Fall Container Planting Ideas
Welcome to September! Fall is the perfect time to refresh your cottage garden with some beautiful fall containers and pots. Planting in September allows you to enjoy the rich autumn colors and textures of fall foliage and flowers, while adding a touch of warmth and coziness to your space.
Starting center going counter clockwise: Ornamental Cabbage, Creeping Jenny, Wild Rose Heuchera, Dusty Miller, Japanese Anemone, Purple Fountain Grass, Sedum Autumn Joy, Black Pearl Ornamental Pepper.
Image Above: Kale, Ornamental Cabbage, Sedum Autumn Joy, Garden Mums, Creeping Jenny, Fountain Grass, Wild Berry Heuchera
When choosing plants for your fall containers, consider incorporating a mix of annuals, perennials, and ornamental grasses. Some of the plants I selected for my fall containers include ornamental kale, ornamental peppers, Heuchera ‘Stainless Steel’ and ‘Wild Berry,’ Spurge, and Creeping Jenny, to name a few. I wait until late September or early October to buy my mums, as they do not thrive in the warmer temperatures that September can bring and typically last only 4-6 weeks. I plant my mums both in containers and in the ground, where they perform much better for me. All these plants thrive in the cooler temperatures of fall and will add a pop of color to your garden.
When planting your fall containers, be sure to choose a container large enough for the plants you’ve selected. Unlike your summer-loving pots, these fall plants and flowers will not grow as much due to the shorter days and cooler temperatures, so be sure to purchase more plants than you would in the summer to fill the container. I fill my pots with Bio-tone fertilizer.
Image Above: Kale, Ornamental Cabbage, Purple Fountain Grass, Creeping Jenny, Ornamental Purple Peppers, Heuchera Wild Berry, Anemone Satin Doll, and Dried Lotus Pods.
Image Above: Ascot Rainbow Euphorbia, Spurge, Heuchera, Stainless Steel Purple Ornamental Peppers, Creeping Jenny and Purple Fountain Grass. Will add mums later in the season to these pots.
To create visually appealing containers, consider using a variety of heights and textures. Place your taller plants—such as grasses and large kale—in the center, surrounded by shorter plants like heuchera, ornamental peppers, cabbage, pansies, and mums.
Finish with spiller or trailing plants like Creeping Jenny. You can also add decorative elements such as pumpkins, gourds, or other fall-themed decorations to enhance the seasonal theme. One of my favorite urn planters can be found here and Terrain also has an amazing selection.
Image Above: Pumpkin Spice Foaming Bells, Purple Fountain Grass, Black Onyx, Ornamental Peppers, Creeping Jenny, Japanese Sedge or Forest Grass, Ascot Rainbow Euphorbia
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By planting fall containers and pots in your cottage garden in September, you can enjoy the beauty of the season. With a little creativity and attention to detail, you can create a stunning display that will brighten up your garden throughout the fall months. I’ve included my fall containers and some others I’m loving for your inspiration below from Outdoor Design CT.
