Is it true that violas and pansies are perennials, and ...

I shall be interested in the answers to this too Jonathan as my new pansies are showing the first signs of mould. Not sure whether the mould is in the whole plant or just where it can be seen on the leaves. I have cut healthy mature pansies right back in the past and they have come back to make lovely plants.

I always spray mine with Roseclear 3 at the first sign of mildew - that's a systemic insecticide and fungicide, and they don't suffer from the treatment, so unless it says you can't use your spray on violas or pansies, I'd imagine it'll be fine.
Re the first part of your Q, I have cut pansies right down in the spring to see what they do - the answer was actually, nothing much,some even died, they certainly didn't come back into full flowering and growing mode, though its possible that fluctuating water supplies might have affected them. Usually, though, you find they're setting seed very frequently towards the end of the season, which is often a sign that the plant is coming to the end of its useful life and wants to produce a new generation to carry on.
I'd give it a shot, Jonathan, see what happens - then you can let us all know!

Hmm ... I got the idea that they are perennial from a garden centre delivery chap. Now you've got me doubting that they really are. I will indeed do the experiment. I've chopped a couple already. The ones I've done the chopping on are new ones, just young plants which I've only just planted up into a hanging basket. Perhaps being young they will be able to regrow.

I didn't answer you properly, I've just realised - violas are, generally, hardy perennials, but we generally use them as annuals or biennials because they give their best performance in their youth (bit like some humans, really!). It's complex though - Pelargoniums are hardy perennials really, but here, they generally only last a season because they don't like our wet winters. I have an ivy leafed "trailing" pelargonium on my balcony that's been there 9 years and is climbing up the wall - I've cut it right down 3 times when its got too big for its boots. The balcony is south facing, very sheltered, and the pot its in is 2 feet deep by 12 inches wide and in the corner, so gets no rain and can be left dry in the winter. Many of the plants we grow as annuals are actually perennial - just not here.

So does this mean violas and pansies would behave more 'perennially', say, southwards on the European continent? I think of them as being very 'British' because they do so well in the cool and wet of our climate, flowering a little in the winter (and what else will?) and flowering so prolifically in the quite cool spring. I find they seem to dislike July and August the most.

I don't know the answer to that, Jonathan, but I suspect not. Perennials vary enormously - Gaillardia, which is meant to be perennial, I find keels over after 2 years max, whereas other herbaceous perennials go on for years. I guess some perennials are more perennial than others!

Hi Jonathan its all a bit confusing at the momment as I understand universal pansies are being with drawn from our seed catalogues next year. Generally pansies produce large flowers some can be up to 7.5 cm across. Violas carry far more flowers but they're smaller, sometimes less than 2.5cm across. Violas are simply tougher and more weather resistant. The more I dead head mine the more flowers I seem to get. I have some blue pansies in a container that are now entering their third winter and have certainly been broken or pinched down to the soil and recovered. I always plant mine facing the sun something my dad taught me.

Your pansies sound jolly weather resistant. That's very interesting to hear of how they have proved resiliant and enduring.

Its only the 3 blue ones, I think they sheltered under the lavender in the same urn all winter then started to grow again. The winter flowering ones always do well here its a very sheltered valley in this corner of east sussex. I am about to post another question on pansies see if anyone can explain it for me.