How to Spruce Up Containers for Fall

Whether you are replacing wilted annuals or starting over, create a stunning display of fall color in your containers

If your container plantings are looking frazzled after this scratchy summer , you ’re not alone . However , our Mid - Atlantic autumn season still has a fair way to go , so do n’t give up on your pot plantings too presently . With a little cause , they can look striking well into the capitulation season . For some suggestions , I turned to Paul Kawoczka , co - owner ofEnliven Planters , a company well known in the Philadelphia orbit for its eye - catching seasonal container designs .

Add fresh plants for fall

“ Rather than doing a complete replanting of your container , you may choose to entrust in some elements and edit out others , ” advises Paul . First , cautiously dig out the plant you want to replace . ( Pulling them out can also uproot the plants you want to keep . )

Potted florists' chrysanthemum ( Dendranthemahybrids , Zones 5–9 ) , cosmetic peppers ( Capsicumspp . and cvs . , one-year ) , and Celosia ( Celosia argentea , Zones 10–11 ) are easy to discover and great for spry color in sunny sites . Need something unexampled for a shady fall container ? Paul has found an unexpected alternative : “ or else of mums , we ’ve been using blooming kalanchoe ( Kalanchoe blossfeldiana , Zones 10–12 ) . The texture mimics momma in bloom but last much longer in the shade . ” He advocate using downslope - tally annuals and tender perennial as accents only , though , and “ not the main stage , ” because their peak bloom time tend to be comparatively short , depending on the weather condition . ( The kalanchoe , for example , is very sore to icing . ) rather of splurging on large specimens , which can take up an intact container , he prefers to commence with plants sold in 4- to 6 - inch mickle , tuck them in among the continue industrial plant for pops of coloration .

Start over with a new design

Would you rather draw out everything and start out over for the fall time of year ? For the longest - hold out show , boil down on hardy perennial and young woody plants — particularly those with spectacular colors and textures . “ I know using foliage that deepen as the seasons turn , mime the fall trees , ” says Paul . “ ’ Fire Power ’ heavenly bamboo ( Nandina domestica‘Fire Power ’ , zona 6–9 ) is a big example . As the season stretches from September to November , watch the leaves turn from lime tree dark-green to burnished fiery orange and red . ”

gage are a central ingredient in Mid - Atlantic autumn landscape , and they ’re splendid in container too . “ you’re able to never use too many grassy texture in the downslope , ” assures Paul . “ Miscanthus ( Miscanthus sinensis , Zones 4–9 ) keeps its form even when dormant and has a coppery chromaticity . ‘ Bronco ’ tomentum sedge ( Carexcomans‘Bronco ’ , Zones 6–10 ) is another ducky of mine . It has a raw bronzy - brown colouration and a floppy , full form that can be used at the edge of a container or windowpane box as a trailing element . ”

Whichever flora you select for your all - new downfall display , Paul says , “ Keep in mind that your fall system will likely not develop much once planted . Really pack the industrial plant tight in your container for best results . ” With honorable care ( recall that fall container still need steady watering during dry spells ) , your autumn arrangements will carry on to grace your garden for weeks or even months to come .

Nancy J. Ondra is the generator of over fifteen books , includingGrasses , The Perennial Care Manual , andThe Perennial Matchmaker .

More fall container :

Container Rehab

Containers That Keep quetch Into nightfall

Autumn Pots Minus the Mums

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Johnny ’s Selected Seeds Connecta ® Cultivation Kit

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Pairing autumn classics like mums and grasses—such as a dwarf fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides, Zones 5–9)—with violets (Violacv., Zones 3–9), celosias (Celosia argentea, Zones 10–11), and other colorful annuals gives your window boxes and planters a fresh look for the fall season.Photo courtesy of Nicholas Yates, Enliven Planters

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A narrow-bladed digging knife is handy for renovating fall containers, giving you precise control when you’re removing old plants and minimizing damage to those that will be staying in place.Photo: Nancy J. Ondra

‘Mega Caramel’ heuchera (Heuchera‘Mega Caramel’, Zones 4–8).Heucherahybrids (Zones 3–8), with foliage that’s similar in shape to maple leaves (Acerspp. and cvs., Zones 3–9), are another of Paul Kawoczka’s go-to plants for autumn combinations: “They come in a full spectrum of fall colors and can take the frosty nights like a champ.”Photo: Nancy J. Ondra