Choose the Right Pansies

Pick the best color to accent your home.

Let's talk philosophy: Life is a kaleidoscope of pansies. However, you can't have them all. Actually, you can, but you shouldn't-at least not in the same pot or flowerbed.

So it boils down to choices. Here's how to narrow down the field to a few selections that complement your house. With so many beauties, you can pair up pansies in dozens of ways. Our suggestions and examples merely give you a starting point. Consider each combination, and then choose your own. While we've given you specific flower names, if you don't find our picks, similar shades are plentiful.

True Colors

To illustrate our pansy pairings, we took a trip to the paint store and found three popular exterior color combinations. Each example shows the house color in the middle with trim shades flanking it. A dominant paint in each mix provides a color lesson, with three pansy selections put together to form our flower palette. (All paints are available from Pittsburgh Paints.)

And remember this: Your choice is not set in stone. If you love it, write it down. If not, ditch it, and start over in spring. That's the fun of gardening. -ELLEN RUOFF RILEY

Opposites Attract

* Paint shades: (left to right) Stonehenge Greige, Patches, and Blue Blood

* Pansy colors: (left to right) 'Delta Pure Rose,' 'Imperial Antique Shades,' and 'Supreme Primrose'

* Color lesson: The Blue Blood paint presents a problem-it does not match any blue pansy selections. So we have to go with other hues to find a good flower pairing.

* Why it works: Yellow sits across from blue on the color wheel, and opposites play well together. Blue Blood's muted shade requires using some soft-hued flowers, so 'Supreme Primrose' is a gentle complement. 'Imperial Antique Shades' goes with the yellow, while 'Delta Pure Rose' adds depth.

Say It With Red

* Paint shades: (left to right) Phantom Mist, Dusty Trail, and Burning Bush

* Pansy colors: (left to right) 'Delta Pure Deep Orange,' 'Supreme Scarlet,' and 'Delta Pure Yellow'

* Color lesson: Vibrant hues need support. Here, the key paint color, Burning Bush, dominates the mix and requires vivid flower choices to balance its intensity.

* Why it works: Primary yellow plays well against the red paint. Orange is a combination of these hues, so it is a natural choice. Adding 'Supreme Scarlet' ties the pairing back to the rich trim color.

Sing the Blues

* Paint shades: (left to right) Green Tea Leaf, Cornmeal, and Castle Stone

* Pansy colors: (left to right) 'Supreme Primrose,' 'Supreme Clear Sky Blue,' 'Supreme True Blue,' and 'Skyline Copperfield'

* Color lesson: Pep up a ho-hum palette with blue.

* Why it works: 'Skyline Copperfield' and 'Supreme Primrose' support the house color but lack excitement. The blue pansies add depth and highlight the trim's green tones. We broke our rule about having just three selections and included two very similar blue shades to make the combination interesting without adding a fourth color.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Oct 2006
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