ColorMax Violas are versatile outdoor performers.
Color blocking with clear colors
Consumers are asking for more clear-colored pansies and violas thanks to a reemerging landscape trend called color blocking. Gardeners create impact by grouping plants in stripes, blocks or rows according to color. This technique works well for flowerbeds viewed at a distance.
Greg Gabrels, sales manager for Sakata, recommends retailers use the color-blocking effect in their stores to attract customers’ attention by grouping similar-colored flats, hanging baskets and pots together.
Creative containers: unique colors & combinations
For containers or close-up landscaping around patios, walkways and entrances, blotched varieties are in demand because they add interest and diversity.
In the fall, gardeners are planting pansies among spring-blooming bulbs. When the pansies return in the spring, they provide color and texture while the bulbs are filling in. Another great use for pansies in the spring is in mixed summer containers where they provide a burst of early color while other plants are emerging. For fall containers, orange- and jewel-toned pansies stand out when combined with textural plants like specialty grasses and ornamental kale.
Violas on the rise — versatile outdoor performers
Gardeners who have tried violas and recognized their merits in terms of outdoor performance, color impact and early flowering are asking for more. Trailing viola varieties look beautiful tumbling over the edges of window boxes, spilling out of baskets and containers, or tucked into the crevices of rock walls. Upright violas, planted in simple containers and lined up on a wall, porch railing or stairway add a fun design element to the outdoor landscape.
Favorites in fashion, food, & home décor
Consumers are also enjoying pansies and violas outside of the garden. The leaves and flowers of pansies and violas are edible and high in Vitamin A and C, which makes them increasingly popular in the kitchen. At weddings, they adorn cakes or add a touch of elegance to a bride’s bouquet. On the fashion side, dresses, pants, scarves and bags with pansy and viola-themed prints are popular items. Did you know pansy and viola flowers can even be used to create yellow, green and blue-green dyes? Now that’s versatile!