It is one of the bellflowers. You would have better luck with pansies if you plant late this summer or early fall. Pansies come up one year then bloom the next. By planting early enough to come up this year you should have blooms next spring.

I do not see any pansy plants. They can look like violets when they first come up.

I have these things, too! They get to be Jurassic size and grow tall scape things with purple flowers. What ARE they?

It's burdock. I just noticed the thistly-looking flowers on one of mine.

Apparently people eat them.

Sorry Never seen burdock with thistly-looking flowers. I know it is off topic so if you would post on another thread.

None of the various docks that I have seen look anything like the pictures.

I'm a newbie--I don't know what thread to post on. But here's a link:

Here is a link that might be useful: burdock?

Good picture. I like learning new plants. I am attaching a picture of the one I think it is. I could find drawings of the new leaves but no good picture of them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Creeping Bellflower

Looking at the pictures posted by valeriavictrix, I'm fairly certain I have a giant area of baby burdocks. The bellflower leaf is more elongated and lance shaped. Plus I guess there's a chance there would be bellflower seed in a pansy mix, but not that much, I don't think. Since there were burdock seed in the area, I think I'm pretty certain this is a weed. Going to kill them all and start fresh I guess..... waste of a seed mix.