New Colors for Your Fall Planters

I love creating fall container gardens and often stick to standard autumn colors. But I had an epiphany during a trip to my local nursery: Fall containers can look just as stunning and seasonal without the traditional red, orange, yellow and brown. Simply using annuals and perennials that naturally shine this time of year will allow you to think outside the fall color box.

Take a look at these atypical arrangements I came up with after my trip to the nursery. Could one of them work for your entry, deck or patio?

I love the variegated lime green of the pleomele (Dracaena reflexa 'Variegata', USDA zones 11 to 12) in the back. The gourd on the right mimics the color variation. And the pansies (Viola, zones 7 to 11), fall container stalwarts, are a deep burgundy instead of the more common purple or yellow. I love the ornamental kale (Brassica oleracea, zones 2 to 11) in this container, too.

The muted creamy green of the squash adds to the overall color arrangement.


This ghostly container could help greet trick-or-treaters on the big night. Architectural cardoon (Cynara cardunculus, zones 7 to 9), in back, acts as the thriller in this grouping. Other plants include coral bells (Heuchera americana, zones 4 to 9), silver falls Dichondra (Dichondra argentea 'Silver Falls', zones 10 to 12), dusty miller (Senecio cineraria, zones 7 to 10) and purple kale (Brassica oleracea 'Redbor', zones 2 to 11).

Cardoon, a cousin of the artichoke, has edible stalks that taste delicious when blanched.

Get the formula for grouping plants in a pot


These typically indoor plants — Diffenbachia spp, golden pothos (Epipremnum arum, zones 10 to 12) and a cyclamen (Cyclamen spp) — bring a seasonal vibrancy to this collection. Use an arrangement like this to brighten an area of your home that doesn't get a lot of natural light.

Tip: Many houseplants can be taken to a shady place outdoors before temperatures dip below freezing.


The nearly black, glossy leaves of purple false eranthemum (Pseuderanthemum atropurpureum 'Black Varnish', zone 11) are a perfect contrast for the brown, flowing blades of this Carex (Carex spp). The bright orange mums and carmine-pink pansies and Cekisua (Cekisua spp) bring out the stems of the ornamental cabbage.

Tip: Use a hedge apple (Maclura pomifera, zones 4 to 9), the nubby chartreuse orb on the lower left, for texture. It smells great, too!


Greenscape Gardens in St. Louis, Missouri, always has lovely seasonal containers to inspire gardeners. Here's a large fern surrounded by coral bells and spiderwort (Tradescantia spp).

Tip: Plant perennials — such as the coral bells used here — in the ground when you're ready to change out the display for winter.


The wispy brown Carex adds an edginess to the palette of pinks and purples offered by mums and kale here. Ornamental kale, a great option in autumn, will keep its color through several rounds of freezing temperatures.


I love the different tints in this all-green container garden, and the variety in texture keeps the arrangement from being boring. The plants include bright green Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macro 'Aureola', zones 5 to 9), autumn moor grass (Sesleria autumnalis, zones 5 to 8, in back), coneflower (Echinacea 'Green Jewel', zones 3 to 8) and a variegated Carex in front.

Tip: To give this arrangement added height, add natural or painted branches.

More: 8 Knockout Flowers for a Fall Container Garden

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