I really don’t know about you, but where I live (USDA zone 6) it’s been a very long, hot, dry summer. Together with triple-digit temperatures for most of the summer, my containers look worse for the wear.
I am starting to dream of cooler temperatures, fall colors and falling leaves. I have already started considering revamping my container gardens to the forthcoming season, and I can not wait to receive my hands on some cool-weather plants to refresh the look (and my disposition).
TruexCullins Architecture + Interior Design
What makes a plant appropriate for fall? Typically you’re looking for rich, warm colors and the ability to tolerate cool nights. Mums and pansies are quintessential fall plants, however there are lots of noteworthy foliage-focused plants whose colors evoke fall.
Here are seven great alternatives for your fall containers.
Banyon Tree Design Studio
Coral Bells
(Heuchera)
Coral Bells (shown here in front), comes in a huge variety of color choices, also as perennials in zones 4 to 9, they could tolerate temperatures below freezing.
USDA zones: 4 to 9 (find your zone)
Water condition: Medium moisture; well-drained soil
moderate requirement: Full sun to light shade
Mature size: 1 to 2 feet tall and 1 to 1 1/2 feet broad
Missouri Botanical Garden
A couple of varieties of Huechera especially suited to fall designs comprise Amber Waves (revealed), which has striking amber and orange foliage, and Chocolate Ruffles, with heavy burgundy to purple leaves. Heuchera works nicely with strappy grasses and finely textured plants such as Solidago or asparagus fern.
Kim Gamel
Ornamental Cabbage or Kale
(Brassica oleracea)
Ornamental cabbage is another fall favorite. It’s an annual that when implanted in late summer will continue well into fall, even through a few frosts. When it can blossom, it’s prized because of its beautiful (and edible!) Foliage (displayed in front of the fall arrangement). Which range from frosty blues to sage greens with purple and white accents, ornamental cabbage has a nice mounding habit which should put it front and centre on your structures.
USDA zones: Grows anywhere as an annual
Water necessity: Medium moisture; well-drained soil
moderate requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 1 to 1 1/2 feet tall and broad
Kenneth Philp Landscape Architects
Japanese Sedge
(Carex hachijoensis ‘Evergold’)
Japanese Sedge is a mounding Japanese short marijuana with evergreen leaves emphasized by golden-striped facilities. It cascades over the pot’s edge on each side, creating airiness in the arrangement.
USDA zones: 5 to 10
Water necessity: Medium to wet soil
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 1 to 1 1/2 feet tall and broad
Kim Gamel
Chinese Mustard
(Brassica juncea)
Chinese mustard, seen here in the center, has a wide, crinkly leaf whose colors range from bright green to deep russet. It pairs well with wispy grasses and heavy purple pansies.
USDA zones: Not appropriate; develop as an annual
Water necessity: Medium moisture; well-drained soil
moderate requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 1 to 1 1/2 feet tall and broad
Kim Gamel
Ornamental Pearl Millet
(Pennisetum glaucum)
Ornamental pearl millet is striking in autumnal structures. Though it’s an annual, it remains a focal point even as it dries. With its lime-green foliage, the Jade Princess variety contrasts nicely with both brightly colored plants and people with wide leaves, and its cylindrical purple-brown seed plumes appeal to birds.
USDA zones: Not appropriate; develop as an annual
Water necessity: Dry to moderate moisture; well-drained soil
Light requirement: Full sun to light shade
Mature size: 3 to 4 feet tall and 1 1/2 to 2 feet wide
Linda Daley
Creeping Jenny
(Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’)
Creeping Jenny will keep its glowing chartreuse colour for many frosts. It makes a terrific “spiller” plant in containers, dripping down the sides and accenting richly hued blossoms and foliage, including asters and Crimson Star spike.
USDA zones: 3 to 9
Water necessity: moderate humidity to wet; well-drained soil
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 3 inches tall and 1 to 1 1/2 feet broad
Michelle Jacoby, Changing Spaces
Purple Fountain Grass
(Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’)
Purple fountain grass has exceptional dark purple foliage with fluffy, bottlebrush-like spikes. Its overall shape is reminiscent of a fountain, which is how it gets its name. Though an annual in colder regions, it is going to continue to look striking throughout fall.
USDA zones: 8 to 10 (grow as an annual elsewhere)
Water necessity: Medium moisture; well-drained soil
Light requirement: Full sun to light shade
Mature size: 3 to 5 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide
Kim Gamel
By adding these beautiful plants to a container and throwing in a pumpkin or two, you can have a beautiful screen to take you through fall.
Tell us What would you love to plant when the colder weather strikes?