Winter flowering pansies have the ability to flower in the cold depths of winter when other life is hibernating, they are extremely tolerant of the cold and wet, and withstand chill winds well.
The Winter pansy plant will also stay together without getting too leggy, but the flower will dominate even on the dreariest of winter days.
My pansies are 50-75mm across at the moment but what you will find, and this is the case with many plants bought from the garden centre, that bright, vibrant and full flowers will more than likely shrivel and drop off the minute that they are exposed to inhospitable conditions; remember, the plants will have been brought on in perfect conditions for selling. The flower is the seduction that enables the plants to sell.
It is also often the case that plants grown indoors to bring them on will not be able to support the larger blooms. If you plan to grow your own from seed then growing them early and putting them out a 2-4 weeks before potting them up will help make then flowers harder.
The new flowers that come out through the winter will usually be smaller but hard - although no less colourful).
Pansies are a bit like sunflowers and will track the sun through the day. Therefore, try and plant them where the sun is going to be (shady areas are not that brilliant but pansies will provide some colour).
I have a terracotta bowl with about five in by the front door which is facing South-West. Consequently, when I pop in and out during the day the flowers are looking straight at me and usually slightly up as well.
Winter pansies will do well in most soils but they do like plenty of sunshine. Bright colours are needed to liven up the dullest of days. I try to avoid deep dark colours en-mass.
Be prepared to dead head regularly too. Once the flowers go over they look dreadful - like wet paper tissue. But, the most important reason for removing finished blooms is perpetuity. New flowers will come on stronger when not competing with another flower that is stealing the plant energy as it tries to seed.
In the spring, when the weather warms up, pansies will start to grow upwards and then, if you do not intervene, they pansies will start growing long but in doing so, will send out a crescendo of brilliant flower. It is almost the last hurrah.
You are faced with pulling the pansy up and replacing it with summer bedding or you could clip the plant back to about 50mm from the ground, add a little fertiliser and wait. In about 3-5 weeks the pansies will be full again and starting to flower - although you may have had enough by now and look at an alternative.
It always pays to leave a couple go right on to seed. In late summer or the following spring, thousands of little seedlings will germinate and if you are careful, will grow into the autumn for the following years colour - best bit is, they colour will be free.
Pansies look great planted with Wall Flowers and dwarf Tulips.
Watch out for slugs.
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