Plant Up a Fall Container With a Pro
Even fall containers need some care to look good for as long as possible. And if you’re expecting to hang on to a few of your summer favorites to use in fall, you’ll want to follow garden designer Susan Nock’s advice for great-looking containers. As the owner of Thistle Containers in the Seattle area, she has more than a decade of experience creating seasonal displays for clients and in her own garden. Watch the video above or on our YouTube channel to see her plant up a pretty cool-toned planter for fall, and find the recipe below.
The most important thing to do is water. And while cooler fall temperatures usually mean less watering, dry spells happen even at the end of the growing season. If potting mix dries out too much, it’s hard to get it remoistened. Insert your forefinger up to the first knuckle, and if it’s dry, it’s time for a visit with the hose.
Fall container planting tips
Susan plants her fall containers around mid-September and mixes a slow-release fertilizer into the potting mix. In summer, she’ll use a water-soluble plant food every couple of weeks, but because the fall growing season is short, she doesn’t bother with that. And as you’ll see by the containers in this article, she gets wonderful results.
You Might Also Like:
Take a Fall Container Garden Tour With Susan Nock
Sign Up for Our Email List and Get a PDF Download of Susan's Fall Container Recipes!
Watch More Container Gardening Videos
Fall Container Planting Recipes
Cool-toned fall container plant combination
Sitting at the end of a walkway, this little group leads the way deeper into the backyard garden, with its out-of-the-ordinary color combination. The taller pot’s tall sedum and ivy tie in with the windowbox in the background while the lower pot stairsteps down to the path with flowery accents.
Container plant list (number to plant)
A) Maiden grass Miscanthus sinensis ‘Variegatus’ (1)
B) Ornamental kale Brassica oleracea ‘Lacinato’ (1)
C) Montauk daisy Nipponanthemum nipponicum (1)
D) Cushion bush Leucophyta brownii (1)
E) Pansy Viola x wittrockiana Matrix™ White (1)
F) Tall sedum Hylotelephium x mottramianum ‘Autumn Joy’ (1)
G) English ivy Hedera helix ‘Variegata’ (1)
(Note: English ivy is considered invasive in some areas; keep contained to the planting to avoid problems with spreading.)
H) Euphorbia Euphorbia x martinii ‘Ascot Rainbow’ (1)
I) Aster Symphyotrichum hybrid (1)
J) Ornamental kale Brassica oleracea ‘Pigeon White’ (1)
K) Garden mum Chrysanthemum hybrid (1)
L) Calibrachoa Calibrachoa hybrid (1)
Tall container is 18 in. tall x 16 in. wide
Low bowl planter is 8 in. tall x 14 in. wide
Create out-of-the-ordinary fall container with white flowers
Susan wanted a light and airy fall combo for this small windowbox, so the color combination isn’t the usual warm hues. White, gray and yellow coordinate with the storage shed, providing a soft look that still radiates a fall vibe.
Container plant list (number to plant)
A) Coneflower Echinacea Sombrero® Lemon Yellow (1)
B) Dusty miller Jacobaea maritima ‘Silver Dust’ (2)
C) Heather Calluna vulgaris (2)
D) Garden mum Chrysanthemum morifolium Shannon™ White (2)
E) Pansy Viola x wittrockiana Matrix™ White (1)
F) Ornamental kale Brassica oleracea ‘Pigeon White’ (2)
G) English ivy Hedera helix ‘Variegata’ (5)
Windowbox is 24 in. long x 10 in. wide x 10 in. deep
You Might Also Like:
How to Grow Your Best Pansies
8 Cool-Weather Plants
More Cool-Toned Container Design Ideas
Create an accent planter with leftovers
Susan found this little sconce at a thrift store. It has a metal lining so the potting mix doesn’t fall out and is round in front but flat on the back for hanging. It’s positioned on a wall near the windowbox above, so she used some of the leftover plants from that design for an integrated appearance. Then she tucked in a ‘Baby Boo’ miniature pumpkin to complete the look.
Container plant list (number to plant)
A) Montauk daisy Nipponanthemum nipponicum (1)
B) Dusty miller Jacobaea maritima ‘Silver Dust’ (1)
C) English ivy Hedera helix ‘Variegata’ (1)
D) Heather Calluna vulgaris (1)
Container is 10 in. wide
(Note: English ivy is considered invasive in some areas; keep contained to the planting to avoid problems with spreading.)
You Might Also Like:
Sign Up for Our Email List and Get a PDF Download of Susan's Fall Container Recipes!
Easy Upcycled Garden Planters
Fall Pumpkin Tips From Our Readers
