Cool-season color when little else shows up: violas bloom through our mildest months and shrug off light frosts. Plant them in fall for winter and early spring display, or tuck them in around spring bulbs before the heat arrives.

Full sun to part shade, ordinary soil, and steady moisture keep them flowering. Once the thermometer climbs past 80 degrees regularly, they'll fade—but pull them out and you've had months of face-like blooms in compact, tidy plants.