Fall Container Gardening Ideas

A foolproof formula for container gardening is to plant thrillers, fillers and spillers. Thrillers are the tall, dramatic elements in container plantings.

Here are some ideas for fall container thriller elements:

Ornamental grasses. Perennial or annual, ornamental grasses make great choices for containers with annuals like pansies. The swaying fronds of fountain grass add movement and height to your design.

Unlike many ornamental grasses, purple fountain grass is hardy only in zones 9 and 10. Try maiden grass, pink Muhly grass or zebra grass if you’re looking for perennial grasses for cooler climates.

Black-eyed Susan (rudbeckia) and sunflowers (helianthus). These bold flowers will bring the color of sunshine to your containers.

Flowering cabbage and flowering kale. Make room for the stunning rosettes and dramatic coloring of flowering cabbage and flowering kale. Choose the largest sizes and plant the base a little deeper than you would the other plants. Wait for consistently cool weather before planting. Heat makes them grow leggy. Cool weather intensifies the colors.

Fillers fill in the arrangement with masses of color. Ideas for fall container fillers include:

Pansies. These big blooms thrive when nighttime temperatures begin to dip into the 60s. Look for colors like deep reds, yellows, oranges and purples, with and without face markings.

Violas. Pansies’ little cousins, violas, make sweet fillers in containers. Pansies and violas are both hardy to about 28 degrees Fahrenheit and will last well into winter. If they get bitten by a hard freeze, you can trim them back on the next warm day to revive them.

Mums. Mums like cool nighttime temps, too. The irresistible and brilliant mounds of color add height to containers. Pop nursery plants into decorative containers and huddle around larger containers for a harvest display. In the Garden Center, select mums with unopened buds for the longest color display. You can plant them in the garden when they finish blooming.

Coleus. The bronze and burgundy foliage of coleus earn it a mention here. This easygoing annual will keep until the first frost. After that time, you can make cuttings to root in water throughout the winter, or bring small coleus plants into the house as indoor plants.

Ornamental greens. Plant rainbow-colored chard where the afternoon sun will hit the stems, casting a spectrum of red and yellow light. The red and yellow veining on the dark green leaves is a bonus. Ornamental greens like mustard have a pebbly texture and sturdy upright growth for filler. Greens will flag during cold snaps, but rally again when temps warm up.

Spillers are softer plants that cascade over the side of the container. Ideas for spiller plants for fall container gardening include:

Sedum. This plant is a cold-tolerant, drought-resistant choice for a fall container spiller.

Calibrachoa. The trailing stems of calibrachoa are perfect for spilling over the edge of your planter.

Chartreuse sweet potato. This vine is welcome in a fall container. You'll want to pull it out after the first frost bites it, though.

You can start fresh when planting fall containers or reuse containers from an earlier season. Here’s how to transition your containers from summer to fall.

• Gently remove spent summer annuals and toss them in the compost pile. If you planted summer bulbs like caladiums, pull them out, trim them, brush off the dirt and spread on a tray. When dry, place in a labeled paper bag and keep in a cool, dry place. In spring, plant again, tucking into potting mix.
• If you’re keeping some plants, take your garden scissors and shape them up. You can even pull them up by the roots and break up excessive root growth.
• If the potting mix is more than 6 months old, refresh it with some compost, peat moss and slow-release fertilizer.
• If the potting mix is more than a year old, consider fully replacing it. Dump contents into a garden bed or compost and work them into the soil.
• Make sure there is adequate drainage in the bottom of your containers. Just above the drainage holes, add a layer of pine bark or rocks.
• Fill container two-thirds full with quality potting mix, then nestle in plants. Top with more potting mix and mulch, or a layer of dampened sheet moss.
• Feed once with a slow-release fertilizer or every week with a liquid fertilizer.
• To complete the harvest look, just add pumpkins.