Fresh Fall Container Gardens
Pumpkin pretty [1]
Emphasize the bounty of autumn by packing your fall container garden with a variety of plants. They don't need much elbowroom for end-of-the-season growing. This planter, an antique cream separator, makes good neighbors of (clockwise, from top middle) red cockscomb celosia, yellow pansies, blue fescue (Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue'), orange 'Peter Pan Mix' zinnias, 'Pink Pewter' lamium, 'Deep Orange' pansies and rosemary. Pumpkins and gourds displayed next to your fall container add an extra splash of seasonal color.
Mum accents [4]
Mums don’t feel quite as common when grouped with other containers. Here, a tub of ‘Spicy Cheryl Orange’ mums gets a lift from the airy plumes of maiden grass and dried pampas grass in an adjacent container and a smaller bucket of cabbage adorned with pieces of bittersweet in front.
Packed to the brim [7]
Choose containers you love and pack them to the brim in autumn. The planter (left) includes helichrysum ‘Icicles’, creeping Jenny, pansies, kale, black-eyed susans and sedum ‘Autumn Joy’. The wire basket (right) holds Swiss chard, ornamental peppers, pansies, black-eyed Susan and golden sage.
Tub of color [10]
Ornamental grasses bring handsome height to a metal laundry tub. 'Burgundy Giant' red fountaingrass provides a rusty backdrop for dark pink, daisylike 'Cecilia' chrysanthemum and cheerful Sundaze Golden Yellow strawflower. Petite blue fescue adds texture at the front of the vintage container.
Crazy for kale [13]
One of fall’s healthiest veggies looks as good in a vase as it does on your plate. Group flowering kale with vibrant flowers for easy autumnal arrangements.
Find colorful kales at your local farmers market or flower shop. To grow in your garden: Plant them in moist, well-drained soil in full sun.
In our container at back, vibrant orange Ranunculus and pincushion flowers give white flowering kale a boost. In the smaller container, purple mini calla lilies blend with purple kale, while globe-shape yellow billy balls (Craspedia) provide happy accents.
Overflowing wheelbarrow [16]
A mound of bold purple mums becomes the focal point among foliage in a wheelbarrow. In front of the mums, purple flowering kale blends with trailing bacopa. Spurge brings a hint of red to the far right and left corners. The purple-tinted leaves of bugleweed separate two clumps of spiky santolina. Fox-red curly sedge adds an airy note in back.
Bountiful birdbath [19]
A weathered concrete birdbath elevates a spicy plant mix. 'Blushing Emily' chrysanthemum and wispy 'Pink Champagne' rubygrass bring bursts of cinnamon-red to green kale and yellow-green Golden Globes loosestrife. The dark foliage of red-centered Tiny Toes coleus and bronzy Dolce Crème Brulee coral bells round out the arrangement.
Vertical drama [22]
Give your fall container height and texture by adding dried pampas grass and iris pods. Peacock kale and mums mound together at the base.
Super simple [25]
Beautiful containers can be as simple as one type of plant per pot. Group several one-plant pots for maximum impact. Here, pots of mums, pansies, burning bush and kalanchoe add bright fall color to the patio setting.
Easy transition [28]
Red twigs add cheer and height in this fall-to-winter container of wintergreen, Mugo dwarf pine, the white-variegated foliage of Hebe Variegata, maidengrass 'Morning Light', and ornamental millet 'Purple Baron'.
Tall advantages [31]
Tall plants such as cannas provide dramatic focal points in containers. This half wine barrel holds generously sized orange-blooming Tropicanna cannas, purple fountaingrass, firebush (Hamelia patens), lantanas and zinnias.
A bit of everything [34]
Tuck a variety of annuals, perennials and grasses into an antique galvanized container. A swath of red-burgundy 'Helen' chrysanthemums anchors this arrangement, encircled by purple ornamental cabbage; Superbells Trailing Blue Calibrachoa hybrid; Goldilocks Lysimachia nummularia; 'Tricolor' sage (Salvia officinalis); and in the back, fountaingrass (Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln'). Make sure your container has good holes for drainage.
