If I were in zone 5....wait, I might be in zone 5. The "official zoners" change me between 5 and 6, and honestly I think each individual winter decides what zone I'm in. Anyway, I would wintersow anything EXCEPT things that require stratification. This winter looks to end early, and plants might not get enough stratification if they require cold. (Asclepias, for example.) I would think the other things would be good.

I set out my jugs mostly in February. Now I'm concerned becuase some early sprouters during our warm spell have me nervous in the middle of this severe single-digit cold snap. Sometimes I wish I'd waited until now! Go to wintersown.org if you need help on the containers, etc.

I am in zone 5 and I just set out my containers about a week ago. I don't plant anything that needs a lengthy stratification period though. It usually seems to be enough of a cold period for things like columbines, larkspur etc. Warm weather annuals I wait until it warms up. I am a bit worried about our changeable weather too, we've had unseasonably warm days, along with unusually cold days. Rarely, but occasionally in the past, I've had sprouts that have been killed from temps in the single digits or low teens. Now I check the weather reports daily, any time the temps go down below the low 20's, (which is usually at night) I put the containers in the garage over night. There they will stay cool but not freezing. It's a bit of an inconvenience, but I don't have too many containers so its not too bad. Hopefully, this will not be for long.