• Pansies are hardy container plants for cool weather.John Block/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
  
  Cooler weather often means a lack of color in the garden as warm-season annuals and perennials begin to fade. One way to brighten up the cool-weather landscape is to fill containers with new potting soil and plant cool-season varieties that produce colorful flowers or foliage during the fall, winter and early spring.
  
  

Pansies

• Pansies (Viola X Wittrockiana) are a popular bedding and container plant in cool weather. They are used for winter color as far north as Arkansas and for fall and spring color in colder locations. Pansies are tolerant of frost but do not perform well when frozen for days at a time. The broad 1-inch to 2-inch flower faces provide shades of red, blue, purple, yellow or orange until summer arrives. Remove spent blossoms on pansies to encourage more blooms.
  
  

Snapdagons

• Potted snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) perform best when nights are cool and daytime temperatures are above freezing. There are many different types, but the trailing type looks best in pots. The tall cutting type will not bloom until spring if planted in fall, and the tall, brittle stems break in high winds. The long-lasting flowers appear on long stems and open from the bottom up. Snapdragons are available in every flower color except blue. They are suitable for container planting in cool weather throughout the United States. Remove old flowers to keep plants bushy and to encourage more blooms.
  
  

Flowering Kale

• Flowering kale (Brassica oleracea) is very cold-tolerant and can be used as a colorful bedding or container plant during the fall and winter in the southern half of the U.S., and in early spring in other locations. Flowering kale is not considered edible and does not produce flowers. However, the foliage turns bright red, purple, magenta or white when the plants are exposed to cool temperatures.
  
  

Calendula

• Calendula or pot marigold (Calendula officinalis) is a cool-season annual used in containers throughout the United States. It does not grow well in the hot summers of the southern part of the country but thrives during the cooler months. It is planted in the spring in the northern half of the U.S. Calendula produce bright yellow or orange flowers on stems as tall as 18 inches.
  
  

Petunia

• The petunia (Petunia spp) sprouts from seed in the early spring when the soil is still cool. It can withstand freezing temperatures while still young. As soon as the weather begins to warm, petunias grow rapidly and produce multitudes of red, purple, yellow or white trumpet-shaped flowers. Petunias are used in hanging baskets as well as containers and flower beds. The flowers and foliage begin to decline once hot summer temperatures arrive. To encourage more flowers and bushier growth, pinch off old blooms.