Johnny Jump Ups : Plant in Early Spring

These beautiful flowers are Johnny Jump Ups. They look as if they belong in an old fashioned or vintage flower garden. The beauty of these perennials are often grown as annual. They are native to Spain and the Pyrennes Mountains. Johnny Jump Ups are easy to grow. They may also be found growing wild in fields and along the road.

The dainty fragrant blooms are grown on small plants. The blooms are a combination of bright yellow and deep purple. They are early spring bloomers. Johnny Jump Ups are perfect for filling in an area of an entire bed. They also grow well in window planters because they are only 7 to 10 inches tall.

Johnny Jump Ups are normally grown from seed. Easy enough to plant in full to partial sun. Seed them directly into the garden or seed indoors for easy transport later. Start in pots and containers six to 8 weeks before last frost. So right about now in my neck of the woods would be perfect planting time. After sowing seeds cover with 1/8 of an inch of soil. With a good watering the seeds will germinate slowly and be ready to transplant to garden after the last frost date. Plant 6 inches apart but they will tolerate a bit of crowding.

Johnny Jump Ups will start to wilt a bit in mid - summer heat. If you live in a warm area you may want to plant them in a partial shaded area. Fertilize once a month and keep soil moist but not wet. During dry periods water one to two times a week.


Note: If you love pansies like my mom does you will love Johnny Jump Ups as well as they are very closely related