Tropical Style

8 Knockout Flowers for a Fall Container Garden

When summer winds down, your container gardens may be looking past their prime. Perhaps a plant or two did not make it — or you’ve got the opposite problem: They did so well that they’re carrying over your container (sweet potato vine, anyone?) . If this is true, don’t fret. With the addition of a few late-blooming flowering plants, your own containers can appear fresh and appropriate. Whether you choose annuals or perennials, autumn is a excellent time for bolder colours and textures.

One caveat when buying a perennial for containers: It’s ideal to find those that are workable two USDA zones below your zone if you would like the plant to return next year. Find your zone

This is only because potted plants don’t have the insulation that in-ground plants have, and their roots may freeze. Obviously, you can also just treat those perennials as annuals and move on.

It’s up to you (and your budget) to decide when you pop in a few fresh plants or begin from scratch. Listed below are several fall beauties that may last you until the first frost and even beyond. Pair them together with other autumn foliage plants for brilliant displays.

Westover Landscape Design, Inc..

Pansies (the orange blooms around the rim of the front pot) are the typical go-to plant for autumn, and with great reason. The pansies labeled”hardy” can withstand a frost or two and, if you’re lucky, may even return the following spring. Plus, pansies come in more colours than you can shake a dead petunia at. Pansies are low growing, with a mounded shape, and function well as a filler at the front of the container. Their broad blooms shine when coupled with ornamental grasses or finely textured asparagus fern.

Botanical name: Viola x wittrockiana
USDA zones: 6 to 10
Water requirement: Medium moisture, well-drained soils
moderate requirement: Full sun to light shade
Mature size: 1/2 into 3/4 foot tall and 3/4 to 1 foot wide

The New York Botanical Garden

Aster x frikartii is just another autumn staple and can be found at most garden centers in summer time. Asters also stay in a somewhat mounded form, and their purplish-blue colours pair nicely with ornamental cabbage and contrast beautifully with orange- and rust-colored blooms.

Botanical name: Aster x frikartii
USDA zones: 5 to 10
Water requirement: Medium moisture, well-drained soils
moderate requirement: Full sun to light shade
Mature size: 1 foot to two feet tall and 3/4 to 1 foot wide

Missouri Botanical Garden

Coneflowers make excellent statement plants . Those comprising sunset-like colours are terrific in fall. A few standouts include the kinds’Art’s Pride’ (shown here) and’Firebird’. These can grow somewhat tall, you’re going to want to place them at the middle or back of your container. They match well with a chartreuse Alternanthera or Carex.

Botanical name: Echinacea
USDA zones: 3 to 8
Water requirement: Dry to moderate vulnerability, well-drained soils
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 2-3 feet tall and 1 1/2 into 2 1/2 feet wide

Kim Gamel

Rudbeckia is just another superb autumn container choice. With its yellow-orange petals and dark brown centre, it’s the epitome of fall. The aptly called’Autumn Colors’ assortment, featured here in the middle, is a short-lived perennial that’s frequently treated as an annual. It looks nice here mixed with orange nasturtium.

Botanical name: Rudbeckia
USDA zones: 3 to 8
Water requirement: Dry to moderate vulnerability, well-drained soils
moderate requirement: Full sun to light shade
Mature dimensions: 1 foot to two feet tall and 3/4 to 1 foot wide

Terra Nova® Nurseries, Inc

Stonecrop is a late-blooming perennial that can last well past a few frosts. Its foliage ranges from icy blue-green to dark burgundy. And its thick, fleshy leaves and blossoms look great next to airy plants and grasses with a finer texture. ‘Thunderhead’ is that the number shown here and is stunning next to dainty pink blooms.

Botanical name: Sedum
USDA zones: 4 to 10
Water requirement: Dry, well-drained soils
moderate requirement: Total sun
Mature dimensions: two to 2 1/2 feet tall and two feet wide

Kim Gamel

Million bells is a showy plant that blossoms almost nonstop through autumn. Its broad assortment of color options makes it an easy choice for mixed containers. The coral-color variety in this photo would also seem nice spilling out of a container full of purple asters and dark heuchera.

Botanical name: Calibrachoa
USDA zones: 9 to 11
Water requirement: Medium moisture, well-drained soils
moderate requirement: Full sun to light shade
Mature size: 1/4 into 3/4 foot tall and 1/2 foot to two feet wide

Johnsen Landscapes & Pools

Verbena bonariensis is a distinctive yet gorgeous plant with tall, slim stems topped with clusters of lavender lavender blossoms that attract butterflies — also, it’s deer resistant to boot! This plant is considered an annual exterior of zones 7 to 10, but it may self-seed. It’s been proven to become invasive in the Deep South, which means you will want to avoid using it in those regions.

Botanical name: Verbena bonariensis
USDA zones: 7 to 10
Water requirement: Medium moisture, well-drained soils
moderate requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 2 to 4 feet tall and 1 1/2 to 3 feet wide

Kim Gamel

While cosmetic peppers do flower, their glossy purple leaves and fruit are what make this plant a late-season knockout. While the peppers are edible, they’re extremely hot and not recommended for ingestion.

‘Purple Flash’, found here in the middle, grows to a bushy mound roughly 18 to 24 inches tall. Pair it with Verbena bonariensis and glowing lime-green creeping Jenny for a dynamic presentation. Caution: This plant is considered invasive in a few regions of the U.S.

Botanical name: Capsicum annuum
USDA zones: N/A; treat annual
Water requirement: Medium moisture, well-drained soils
Light requirement: Complete sun
Mature dimensions: 1 foot into 1 1/2 feet tall and 1 1/2 to two feet wide

Inform usWhat do you prefer to plant in autumn?

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