Spring and summer may be the “Big Show” for many garden projects, but harvest time has its own special inspirations for container design too. Here, we share some of our favorite tips for making the most of the rich color and texture the fall season has to offer.
Fall is a wonderful time to create outdoor planters – whether you’re new to container gardening or a seasoned veteran. For new container gardeners, the cooler season presents a shorter list of cool weather-friendly annuals to choose from – including mums, pansies, kale, and heuchera – so selecting plants is less overwhelming than in spring. As for design, the season itself is naturally imperfect, so you don’t have to be perfect either. Try the classic high-middle-low combination of tall grass, a colorful mum, and textured kale, plus a trailer-like lysimachia for an easy and beautiful fall statement.
If you’re more experienced in planting container arrangements, fall offers lots of possibilities for experimentation too. It’s fun to play with different combinations that reflect the natural beauty and bounty all around us. In addition to fall blooms and foliage annuals, you can work with fallen twigs, smooth pumpkins and gourds, birch poles, and more to create a variety of eye-catching designs. . But, if you prefer a simpler look, then a single, large mum in a tall container, surrounded with a collar of small heuchera or trailing creeping wire vine makes a stunning statement too.
If you enjoy creating amazing things using your hands and nature’s inspirations, jump into a “second season” of container design and extend the welcoming beauty of your outdoor pots with a fresh fall look.
