warm sunshine
One of the great things about container gardening is that you can create a planting almost any time of year. In fall, for example, many garden centers get in lots of fresh plants that look fantastic in cooler weather.
This container planting uses traditional fall colors of orange and gold, but, except for the kale, pretty unconventional fall plants. These gorgeous yellow and orange ‘Julie’ begonias echo the color of this big terra-cotta bowl, while adding a fresh bright look. In the background, large ornamental kales provide a more traditional touch of fall, along with interesting color and texture contrasts.
And who says you can’t use indoor plants in fall containers? Croton and begonias are typically considered house plants, but here they bring autumnal shades and fascinating textures. Keep them in their individual pots when you place them in the larger container. Then you can just pop them back out and take them indoors before frost hits.
For a big pot like this, try mounding the soil in the center before planting to give the middle plants a bit more height. And a few unobtrusive green bamboo stakes will keep the begonias standing nice and straight. The combination will look good for just a few weeks, so give the plants even moisture but don’t bother to feed them.
Get your hands on even more beautiful fall container ideas with Autumn GardenScapes, at right!