When to plant primroses?

I am trying to keep a bit of color in the garden year round, though the frigid weather has knocked out most of my cabbages...the glacier pansies are looking pretty sad, too. I found it impossible to resist purchasing several dozen primroses in their bright array of colors, but am uncertain whether it's reasonable to put them into the ground yet.

I have everything ready to get the planted (all on trays, out by the edges of the yard), but it occurred to me that if I am wrong about planting them so early, they might just die. Surely others on this list have experience with these little winter posies....will I kill them if I do it today?

Shultman, sorry I didn't see this until just now (almost 11 hours after you wrote yours). I have put Primroses in this early before and might again - they are on sale nearby for $1 apiece and look darn good.

Primroses are very hardy. Just plop them in the ground and put some nice mulch around them. They will do fine. They like the cool weather.

No problem, Murmur -- I see that the activity on the forum is in partial hibernation, just like our gardens. I'm glad you confirmed that you've planted primroses this early, since I finally decided to go ahead and plan some anyway! I put in about 15 of them (along with some Erica 'Kramer's Red') in the corner focal point of our front yard. I'm not planning on putting any in the back...just along the parts that border walkways. They look really nice out there...at least much nicer than the dead stuff I replaced with them :>)

Many of my bulbs are already sprouting up...I think that's because we foolishly put food in the holes with the bulbs when we planted them. (That's what the instructions said to do. I learned later that I shouldn't feed them until spring.) Hope they survive the winter. We kept hearing last summer and early fall that we should expect a mild winter. Goes to show how much the weather forecasters really know. This colder than usual winter is apparently the downside of global warming. I'd almost enjoy it for its novelty, except that I'm worried about all those plants I put in last summer!

Thanks, Daisyruffles! I went ahead and planted the whole 4 dozen of them today, since I had the time. Now my husband is looking at the front strip and seeing that it looks nicer with some color. He wants me to buy and plant a bunch more along the driveway to brighten it as well...and to fill the flower pots on the front steps as well. I guess I'll do that, but probably not until next weekend!

Geez -- that picture I posted looked terrible. Here's a better version.

Well, I think either pic looks great with nice color. Are they going to be in the shade tho for the summertime? Primroses don't like the heat and I tend to plant them on the back side of plants like rhodies. Wow, 4 dozen is a lot but I bet it looks nice.
My bulbs are trying to come up too. I always put bulb food in their holes when I plant them and they do just fine. It is much better for them. You do end up fert. later anyways after they bloom so..................
Looking good for the spring....................

No, these probably won't last through the summer, but I planted Wave petunias in that corner last summer, and they were spectacular! The ones up under the rhodie more may be ok. Truth is, there is no part of our property that has sun all day. The front of the house faces east, so afternoons are pretty shaded.

I thought four dozen was quite a few, too, but when I got done planting, my husband decided he wanted me to dress up the strip next to the driveway as well, so we bought 3 dozen more! He's an old softie...