
The Four Ps of Spring




There are four annuals with pretty petals and names starting with the letter ‘P’, we often refer to them simply as ‘The Four Ps’. These are poppies, petunias, pansies and primroses or primulas. They can all be purchased in punnets and planted for gorgeous late winter and early spring colour. Spending time planting them out in June and July will keep you busy for a few hours but will give you great joy a few weeks later.
Poppies
The first of the four ps is poppies. They feature solitary, bowl-shaped flowers made up of silky petals will gently dance on thin, hairy stems above deeply lobed, fuzzy grey-green leaves. No cold spell or miserable weather will spoil their dazzling beauty, and the more blooms you pick, the more you will encourage to appear again.
Although the Iceland poppy (Papaver nudicaule) is classified as a perennial veld flower, they are usually grown as winter and spring annuals, perfect to supply bright colour between dormant rose bushes, amongst spring-flowering bulbs, as border plants or as part of a cut-flower garden.
Poppy Planting notes
- Pick the sunniest spot possible.
- Provide well-draining soil enriched with compost.
- Buy young seedlings not showing any colour yet and take great care when releasing them from the seedling trays and transplanting them as they have very delicate root systems.
- Keep the soil moist but do not overwater them. It is best to water at soil level, preventing water from landing on leaves and flowers.
- Feed the plants constantly while in flower to prolong the season.
- Deadhead spent blooms regularly to encourage more.
- Pick blooms for the vase as soon as you see a blush of colour, and preferably early in the morning. Leave them in a bucket of deep water in a cool place for a few hours before arranging them.
Poppies to look out for
A good range to try is ‘Champagne Bubbles’, with strong stems and bushy plants. Individual colours include ‘Orange’, ‘Pink Shades’, ‘Scarlet’, ‘White’, ‘Yellow’, ‘Citrus Mix’ (with white and yellow flowers) or ‘Mix’.
Petunias
Petunias, the next of the four ps, don’t have a specific season and can actually be planted all year round. But it is in the cold and dry late winter months, when we are so desperate for cheerful colour, that their happy, flowering faces bring comfort and are unblemished by heavy spells of summer rain or extreme heat.
Folks in the winter-rainfall areas will have to wait a while before sending their petunias to ground as heavy rain will damage the blooms, but everywhere else it is top season to fill garden beds, pots, hanging baskets and window boxes with them.
How to care for petunias
- As petunias are long-flowering annuals, give them a good start in the garden with well-composted soil enriched with bonemeal for good root development.
- Plant them where they will get at least five hours of sunlight per day.
- Protect young seedlings against snails and slugs and use frost cover over them if frost is expected.
- Water regularly at first, but only once a week when you see active growth – petunias do not like water-logged soil at all. Water at soil level and not overhead.
- Remove yellowing leaves at the base of the plant to prevent disease.
- Deadhead spent flowers often to encourage more.
- Feed monthly with a liquid fertiliser.
Petunias to look out for
The petunia world is never static. Here are some new releases to look forward to:
‘Limbo GP Series’ – Within this improved series you will recognise all your old favourites: the veined flowers, two-tone picotees, gaudy colours and pastel shades, but with the added advantage of greater performance. The range has inbred growth-controlled genes to turn them naturally into non-stretching compact plants perfect for garden beds, with a fast recovery from weather damage. The flowers are many and huge (10 – 13cm)! Height: 13 – 20cm. Spread: 20 – 30 cm. New to this range is ‘Limbo Blue Picotee’ – the flower faces are dark purple edged with white.
‘Amore Queen of Hearts’ and ‘Fiesta’ stole our hearts last year with flowers decorated with bold, contrasting stripes forming five perfect heart shapes on each bloom. Added to this range of eye-catching petunias for hanging baskets and patio pots is ‘Amore Heart and Soul’, with two-tone golden-yellow and maroon flowers. Height: 25 – 30cm. Spread: 40 – 45cm.
‘Hippy Chick Violet’ produces uniquely shaped wavy blooms in vivid violet blue, rimmed by pristine white. Size: 30cm x 30cm with a relaxed, semi-trailing habit.
‘Splash Dance’ shouts it out with large purple flowers with multi-coloured specks. Mounding habit and a compact size of about 30cm x 30cm.
‘Shock Wave Purple Tie Die’, with a height of 30cm and a spread of up to 1m, will seduce you with its deep purple and white colour patterns. A perfect choice for pots and hanging baskets.




Pansies
Next on our list of the four ps is pansies. Could any other flower on earth have a stronger hold on the fascination of creative breeders than the pansy? Pansies symbolise ‘loving feelings’, which is definitely what all gardeners feel when this well-known cool-weather favourite, with its heart-shaped overlapping petals, becomes available for us to plant. The colour combinations and patterns available in many cultivated ranges are simply outstanding and there is virtually no colour you can think of that is not represented amongst the pansies.
Pansy Planting notes
- Find a sunny spot with at least six hours of sunlight in winter, but keep in mind that they flower for months on end and should get a little shade when summer comes around again.
- Prepare the soil well with ample compost and a dusting of general-purpose fertiliser.
- Space them about 20cm apart and take care not to plant them too deeply. The crown of each seedling should be just above ground level.
- Water your trays of nursery-grown seedlings well a few hours before planting them and then again after planting them out.
- Water the newly planted seedlings every 3 – 4 days to get them established. As soon as you see new growth, water about once a week in winter in the early morning to allow the plants to dry off before nightfall. If the weather suddenly turns hot, water more often.
- Fertilise every two weeks with a water-soluble fertiliser for flower production to keep up their energy.
Pansies To Look Out For
‘Cool Wave’ is a series that includes ‘Blue Skies’, ‘Blueberry Swirl’, ‘Golden Yellow’, ‘Red Wing’, Violet Wing’ and ‘Pastel Mix’. This bestselling brand is vigorous and has a trailing habit of up to 75cm in spread. It is a perfect choice as a groundcover or for hanging baskets, pots and window boxes.
‘Frizzle Sizzle’ will give you ruffling flower petals in warm autumn shades including burgundy and orange, with some flowers sporting attractive whiskers so typical of pansies. Height 20cm. Spread 25cm.
‘Matrix’ – within this series you will find any colour combination you can dream of. This is the perfect bedding pansy range to fill your garden beds with. Large flowers are carried on short, strong stems. Size: 20cm x 25cm.
READ MORE: Plant these flowers among your veggies in the veggie garden.




Primulas
Fairy primroses (Primula malacoides) are the last of the four ps. They truly enjoy coolness and will start flowering even in midwinter depending on the time they were sent to ground. The flowering period can carry on until October. The best way to show them off is to plant them in masses in flower borders, but they also combine very well with spring-flowering bulbs like daffodils and with other annuals such as violas, pansies, phlox and Iceland poppies in one happy mix. These pretty plants are also commonly known as fairy primulas.
Fairy primroses have a delicate appearance with their furry and textured leaf rosettes and slender flower stalks bearing tiers of flowers with heart-shaped petals in shades of white, rose, pink, lavender, purple and burgundy. You can buy them now in seedling trays as a mix of all colours, or in individual shades.
Fairy Primulas Planting notes
- Fairy primulas prefer semi- to full shade – morning sun and afternoon shade is perfect.
- The soil type is not critical, but it should drain well and must be enriched with compost.
- Space the plants 20cm apart.
- You can expect a height of about 20 – 25cm and a spread of 25 – 30cm.
- Start feeding garden plants with a water-soluble fertiliser as soon as the first flower stalks start developing.
READ MORE: Here are more flowers you can plant for winter colour.