I know my opinion won't help you, but I love pansies so can't help replying. Here, there is always a pansy someplace in the yard blooming when the snow melts, and others still blooming after the first couple of frosts. I buy every variety I can find that looks different from what I have. Mix them all together and see what I get after a few years. I have a difficult time pulling out seedlings in the spring when new ones begin growing, because you never know...it might be one of the extra special ones!

hi, i am in zone 8! i love pansies. i particularly love a couple types of pansies i have, same exact ones come up every year for me. One i have is a reddish purple, grows to about a foot tall, with up to 3 or 4 inch blooms, very pretty, constantly blooming. another, has smaller blooms, not violas, but medium pansy size, medium bloomer. smaller plant with blooms of super bright and intense red with yellow streaks.
if i can remember i will take pics and post them!

I always plant violas at the front of my border.
My favorites come from the Sorbet Marina baby face collection.
There are about 3 dozen color choices. I usually have 2 or three in the blue/violet color range.
They bloom here from the end of April until I replace them with mums around Sept.first.

So many pansies....so little time.

Here is the one I settled on for 2011. You should look at the fruit salad one, for which I was unable to find seed this year. I also found a glowing review of these by the Dallas Botanical Garden. Good enough for me!

Here is a link that might be useful: Fizzy Lemonberry Pansy

I planted the Fizzy Fruit Salad mix, and was quite impressed with it.

Those Frizzy pansies are beautiful!