These rounded, flat-faced spring flowers look just like a chubby-faced baby, so how could you not love them? Garden favorites for generations, pansies are widely available just about everywhere and are often the first annuals to bloom. Unfortunately they're not heat resistant, so you have to get the most out of them before the dog days of summer knock them flat on their adorable little faces.

Here's what you need to know before you plant pansies:

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Pansies can tolerate most USDA Hardiness Zones and can even sprout successfully as far north as the Canadian border. They grow to about 6 to 9 inches tall — making them good ground cover between taller plants on your plot — and bloom in a variety of bright colors like blue, lavender, purple, red, orange, bronze, yellow, and white.

These annuals begin blooming in early spring and continue through most of summer. In milder climates, they'll keep goring from autumn through the winter months. In hotter areas, look for heat-resistant cultivars and plant them in moderate shade. They prefer full sun, but can grow successfully without it.

The easiest way to grow pansies from seed is to treat them like biennials. Sow them outdoors in midsummer, then plant them in their final home in the fall, mulching well in cold winter areas.

It's possible to sow pansies indoors in a container garden, although it's a bit of a challenge: Sow the seeds indoors 14 to 16 weeks before the last frost date, barely covering them. Place the containers in your refrigerator for two weeks and then expose the seed to room temperatures. Your plants should sprout in about 10 days.

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After germination, keep the temperature as low as you can. Between 50 and 65 degrees is ideal, but room temperature is acceptable. Plant out hardened-off seedlings as soon as the soil is workable. When they're outdoors, water pansies as needed and deadhead them to maintain blooming. Cut straggly plants back severely to stimulate new growth.

As one of the few annuals planted in the fall for early-spring bloom, pansies play a unique role in the garden as a wonderful a companion planting method. Tuck them around plants that thrive in part shade, such as ferns or purple-leaved heucheras, and they'll bloom well into summer.

Pansies are somewhat susceptible to leaf diseases, so choose disease-resistant strains and rotate plantings if you notice repeated damage. Hand-pick slugs and snails if they become a problem.