boxes.

Here are a few planting and care tips:

Amend the soil before planting to provide good drainage around the roots. Use a good potting soil--not garden soil--if you have them in planters.

Space them about 6" apart.

Water deeply, but be careful to not overwater. Don't leave them in soggy soil.

Mulching around the pansies with 2 inches of organic material will help conserve moisture, and reduce weed growth.

Pansies are mostly free of diseases and pests, but if you've had a problem in an area of your garden with pansies, switch and grow them in another area for a year or so.

And here is your number one rule: start your morning with a stroll into your garden to start your day with smiling faces. Oh sure, you can take your cup of coffee or tea along with you, too.

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Many homeowners revel in the glory of their garden in spring, only to be disappointed when plants start to dry out and look stressed in the heat of summer. The natural reaction is to pour more water into the garden to "moisturize" the plants. This in turn can lead to root rot and/or the continuous lowering of soil temperature to the point that plants aren't stimulated to grow--or just plain die (overwatering is one of the main causes of plant death). But these problems can be greatly reduced or, in many cases, prevented by summer mulching.

The goal of summer mulching is not only to reduce summer heat stress on plants, but to create an environment for plants that will be conducive to good growth. Mulch is to a garden what a roof is to your home. We couldn't heat or air condition the home without the roof. The same seasonal temperature variance occurs in your garden. A 2" layer of mulch not only retains moisture in the soil but it maintains a cooler temperature in the summer and a warmer temperature in the winter.

Mulching also brings many other benefits to the garden. It gives the garden a tidier appearance and greatly improves the growing conditions for plants. Mulch helps suppress weeds and helps to conserve moisture. It creates an environment where earthworms can thrive and enhance the soil's condition. Nature provides this for us in natural settings; when we apply mulch to our garden, we mimic what is naturally done on the forest floor.

The strategy is to stimulate the growth of good soil bacteria, which in turn digest plant foods that the plant will recognize as nutrients and absorb. By keeping moisture in the soil you will attract earthworms and beneficial microbes and bacteria. The earthworms loosen up the soil, easing compaction, while the beneficial microbes help digest nutrients more efficiently, making them more readily available to the plants. Maintaining "moist" soil as opposed to "wet" soil keeps the temperature of the soil at a more consistent level for optimum growth. Mulch also provides a blanket to the soil that protects against soil crusting, as it decomposes and adds humus to the soil.

We recommend spreading a 2" inch layer of mulch or bark over the top of the native soil. There are many mulching materials available. Color, particle size, and nutrient exchange are considerations when choosing your material. Non-organic decorative mulches such as rock or gravel may be an attractive addition in gardens but give nothing back to the soil. Note: make sure not to place mulch right up against plant stems or tree trunks.

When mulching is incorporated with a good organic fertilizing program, the plants in your garden will not only survive the stress of summer and winter, but will thrive in it. Mulch will also give your garden a more "finished" look, adding to its overall beauty.

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Do you have a large garden with too much open space? Tired of mowing all that lawn? Perhaps you want to add some personality to your garden? If so, a garden island might be just the solution your garden needs.

Designed and planted correctly, garden islands (whether mounded or not) can add a focal point that can be seen from all parts of the yard. The key is to use plants that will be in correct proportion to the overall size of the island. The other design aspect to keep in mind is that the entire island needs to flow away from the center (high to low) in all directions.

To mound or not to mound? Creating a mound will add contour and visual dimension to your garden but it also can create potential watering challenges to your garden. Plants on the top of the mound tend to dry out faster while plants along the bottom can become over-saturated from water draining off the top. If you go the mound route, a drip irrigation system is recommended.

Start by selecting a centerpiece that will be the focal point of your garden island. If you are working with a large area in a large garden this should be a small tree that is either contorted branching, multi-stemmed or fountainous branching in nature. A good choice for contortion would be a copper or tri-colored beech tree, or a blue Atlantic cedar. For multi-stemmed consider a crape myrtle, a flowering magnolia or an upright Japanese maple. If a fountainous centerpiece appeals to you, consider a weeping cherry, crabapple, beech, or a wisteria tree.

