Pansies & Violas in hanging basket

[bebejones]

Having neglected the basket this week as I have not been feeling well I think I have managed to salvage it & it has perked back up! But I think the plants in my hanging basket are coming to the end of their flowering life. I'm not a good gardener at all & have been very proud of myself for keeping the hanging basket looking relatively good for a few months now. However I have very few flowers left now. Will they come back again next year or will I have to replace all the plants in the basket? I seem to remember pansies coming up around the patio every year when I was little & I am certain my mum didn't plant new ones (she is worse with plants than I am). What do I do with it over the winter? Does it need covering up? I'm really clueless!

[OhWesternWind]

Hi - have you been deadheading the pansies/violas? If you don't let them set seed they will keep flowering for longer. I'm not sure about keeping the plants in the basket for next year as tbh for a plant a hanging basket can be a difficult environment and they will probably be a bit "exhausted" after this year's show and unable to give a really good performance next year (if they get through the winter). Do you have somewhere you could plant them out into the soil (or a big pot) and then get new for your hanging basket next year?