Pansy 'Cool Wave Mix'

Professional Grower Plugs:
Pot your plugs on as soon as possible after arrival, ideally within 3 days. If you can't pot them on straight away, keep them moist in a bright, sheltered position.

Before potting, check that the compost is moist. If the plugs feel dry, stand the tray in shallow water for a short time to allow them to take up moisture from below.

Fill 9cm pots with good-quality multipurpose or potting compost. Make a planting hole with a pencil or narrow dibber, carefully ease each plug from its tray and plant at the same depth it was growing in the tray. Gently firm the compost around the plug to ensure good contact with the roots, but avoid pressing it down too firmly as this can reduce drainage and the air spaces roots need. Water thoroughly using a watering can fitted with a fine rose.

Grow the plants on in a bright, sheltered position such as a greenhouse or cold frame, keeping the compost moist but not waterlogged. Allow around 3–4 weeks for the plants to establish, although they may take longer in cooler conditions. Once they're putting on healthy new growth and have developed a good root system, they're ready to be hardened off.

Gradually acclimatise them to outdoor conditions over 7–10 days, initially placing them outside in a sheltered position during the day and bringing them back under cover at night. Once hardened off, plant into their final position in pots, hanging baskets, window boxes, beds or borders.

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 they need more room than compact bedding pansies. For a 25–30cm (10–12in) pot, use around 3 plants, spacing them evenly so they have plenty of 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.

Cool Wave Mix 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 Cool Wave pansies towards the edges. Their 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 Cool Wave fills 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.