In zone 8a, pansies are your longest-playing cool-season color—plant them in fall and they'll flower through the coldest weeks of winter and into early spring. Each plant throws dozens of velvety blooms in whatever shades your nursery has in stock that day.

Full sun to part shade, ordinary soil, and consistent water keep them happy. They'll slow down once heat arrives, but if you deadhead spent flowers, they'll keep going longer than you'd expect.