planting pansys

I asked the same question at the garden advice desk at my local garden centre today because I was thinking of buying a few shrubs. The answer was that planting now is no problem because its the air that is cold with the cold wind from the north but the ground is not cold yet and that's what matters for the plants. So planting pansies should be OK.

They may cower down a bit in the cold weather and appear to be wilting, and refuse to produce any more flowers until they are settled in - but they should be fine.

I put some winter pansy's in, a couple of weeks ago and there fine, i also put some bare root peranial plants in, i was told bare root plants do well when planted at this time of year.

We are in the Midlands. Our winter pansies last year struggled - they didn't like the cold and wet and developed black spot. Healthy pansies can withstand this virus, but if they are waterlogged they succumb. The pansies only really came into their own in May - and I had supplemented them with extra, new, plants by then. Then I had the problem of the plants being in full flower when I wanted to change the display to summer bedding!

This year I have added perlite to the compost to help with drainage. The ones that seem happy are in containers around the base of small conifers - it's probably drier and warmer there. Yesterday I looked at the ones I have planted in pots by themselves and decided that they were going to struggle again, so I've brought them into the unheated greenhouse to dry off and enjoy a slightly better temperature.

Interesting that yours in pots are doing better than those in the soil - so are mine, most definitely. It was hardly worth planting them in the borders this year - no flowers, and the ones they had got eaten - I think by birds, but possibly my wretched snails again.

Yes I agree, i had lovely pansies this time last year, but this year i put the same amount in the same beds, same time of year and eaten and not flowering, but again the ones i have put in the basket and pots are lovely, just don't know why, maybe due to weather, but i think you will be fine putting them in pots, i have just been to B & Q today and bought some polyanthus to replace the pansy in the beds see if they do any better. - and i also have my bellis daisy i grew from seed that are doing lovely in the greenhouse, should be ready to go out in the spring for a bit of much needed colour. but yes i do agree it is a good time for planting in general, i have been doing loads of shifting around last few weeks, and all seem to be doing fine.

I think I might 'pinch' your idea, Angie, and buy some Polyanthus. I had hoped for some winter colour, but it's only in my containers, not in the beds! What a waste of money. :-(

Yes i agree Spritz, i did the oposit i have left the pansy in as there is the chance that they will be lovely in the spring, - do you remeber the ones i had in my beds last year, they really were stunning. so you never know, but what i have done instead is but pots of cabbage and poy's and grasses ect on the stepping stones through my beds just to give a bit of colour for now. looks much better, have a look at my most recent pic's, see what you think.

I just moved to WA and I want to grow joney jump ups I want to have a bed of them how can I keep the snals out? I understand these are big problem here.