Elevate Your Pansy Planter This Spring With These Trailing Companions

Pansies are the quintessential spring flower. As the seasons transition from stark winter to vibrant spring, pansies are often one of the first signs of color. With vivid hues and distinctive faces, pansies add life and personality to any drab landscape, especially after winter. These hardy little flowers thrive in the unpredictable, challenging conditions of early spring. They handle cold temperatures and fluctuating weather, whereas many plants can't. While pansies look great on their own, the addition of spilling companion plants can add interest and texture. 

When designing planters, adding spillers, thrillers, and fillers gives your arrangements a three-dimensional look. The plants, often called spillers, have a cascading growth habit. They spill over the sides, softening the distinct contrast between the edges of planters and the little flowers they hold. Some of the best spillers to plant with pansies include creeping Jenny, sweet potato vine, ivy, and dichondra. Whether in hanging baskets, window planters, or pots, adding the flowing, trailing interest of spillers elevates the beauty of pansies. Fillers, as their name suggests, fill the space within the planter and complement the star of the show or thriller, the pansies.

In many regions, April marks the beginning of warming temperatures and the start of late spring. The danger of frost is no longer lurking, and plants begin to emerge, making it the perfect time to start planting pansies. Many plants can be grown at this time and are the perfect companions for pansies. 

While ivy is a classic choice, creeping Jenny, sweet potato vine, and dichondra are fast-growing and offer dense, lush foliage that doesn't distract from the pansies. Some of these companions, like creeping Jenny and ivy, offer visual interest and thrive in the lingering coolness, making them ideal partners for the hardiness of these flowers. Sweet potato vines come in various shades that harmonize with pansies, like dark red, purple, and yellow. Dichondra is a silvery-green delicate vining plant that adds elegance and drama to the already dramatic faces of pansies. It can also tolerate cooler temperatures in springtime, making it thrive alongside these flowers.

You can start your pansy planters in late March or early April, depending on the weather in your area. This is the best time because, in most areas, it's after the last frost date. For gardeners residing in regions where the frosty grip of winter overstays its welcome, you'll want to wait longer, potentially until the beginning of May. Erring on the side of caution gives your plants the best chance of survival in optimal growing conditions.

Pansies, considered cold hardy, can survive single-digit temperatures and come back to life. No matter what you decide to plant, choose cold-hardy companion varieties to plant alongside them, which can withstand below-freezing temperatures of 28 degrees Fahrenheit. By choosing cold-hardy varieties that can withstand frigid winters, you can ensure they survive in case of unforeseen weather where temperatures drop. Whether nestled in window boxes, tumbling from hanging pots, or flourishing in pots, choosing hardy spiller companions alongside mighty pansies can ensure your flowers continue to look great throughout spring.