Pansies here planted in the fall may bloom deep into December and January or even later, but come hot weather they take a break, just as they do in Iowa. Yet, they are a rugged plant often taking the first frost without a whimper.
They are annual, but obviously with a strong desire to be perennial, as often they pop up again as one of the first flowers of spring. If you have a patch, looking pretty pitiful right now,throw a few leaves on them and just see if they make it through the winter.
Knockout roses, here in my daughter Becky's Texas backyard, are living up to their name, still producing new buds and blooms and growing taller. I suspect they will be around to hang Christmas lights upon.
Even a first-year planting may grow to the full 3-feet-wide to 3-4 feet high in Iowa ‘s zones 4 and 5. They need little care once they have come back from the Japanese beetle midsummer attack, though a little winter protection of leaves or mulch won't hurt.
If the winter has been wicked, you may need to trim them as low as three inches to get rid of the the die back, but ordinarily a spring pruning to about 15 inches and some rose food will be all they need.
New colors have been added since Knockouts burst onto the rose market and chances are good more research is being done to add to the line.
Another plant still blooming here is Lantana. Not so popular for its spreading, invasive habits, it has a beautiful pink flower with a yellow and white top. Monarch butterflies love it and along with the milkweed it helps renew the population.
Lantana is in the verbena family, and is a great container plant for its dripping, trailing ability. It comes in blue, pink, red, white, and my favorite, a deep purple.
Though we are at the end of our gardening season in the Midwest, this last chance to see some bright, blooming plants has been a bonus before I have to feed my habit with only the spring catalogs.
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