Color punch [37]
Burgundy and purple pair naturally and beautifully in fall containers. Inside this pot: 'Wine and Roses' weigela; Liriope muscari 'Silvery Sunproof', 'Longin' Russian sage, 'Thyra Viking' aster, Kong Scarlet coleus and 'Osaka' flowering cabbage. Deschampsia cespitosa 'Goldtau' rounds out the scheme but is obscured in this photo.
Container to go [40]
Wheelbarrows make creative containers for fall plants--with the added benefit that you can wheel them into the garage on cold fall nights. A red wheelbarrow accents tall red-leaf hibiscus (Hibiscus acetosella 'Red Shield') and a host of other colorful plants: grasses leatherleaf sedge (Carex buchananii) and Acorus gramineus 'Ogon'; burgundy-leaf coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides); bright green basil (Ocimum basilicum 'Nufar Hybrid') and lettuce (Lactuca sativa 'Little Gem'); trailing Lysimachia nummularia 'Goldilocks'; and pumpkins, hedge apple and pansies (Viola x wittrockiana).
Fall fireworks [43]
This vivid container features bold Aster 'Purple Dome' and flowering kale, creating a festive feel with bright colors. The arching lines of variegated sedge (Carex hachijoensis) offer a striking complement.
Graceful plumes [46]
The proportions of this 2-foot-tall urn support the height of the purple fountaingrass, Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum'. Add more autumn color with red-leaf coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides 'Sedona', upper left); the bronze-and-golden blooms of Rudbeckia hirta 'Cherokee Sunset', Calibrachoa 'Million Bells Terra Cotta' and 'Scarlet' pansies around the base. The brown grass Carex flagellifera 'Toffee Twist' fills out the right edge.
Texture and color [49]
A splash from a fall aster and a purple-blue petunia is all the color this handsome container needs. The rest is done with texture. The crock uses 'Sungal' aster, 'Shenandoah' switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), donkeytail spurge (Euphorbia myrsinites), purple petunias and tricolor sage.
October colors [52]
Pair similar containers of varying heights to add visual interest. Both containers feature 'Orange Symphony' osteospermum hybrids and blue leadwort (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides). The large pot also includes 'Ace of Spades' sweet potato vine, Ajuga reptans 'Catlin's Giant' and purple fountaingrass. The small container adds purple 'Plum Pudding' coralbells and Carex flagellifera 'Toffee Twist'.
Frost-kissed [55]
You can enjoy the beauty of a frosty morning--knowing it won't harm your container garden--with this simple grouping of hens-and-chicks (Sempervivum), Ajuga reptans 'Mahogany', and flowering kale. All three plants take the autumn chill with ease.
Simple and soothing [58]
This easy container features a rugged dwarf hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) and a pair of lavender violas (Viola spp.) for a soothing look. A mulch of coarse stones accented by one larger stone helps create a natural scene in miniature.
Sunny delight [61]
Silvery thread-leaf licorice plant (Helichrysum 'Icicles') and a galvanized bucket contrast with bright yellow pansies to make a dramatic statement. Ivy (Hedera helix) flows over the container edge.
All frills [64]
Ruffly 'Redbor' kale, a variety that grows darker with each frost, pairs nicely with a petal-filled pink Chrysanthemum. Silver dusty miller, with its fine-texture foliage, gracefully finishes the picture.
Natural beauty [67]
Harvest hues come naturally in this pairing of a terra-cotta pot with plants that reflect the container's reddish color. Purplish-red Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) anchors the grouping along with green-and-russet coleus (Solenostemon 'Ulrich'). Orange mum (Chrysanthemum 'Festive Ursula') and green-leaf Euphorbia amygdaloides 'Efanthia' provide accents.
Fall window box [70]
A potting shed window box overflows with golden yarrow, green asparagus ferns and dried hydrangeas, plus vinca and Swedish ivy.
Chair garden [73]
A willow chair serves as a rustic container for a mixture of dried hydrangeas, pumpkins and potted plants that include geraniums, Swedish ivy, dusty miller, petunia and 'Tricolor' sweet potato vines.
More fall gardening ideas [76]
Click below for more Midwest fall gardening ideas and tips.