Unsurpassed as bedding plants; pansies  stand up well to any weather, they'll cope with most soils and conditions but  flower best in well drained soils and a sunny or part shaded position.

Pansies belong to the same plant family as violas but large flowered pansies are hybrids specially cultivated as superb garden plants. They have larger flowers than violas (around 5cm in diameter) and are very distinctive in shape and colouring. They often have blotches or markings and the slightly bearded flowers come in a wide range of lovely colours ranging from dark purples to soft pastels.