Successful Autumn Planting for Zone 5?

I'm in zone 5 and I over-winter perennial plants all the time. Most of them have done well, some not so much, but with plants so inexpensive this time of year, it's worth the try.

Now, you didn't say what kind of plants. However, your idea of temporarily planting them is good, and often done by professional growers. Dig a hole large enough for at least half the pot, and cover the rest with mulch. Some roots will start working their way through the pot's holes, but not so many that when you transplant in the Spring this will be an issue. The point of partially burying the pot is to prevent the drain holes from being subjected to frost -- the most tender roots are at the bottom of the pot near the drain holes, and even with a 36-40 inch frost line, it is the frosty air getting into these roots more than the freezing temps. If you're getting some small bushes/trees, get some cheap burlap, and when Halloween rolls around, just gently cover them with burlap. This thin layer, even with a foot of snow on it, will help provide protection, particularly from any marauding beasties who might find your plants to be an excellent mid-winter snack.

Another option is to leave your plants outside as long as possible, then bring them into a garage or shed during their dormant period. When dormant, plants don't need a whole lot of light, and very little moisture -- just make sure where you put them isn't going to bring them out of dormancy by being too warm, as those frigid temperatures that seem to come through every February can damage them.

My worst luck with over-wintering has been with perennial herbs, and those I now bring into my "solarium" (a three-season room converted with heat for my citrus trees and other lower-zone plants). However, plants brought inside do need to be hardened before planting in the spring.

Needless to say, if you can get the plants planted before Fall really sets in, so much the better. Get some studly young boys to help you get your garden in order (that's what I do....SO much fun!).

Anyway, it is doable. Good luck, and happy gardening!

Sounds like a plan to me. Many perennials are overwintered in containers...how do you think you find them so early in the spring in size. Heeling in is a time honored way of storing plants in the ground over winter.

Go to a gardening website (my favorite is www.burpee.com) and type in your zip code i the growing calendar. plant names will show up as well as their planting times, direct sow,transplant, or seed starting times. it supplies a lot of different information to help with gardening. you can check out a book at a library (like Grow this! by Derek Fells) for plant recommendations within a species. Then buy your seeds and get planting!