If you have a smaller mound or island area consider a smaller focal centerpiece such as a butterfly bush, breath of heaven, flax, dwarf Japanese maple, dwarf crape myrtle, lion's tail, fringe flower or a tall grass such as feather grass, fountain grass or maiden grass. On a larger island these same (second tier) plants will add structure and definition, flowing away from the centerpiece.

Now you need to add low-growing mounding "filler" plants that will add not only more contour but also color to the island. The key is to select plants that stay below 2 feet in height so they allow the taller plants to stand out. Leave some space between plants so your island doesn't become too crowded. Consider boronia, breath of heaven, dwarf cotoneaster, dwarf escallonia, dwarf heavenly bamboo, potentilla, rhaphiolepis, spirea, dwarf weigela or yaupon holly.

Finally, consider a few low perennials with spiking flowers for that extra splash of seasonal color. Good choices include agapanthus, daylily, heuchera, penstemon, salvia and veronica. Fill in any other open areas with tough ground cover perennials such as creeping phlox or thyme.

As you lay out your plants just keep in mind the need for balance on all sides of your island.

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If you have ever eaten a savory lamb chop, a rosemary-enhanced spaghetti sauce, or grilled seafood on skewers made of the leaf-stripped stems of the rosemary plant, you already understand why rosemary was named the "Herb of the Year" in 2000, and why nearly every kitchen, no matter how sophisticated or how simplistic, has a bottle of rosemary leaves as part of its arsenal.

It is one of the easiest plants to grow, in just about any USDA zone. In the colder regions it should be brought indoors to winter, given strong southern light, well-draining alkaline soil, and not too much water. If grown outdoors, this amazing herb may be planted in a raised bed, or in containers and pots which will make a move inside easier.

If you live in the south, rosemary is a perennial that will provide you with fresh taste year-round. And in these economic times, growing your own herbs will not only be a positive impact on your purse, it will also enliven tired recipes, and help you develop your young ones' palates.

But it is perhaps the history of this herb that makes it a subject of much literature and lore. The ancients were quite familiar with this shrub. Greek scholars wore garlands of rosemary during examinations in order to improve their memories and rejuvenate their spirits.

It was touted by Pliny the Elder (who gave the herb the name rosmarinus, meaning "sea dew") as a cure for bad eyesight, jaundice and miscellaneous wounds. Rosemary was substituted for the more costly incense, and called by its French name, incensier. The Spaniards had a legend that the bush sheltered the Virgin Mary in the holy family's flight into Egypt. She draped her cloak over a rosemary bush, turning the color of the blossoms from white to blue; they called it romero (the Pilgrim's Flower).

It was a common sight for rosemary to be burned in sick chambers (perhaps the strong odor was thought enough to evict the foul fevers), and in contemporary French hospitals it is still burnt in conjunction with juniper berries to purify the air and prevent infection.

Romance surrounds the myth of the rosemary. In the 14th century, Queen Elizabeth of Hungary had a potion made of rosemary and lavender to inflame the passions of the King of Poland, who requested her hand in marriage. She was 72 years of age; he was 26. This miraculous potion became known as Budapest water, and was the modern-day equivalent of a beauty product for women for hundreds of years.

"There is rosemary, that's for remembrance, pray, love, remember." Thus spake Shakespeare's Ophelia. Along with remembrance, rosemary symbolizes loyalty and thus has been long associated with weddings.

So we invoke the power of rosemary in the hope of healing gout, the plague, colds, headaches, dyspepsia, or as a stimulant for memory. We use it in topiaries, potpourri, or bath salts...what more can you ask for in one plant?

Click here for a wonderful rosemary cookie recipe!

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Can rain water "overwater" your plants?

Answer:
It can if you have bad drainage or have plants close to a downspout. Most neighborhood properties are designed to allow water to drain away from the home, and if you have any type of slope at all your plants should be okay, barring a 30 day torrent of water. However, plants next to downspouts can suffer, so it is wise to add a downspout extension to steer water away from prized plants in areas where water might collect.

If you still face a bad drainage situation, consider re-landscaping that area with bog-loving plants.

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