Pansies - am I a murderer?

[Ooopsadaisy]

I dutifully planted winter flowering pansies in a window box.

I dead-headed them (cos my Mum told me to).

Where are they?

They are weedy little forlorn lumps of green.

Where are my flowery bits? Where are the blues and violets and whites I was promised?

What have I done wrong?

Nothing wrong - its the weather. They're tough, they can survive the cold but they won't flower till it warms up.

Deadheading is good, if you don't then they think their life's work is done.

'Winter' flowering pansies is a bit of a misnomer, really. They usually flower in the autumn and then again in early spring. In winter they just sit there looking a bit dull.

I knew they would die back when they were under snow and ice but I thought they would be flourishing again now.

It is 5 degrees here today.

patience my dear.

BTW, my pansies in pots by the front door are flowering now, its a bit warmer in my bit of Lancashire than some parts of the country. Hopefully yours will follow soon.