Once the domain of retired folk and pre-schoolers, crafts are officially cool again. Knitting, screen printing and cake decorating are now popular pastimes for a vast range of people. To get your own creative juices flowing, head out into your garden - the humble pansy is perfect for a variety of crafty projects.
Pansies are popular bedding plants because they're easy to grow and add great bursts of colour to winter gardens, says Awapuni gardening guru, Tod Palenski.
"If you start planting seedlings now you'll have gorgeous flowers for craft projects in no time. Just decide which colour scheme you'd like and get planting. Awapuni has the full spectrum of colours, from blues to yellows to reds, as well as mixed colour varieties."
To plant, choose a spot in the garden that receives morning sun and has good drainage. Spend some time enriching your soil - it will revitalise your garden after a dry summer.
"You can boost soil fertility by digging in organic compost and adding fertilizer. This will encourage bright, healthy blooms."
Dig a wide, shallow hole for each plant and space the holes 10 to 20 centimeters apart.
"Make sure the holes are wide enough so the plant's roots don't become cramped," says Tod. "Cover the plant roots with garden soil and give them a good watering, then add a layer of mulch to keep the moisture in and suppress weeds."
Forget about hours spent weeding. A layer of mulch is one of the best methods of organic weed control - it smothers weed seeds, ensuring they can't germinate.
The trick is to keep the soil around the plants moist, without letting the roots get too damp causing rot.
Keep moisture in and frost out using mulch. Tree mulch and peastraw work well and can be found at your local garden centre.
Tod says the best thing about growing pansies is they are very hardy. As long as they're planted before the cool weather sets in, they'll survive through rain, wind and even frosts.
"They really are 'plant and forget' flowers. Just make sure they don't get too dry," he says. "Pick the flowers as they fade to encourage more blooms and don't be worried - the more you pick the more you produce!"
Picked flowers can be added to potpourri to add colour along with other garden delights, like lavender, rose petals and delphiniums.
Pressed pansies can be used to decorate cards, bookmarks and photo frames. Place the individual flowers between pieces of paper towel, making sure they are lying flat, then weight them down with a heavy book and leave for two to six weeks.
"Creating cards with pressed flowers is a fun pastime for kids and makes a great gift for older relatives. Just remember to mark the books you've left the pressed flowers in, so they're easy to find!"
