For many, small bedding flowers like pansies, johnny jump ups, and violas are a must have to for annual flower beds. Surprisingly, they also look great in the cut flower patch and in small vases. With a little knowledge, growing pansies from seed is insanely easy. 
The first thing we’ll need to do is to decide when to plant the seeds. In general, pansies enjoy growing in cool weather. That means some growers will be able to plant them in the fall, while others may need to wait until spring. Here in zone 6b/7, I plant mine in the fall. The small pansy seedlings will remain green throughout my winter, including during the snowy months.
If you’re worried that your winter temperatures are too cold, waiting until late winter is another option start the seeds. In the past, I’ve also planted them in the unheated hoop house where they absolutely thrived.Â
I prefer to start my seeds in trays indoors. In September, I sow the seeds in a potting mix. After surface sowing the seeds, I make sure that the soil is adequately moist. Then, I place the tray into a black garbage bag, making sure that the end remains open. This darkness helps to encourage even germination in the tray. This usually occurs within one week when kept at room temperature.
I begin checking for signs of germination after day 3. As soon as I start seeing small taproots poking out of the seed, I move the tray to a sunny window sill or outside in a sheltered location if the weather is nice. 
Once the seedlings have a few true leaves, it’s time to transplant them out in the yard. Don’t forget to harden them off if you’ve been growing them indoors. If growing indoors isn’t your best skill (like me), pansies are also extremely easy to grow using the winter sowing method. Be sure to search more here on the blog! Thanks so much for reading!
I’ve never tried to grow pansies, but not sure why. They’re so cheerful and cute. I often buy them in trays for my containers. Definitely need to give this a go.