Sweet Little Pansy Blooms Bright in NYC Gardens

Design and InstallationGarden Caregarden TriviaPlant Health Care
Written By Peter Morris

The Go To plant for Spring

One of the questions that I get multiple times is what is the best long lasting Spring Flower.  One that can cope with erratic spring weather and can handle the common fluctuations in temperature and still look good.

Soo many colors and varieties !

To be honest you really cant go past a beautiful pansy with its rainbows of color. From huge ruffled doubles to tiny little violas - the pansy really is an incredible performer.

A single color display is always breathtaking !

Their most outstanding characteristic

Aside from the myriad of colors available, and the fact they can last the entire spring until it gets hot - the most important reason to use them (especially in early spring) is their cold tolerance.

Tiny sweet violas

Pansies can handle cold that goes below freezing - even down as low as 26 degrees.  They may look a little sad and their leaves may turn greyish but that is just them going into defense mode.  A few days of warm temperature and a little water will often have them bouncing right back!

Hint

Pansies don't like to dry out so avoid letting them go for too long without water. Its also worth knowing to not fertilize them late in the season - a nice slow release fertilizer early on in the season is the way to go.

Johnny jump up - still one of my favorites !

For the best early spring display in New York City

Call Plant Specialists TODAY !

Don't delay – the sooner the better !

GREENING NEW YORK FOR OVER 52 YEARS !

Article written by our Staff Horticulturist, Peter B Morris, BSc, MSc, MBA

All photographs used with permission from our own customers gardens and @SHUTTERSTOCK

Peter Morris

Peter was born and raised on a beautiful green island in the midst of a tropical rainforest. He was introduced into the world of plants at the age of six when his grandmother, an avid Spanish gardener herself, asked him to help her grow seeds for her pepper garden. He was hooked! By the time he was a teen, he had his own rose and orchid collection numbering in the hundreds. Botany was in his blood, and that is what he set out to study.

His passion brought him to NY in the late seventies to further his education. His tenacity allowed him to work full time at Plant Specialists while he completed a MS in Plant Biology. As a manager at the time he felt unsatisfied with his knowledge of business and business processes. Peter felt compelled to learn, so he then pursued and completed an MBA in Quality Management within a few short years.

Peter’s other passion is teaching. His natural ability is quickly consumed by our staff in all subjects in Botany, Horticulture, and Landscaping. He created an immense reference library of more than 3,500 plants providing an invaluable resource for our staff.

Peter’s breadth of knowledge and wisdom allows him to effectively diagnose the needs of plants. Sometimes just by walking into a garden he can create a prescription that fixes even the hardest issue. He is our Staff Botanist, Diagnostician, and all around Mentor. Recently, he has put his immense knowledge and skills into developing a new department that focuses on Plant Healthcare. As he puts it, “Magic through Science”. The PHC staff that surround him have avidly consumed his teachings. Substantially developing their own plant wisdom, many have taken on difficult plant health issues with spectacular results.

Plant Healthcare has been an instant success with customers! The proper treatment of insects and diseases including Organic methods has made pest control a necessity for every plant. Correcting hormonal imbalances caused by planting in containers or refurbishing soils leached of nutrients by irrigation systems are big challenges PHC has become quite comfortable addressing. The scientific approach to the complex demands of keeping plants healthy in our harsh city environment has made many a customer say WOW!

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