Landscaping Tips:

Brighten the fall landscape with pansies and dianthus

By Karen Panter and Scott Hininger

UW Cooperative Extension Service

            How about planting some fall annuals such as pansies or dianthus? 

            Fall pansies, in particular, are getting to be popular in many areas of the country. Why not here in Wyoming and surrounding areas? They are tough and, provided they get some water during the winter months, may bloom through next year. 

            The time to plant them is before frost begins so the plants have time for their root systems to get established. During the winter, pansies will often have flowers on them under the snow.        Varieties with good frost tolerance are "Atlas Blue Splash," "Atlas White," "Delta Pink Shades," "Delta Pure Primrose," "Delta Pure Yellow," "Happy Face Rose," and "Happy Face Yellow." This is hardly an all-inclusive list so check with your local nursery or University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service office for more varieties.

            Another option for fall planting is dianthus, which does remarkably well here during the growing season, mostly because of our cool nights.  Dianthus loves sunny, cool and moist conditions. It can over winter so keep the soil moist.

            Dianthus is a remarkably resilient species.  Particular varieties to look for include the "Floral Lace" series, "Telstar Mix," and "Ideal Mix." Again, this is not an all-inclusive list.

            Many advances have taken place with plant breeding of annuals in the past few years. Cold and drought tolerance are two traits getting lots of attention, and late summer planting of cold-tolerant annuals is on the rise.

           

            Karen Panter is a horticulture specialist for the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service, and Scott Hininger is an area extension educator for the UW CES in Johnson and Sheridan counties.

###

Return to main list