I just bought these pansies at a local nursery and they are beautiful. I want to leave them in a big erin pot. The nursery owner told me they would bloom all winter and be just fine, the little bit of activity on here makes me believe this isn't true. Don't want to lose my pansies....can someone guide me. I am zone 5. Sorry for the poor picture it was already pretty dark outside.
Thank you
Here where I am in Zone 9-10 I think, they bloom all winter, but too long of a freeze and snow will get them I think.
This message was edited Sep 17, 2011 10:19 PM
Also, if you keep them up near your house and protected a bit, cover them with a dome or light sheet they would probably be fine. I noticed they are in a pot.
I keep my pansies out all winter. They are in shallow color bowls on shelves under the windows. Also are primulas and some early bulbs like crocus. If we get a freeze they will sometimes get "bitten", but come back fine. They do great under the snow. Still, we are in zone 8 not zone 5.
I am doubtful zone 5a they will make it, mine from last year didn't but I decided to bring them in and that was a real mistake. So I am going to try it again this year but leave them out and see what happens, course we can get as low as -0 and sometimes - more than that...rofl, so logically I can't believe they will make it, but logic has nothing to do with Mom Nature.
Pansies are very popular with landscapers around here in winter. You see them blooming around bldgs all over town. I have grown them, and they do bloom all winter here. In a typical winter we only have a handful of nights in the mid to upper 20's and rarely any snow. I have no idea if they can withstand your weather though. I definitely agree that putting them close to a bldg would help. It would provide protection from wind and also the bldg would provide some warmth (stored during the day and given off at night). I have seen quite a few photos of colorful, blooming pansies peaking out from beneath a layer of snow, so it seems possible. Wishing you much luck and a winter filled with colorful blooms!
Dream, thanks for that info. I hope they have Pansies in the nursery now.
When I was a young man, about 50 years ago, by Grandmother used to plant her Viola x wittrockiana (large flowered Pansy) in the fall.
That was in zone 3b. She placed them on the south side of the house, out a couple feet and the snow would always cover them. They would survive 20-25 below. They didn't flower in the winter. And remember light goes right thru the snow, so covering them with mulch will/would kill them.
Here in Tampa they grow like weeds all winter. In part shade/morning sun I have had mine last until mid-May some years.
OMG that is a beautiful planter, just amazing. OK, so I may try it again, it is just money right?.....
You just never know what you will discover until you try.
I will try again and see what happens, I am a glutten for punishment....rofl. They sure are pretty and can't imagine how wonderful they would be to see when the weather here (unlike for some of you, not that I am jealous or anything ;) is miserable...
In KCMO, pansies purchased in late fall will bloom again in spring and last until the heat gets them. The golden ones look really good when nothing else is in bloom. The purple ones are not as noticeable. The ones I purchase in spring do not last as long in the heat - different variety I guess. Wish I knew this years ago.
Hi Carolmo, well those pansies from 2010 didn't make it to spring, but we had a horrible winter in 2011. I am actually about 40 miles north of KC. Now this winter they probably would really be doing good, since we have been so darn mild. This week in the 50's wowzer!
Pansies LOVE sun. They can withstand the frost and cold. However, if the temperature gets down into the mid/low-20's then they are in danger of getting damaged. They tend to bloom until the temperature reaches the low/mid-80's in the summer. If anyone's got frozen in this most recent artic blast
www.gardenshopnow.com is having a sale on them, and they have a program that will replace them if they freeze again, no additional cost.
This message was edited Feb 14, 2012 5:19 PM
I am in zone 7a right now and I have violas that have stayed strong all winter. I have not noticed any seeds on them though, which I think is odd. I used to grow pansies in Lebanon MO, zone 5 and they always died in the winter, will not over winter there. The violas died also. However they reseed and come back strong in the early spring. Pansies did not ever come back for me from seed.
This winter I think the pansys would of survived but this is the warmest I ever remember it being around here. Zone 7 would be a great zone to live in. I need out of 5! rofl.
In our garden center last fall they were selling Snow Angels pansies that are supposed to go dormant in the winter the pop out in the spring. Well they said nothing of them being rabbit food in the fall and spring. Once other stuff comes up in the spring and those darn rabbits start to leave them alone they will grow and start blooming. I'm not sure if I'd pay the extra few bucks for them again though.
