MONTY’S PLANT OF THE WEEK

WINTER-FLOWERING PANSIES

I’m a great fan of the gaiety of winterflowering pansies such as the ‘Universal’ series (pictured). Plant in a pot in peatfree compost – they grow and flower in almost any position but fare best in as much sun as winter can provide, and do not like to dry out or be waterlogged. The trick to keeping them flowering through winter is to dead-head the spent flowers. In spring, as the plants become leggy, cut back hard, then keep watered and fed in summer and they should be good for at least one more winter’s display.