WonderFall™ Pansies in Hanging Baskets

WonderFall™ series

One of our new favorites for early spring is the WonderFall™ series from Syngenta. This high-performance trailing pansy exceeded our expectations last year, so we’re offering three unique varieties in hanging baskets to rev up the cool weather color this season. 

If we had to describe the WonderFall™ series in one word it would be vigorous. These plants spread up to three times more than traditional pansies and are simply blanketed with big, brilliant blooms. That means we get the same color coverage in a landscape bed with one-third the amount of plants—a great value.

Dianthus ‘Floral Lace Picotee’

We like big blooms, and Floral Lace has the largest of any chinensis x barbatus dianthus. Because this series is a cross of the two species we get an abundance of flowers that thrive in the cooler temps of early spring—a win win. After pansies, this is a reliable crop for early spring sales, plus it remains popular throughout the spring as well. 

For those who favor a neat, well-manicured look dianthus is a suitable choice—it stays put, with a nicely mounded habit. Now, if you think that means boring, think again, and take a look at these lacy, serrated edges—they breathe texture into a classic landscape design. We also like the way the bright green foliage makes the flowers pop.

These plants bloom without fail all through the spring and early summer, and are great for full sun situations, including rock gardens. 

We have the following varieties from the Floral Lace series available in the 1203 flat:

• ‘Picotee’—magenta flowers with lacy white edges
• ‘Purple’—dark purple flowers with white eyes and lighter purple edges
• ‘Rose’—vibrant rose-pink blooms
• ‘Hearts of Fire’—a mix of red, white, and picotee flowers
• Dianthus Merlot Mix—a mix of contrasting shades: pink, red, and white

Hedera  ‘Glacier’

Ivy is tough and durable, so we often use it as an evergreen groundcover or as a climbing vine to cover unsightly areas of the landscape. With a vigorous and fast growing nature it easily gets the job done. Here we have ‘Glacier’—an English ivy with pointed triangular leaves and silvery cream and green variegation. It adds an abundance of texture and an air of elegance as it performs its essential supporting role in the background.

You’ll often see this variety used as a houseplant but it’s surprisingly hardy, so we recommend ‘Glacier’ for foliage interest during the cool days and nights of early spring. Of course, we like ivy because it’s easy to grow: it tolerates a wide range of soils and performs well in part to full shade, which comes in handy. As a matter of fact, it can also be grown in full sun and is practically indestructible, so save a place for this valuable plant in the design tool box.

Pretty ‘Glacier’ keeps the design interest high through spring, summer, and fall, as other flowering plants come and go. It makes an effective backdrop for darker, brighter, and white varieties in the landscape and creates a gentle flow as it spills out of mixed containers. 

We grow this selection in the 4.5-inch pot.