Pansies: How to Grow, Reimagine, and Create Beauty with Pansies and Violas

by Brenna Estrada

Overview

This “must-add to your garden library” is an indispensable guide to pansies—and a brand new way to look at the dazzling flower that brings drama, whimsy, and diversity to every garden and arrangement (Erin Benzakein, Floret).

Pansies is the big idea flower book we’ve all been waiting for. While working at the famed Floret Flower Farm, Brenna Estrada was so inspired by the pansies being grown that she began to trial hundreds of varieties of pansies and violas on her own farm. Her innovative approach to growing in full sun results in pansies with long stems, breathtaking fragrance, and unique color. 

Filled with stunning photography, Pansies is perfect for growers, florists, artists, and collectors. Readers will discover: 
   ·The fascinating history of pansies and violas, from their origination as a wildflower to a necessary adornment in every household garden 
   ·Everything you need to know about growing pansies (and how to save pansy seeds!)
   ·How to keep pansies healthy and resilient all year round 
   ·Inspiration for incorporating pansies in crafts, recipes, and in the apothecary
   ·Inspiring examples of knockout bouquets and arrangements
   ·Lush profiles on 50 varieties of pansies and violas available today

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781643264011
Publisher:	Timber Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	03/11/2025
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	80 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Brenna Estrada is an accomplished flower farmer who has built a dedicated following through the sharing of her extensive collection of pansies. Raised in the Pacific Northwest in the shadow of the Cascade Mountains, Estrada spent her childhood hiking mossy trails sheltered by towering pines and abundant flora. This instilled in her a deep love of nature, specifically flowers. After serving 5 years in the United States Marine Corps and 16 years as a 911 call taker and police dispatcher, Brenna took a position at Floret where her knowledge and passion grew, for pansies especially. Every year Estrada trials around 100 different varieties of pansies and violas to find those with the most exceptional colors, fragrance, and stem length. Brenna’s pansies have drawn the attention of growers and artists from all over the world. She continues to share her passion with others and is working to make seeds for the specialty varieties more accessible to both small-scale growers and home gardeners. She currently resides on a lovely little island with her husband and three boys.

Editorial Reviews

This delightful book does a deep dive into the beautiful world of pansies, chronicling their rich history, providing detailed growing instructions, seed-saving tricks, and secrets to producing the longest stems for cutting, along with profiles for 50 stunning varieties. Brenna is the pansy queen and her love for these precious flowers shines through every page. Pansies is the first book of its kind and is a must-add to your garden library.”
 —Erin Benzakein, Floret

“Brenna Estrada’s beautifully illustrated and photographed new book provides detailed information on cultivating pansies and incorporating them into your garden. I especially enjoyed learning about the history of this delightful flower and its popularity in the 19th century. Pansies will create a renewed enthusiasm for growing pansies—and rightfully so.” —Frances Palmer, ceramic artist and author of Life in the Studio

“This definitive guide is a real ode to the pansy. Pansies is a beautiful book that has left me feeling inspired, but also well-equipped and encouraged to grow this most charming of flowers in greater abundance. A triumph!”
 —Milli Proust, author of From Seed to Bloom

"A wonderful new book that both champions the future of the pansy and elevates these charming plants from bedding scheme status to the world of floral artistry. Pansies is a much-needed fresh take on this beautiful but often overlooked genus, both heartwarmingly sentimental and brilliantly informative. After years of trialing, Brenna shares the very best varieties we can grow for both our gardens and for use as a cut flower, delving into their fascinating history and guiding us on how to propagate them and save seed for the future. Pansies is a real treasure.” —Becky Crowley, cut flower garden designer and botanical artist

“A fully comprehensive and beautiful tribute to these tiny but exquisite botanical wonders. Pansies offers both eye candy and everything I didn’t know I didn’t know about the history, care and design of the viola.” —Max Gill, floral designer

“Brenna's heartfelt paean to the garden pansy is as charming as the flower it celebrates. Richly illustrated and highly informative, Pansies delves into the fascinating history of the flower and makes us look at this humble beauty anew. Brenna also shares her expert tips for growing pansies and using them in the vase as well as in the kitchen. This book will surely find its way into every gardener's library.”
 —Ngoc Minh Ngo, author of In Bloom

“Pansies is a magical and informative book that belongs in every gardener's library! An absolute favorite of mine, pansies are great to grow in the garden and design with for woodland arrangements and botanical couture. I learned so much about these sweet flowers, including how they overwinter in the Pacific Northwest and other tips on extending bloom time, and I cannot wait to experiment with growing new varieties. Thank you, Brenna!” 
 —Françoise Weeks, floral designer and author of Wonder of the Woodlands

“Pansies is a delightful book written by a true pansy aficionado. I look forward to following Brenna’s guidance to find the perfect varieties for my gardens and vases; read this and you too will be addicted to pansy growing. It is time for a pansy resurgence!” —Jenny Rose Carey, author of The Ultimate Flower Gardener’s Guide

“Brenna Estrada delivers the ultimate underdog story of the pansy— the wallflower of flowers! Pansies sheds light on this magical flower, revealing all its power and complexity. I grow pansies every season, and I never knew you could grow them for cutting. This stunner of a book will have you digging through seed catalogs and ordering all the varieties—I know I am!”
 —Amanda de Beaufort, botanical dyer and founder of Dye Kween

“Pansies is an exciting, thoughtful, and comprehensive book that every gardener and botanical artist needs in their library. As an artist who uses flowers as a subject matter, this book is an invaluable floral reference guide, as it not only covers the history of this fascinating flower, but also encourages me to learn how to grow it in my own garden.” 
 —Ann Wood, paper flower artist

“This book is simply beautiful, with a fantastic design and outstanding photography of pansies in a range of delicate colours. Pansies is a stunner!”—Jacqueline van der Kloet, garden designer and author of Growing Bulbs in the Natural Garden

“In Pansies, Brenna Estrada has given all of us pansy obsessives an absolute treasure of a book. Rich in history, and filled with clear advice on cultivation, Brenna’s passion for this magical, precious flower is infectious. Pansies is a must have for anyone who wants to invite these wondrous beauties into their world.”
 —Ariella Chezar, floral designer and author of Home in Bloom

“The book’s great layout, straightforward prose, and easy-to-follow charts for each variety are accompanied by gorgeous photographs. An excellent resource for gardeners of all levels by an expert in the field.”
 —Library Journal

“Estrada’s innovative approach to growing in full sun resulting in pansies with long stems, fragrance, and unique colours is convincing”—Gardens Illustrated

“Pansies is a love letter to a flower that has been capturing hearts for centuries.”—The Seattle Times

“For growers, designers, and advanced hobbyists alike, Estrada’s work provides an indispensable roadmap to unlocking the full horticultural and design potential of this underappreciated yet resilient flower.” —The Flora Journal

From the Publisher