Plants can go in to your borders or patio pots now for an early spring show and a bit of early colour. My choice would be from Winter Pansy, Polyanthus and the Red, White or Pink double daisy shown above Bellis Perennis.

I bought some ‘Red Pansies’ from Morrisons but they are not flowering anything like those below. Mine are so dark maroon that they are almost black.

Plant now for Spring Colour

• If you haven’t grown your own plants from seed buy them from a nursery where they should have been hardened off a bit.
• If buying from  a supermarket get them used to outside conditions and give them some protection or cover in bad weather for a few days before planting out.
• Pick a day when the ground isn’t frozen.
• If it is dry for long periods give the plants some water. (Not a problem in Bradford above)
• Generally it is too cold for pests but slugs and aphids may make an appearance when it gets warmer.
• All these plants can flower through winter but should get stronger as the snows disappear after February

Credit
Winter Color #3 by sirwiseowl CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Buy Daisies and other seeds at Thompson & Morgan