Pansy 'Cool Wave Raspberry Swirl'

Garden Ready Plants:
Garden Ready Plants can be planted straight into their final position. If you can't plant them immediately, keep them in a bright, sheltered spot and make sure they don't dry out.

Plant in fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. Water the plants before planting if the rootballs feel dry, position them at the same depth they were growing in their tray, gently firm the soil or compost around the roots and water thoroughly.

Pots and containers:
Choose a container with good drainage holes and fill with good-quality multipurpose compost. Gently firm the compost rather than packing it down tightly, and leave around 2–3cm below the rim to make watering easier.

Cool Wave pansies are vigorous, spreading plants, so give them plenty of room to develop. For a 25–30cm (10–12in) pot, use around 3 plants, spacing them evenly so they have room to spread and trail over the edges.

Hanging baskets:
Use around 3 Cool Wave plants in a 25–30cm (10–12in) hanging basket. Position them evenly around the basket and allow their naturally trailing growth to fill out and cascade over the sides.

Water thoroughly after planting and check pots and baskets regularly, particularly during mild, dry or windy weather. Keep the compost moist but not waterlogged.

Top tip:
Don't overcrowd Cool Wave pansies for instant impact. Their vigorous spreading habit means a few well-spaced plants will quickly fill a container, giving each plant the root space it needs to produce a fuller cascading display.

Raspberry Swirl works particularly well with upright autumn and spring plants, where its trailing growth can spill around and between them to soften the edges of containers.

Combine with primroses or bellis for contrasting flower shapes, or use taller wallflowers towards the centre or back of a larger container to add height above the cascading pansies.

Spring-flowering bulbs such as dwarf daffodils and tulips also make excellent partners. Plant the bulbs beneath your pansies in autumn and they'll emerge through the display in spring, adding height and another season of colour.

Top tip:
In a mixed container, place taller plants towards the centre or back and position Raspberry Swirl towards the edges. Its spreading stems will naturally grow outwards and tumble over the sides, creating a layered display.

Keep Cool Wave pansies well watered during dry spells, particularly those growing in hanging baskets, window boxes and containers, but avoid leaving the compost waterlogged.

As flowers fade, pinch or snip off the whole flower stem just above the leaves rather than removing only the petals. This removes the developing seed pod and helps encourage the plant to keep producing new flowers.

Flowering may slow or pause during particularly cold winter weather. This is normal – continue caring for the plants and they'll start producing fresh growth and flowers again as conditions improve.

Cool Wave is particularly vigorous, so plants growing in pots and hanging baskets will benefit from a liquid feed while actively growing. There's no need to feed during very cold weather when growth has slowed; start feeding again as growth picks up towards spring to encourage plenty of new flowers.

Top tip:
Check the centre of hanging baskets and containers when watering. The spreading foliage can become dense as the plants fill out, so make sure water is reaching the compost rather than simply running off the leaves.

Professional Grower Plugs:
Supplied in trays of 20 or 60, Professional Grower Plugs offer excellent value and are ideal for gardeners who enjoy growing plants on themselves. These young plants arrive ready to be potted into 9cm pots and grown on in a bright, sheltered position before being hardened off and planted into their final position.

Garden Ready Plants:
Supplied in trays of 12, Garden Ready Plants are our largest plug plants and a great choice if you want quicker results. Carefully grown on before dispatch, they're ready to plant straight into beds, borders, pots, window boxes or hanging baskets.