Great Plants for Your Fall Containers & Planters

There is nothing that will cause your front porch, patio or deck to look sadder then a planter with fading and dying plants. This is especially the case if you live in the northern parts of the country.

I am sure most often you have replaced your summer container plants with mums, pansies or asters. But you don’t have to. Your local nurseries still have plants and many plants in your own garden can be transplanted to your containers.

You can use the same summer potting soil but you will need to make it richer in nutrients. This can be done by adding a mixture consisting of 4 parts potting soil, one part sand and one part peat moss.

Following are some great suggestions for your Fall Planters and will start your creative thinking:

• English Ivy (Hedra helix & H. helix Goldchild' )- Shade to Part Shade
• Fall-flowering Heather (Calluna vulgaris or Erica vagans)- Full Sun
  Tiny blossoms of deep pinks and reds. At the end of the fall season, this plant can be put right into your flower bed.
• Skimmia Japonica Rubella- Shade to Part Shade
  Spikes of dark red flower buds. Leaves are very aromatic, and lustrous.
• Ornamental Cabbage (Kale) - Full Sun
  a bit of extra color & filler plants
• Heuchera- Sun to Shade
  Purple and silver coral bells Can be wintered over in the pot
• Sedum - Sun to Shade
  deep pinks and magentas
• Sweet Potato Vine (Ipomoea batatas) - Shade to Part Shade
  Snip a few sections off the ends of the vines and root them quickly either in water or in the soil of a new fall container.
• Bugleweed (Ajuga)- Partial Shade
  The deep purple leaves will grow up and under other plants. They're great for trailing over pots and hiding the less than stellar foliage of fall bloomers.
• Coleus- Sun to Partial Shade
  The orange and rust coleuses
• Firethorn (Pyracantha rogersiana )- Full Sun
  long-lasting red, orange or yellow berries. They can be trained on trellis supports or allowed to grow through other plants. (watch out for their thorns)
• Snapdragon (Antirrhinum)- Sun to Partial Shade
  Get from your garden, they rally during the Fall
• Red, Gold and Purple Grasses
  Curly Top Sedge (Carex buchananii)- Sun to Partial Shade
  Bronze red foliage
  Golden Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra “Aureola’)- Partial Shade
  Gold variegated bamboo-like foliage.
  Japanese Blood Grass (Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra')- Sun to Partial Shade
  Red tipped blades
  Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum 'Rubrum')- Sun
  Burgundy foliage and flowers.

If you do not want to create your own then follow how these planters were made:

Planter size: 42 inches long.
Growing Conditions: Partial shade.

• 1 Autumn Fern (middle)
• 1 Toffee Twist sedge (middle, back)
• 1 Moneywort
• 6 Violas (spread throughout)
• 2 Golden variegated sweet flag (upper top edges)
• 2 Coral bells (upper left)
• 2 Ivy (front, left)
• 2 Angelina sedum (front, right)

Planter size: 18-inch diameter
Growing conditions: Morning and evening sun; midday shade.

• 1 Fountain Grass (center)
• 3 Upright fuchsia (center)
• 3 Coleus-different colors (center)
• 3 Lamium (outer edges, evenly spaced)
• 3 Vinca vine (outer edges, evenly spaced)
• 3 Licorice vine (outer edges, evenly spaced)
• 6 Sweet potato vine-3 black, 3 lime (spaced throughout)

Now that your front porch is looking better why not get a new rocker or wind chime for your front porch too. Your worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!