Container gardens are a great way to enjoy seasonal splashes of color throughout your living space.
For fallcontainer gardening, mix eye-popping blooms with rustic grasses and foliage.
Here, theSouthern Livinggardening editors share bright ideas for bringing the shades and tones of autumn to your home.
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller
From decorativemumsandpumpkinsyou can even combine the two in a “mumkin"to vibrant window boxes.
These fall container gardens are full of inspiration.
Whatever your reason, these fall container gardening ideas will fill every autumn day with the beauty it deserves.
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller
The Fragrant Flower Basket
This rustic hanging arrangement doubles as a mini herb garden.
Prep TipHanging baskets can be heavy.
Prep TipFor sturdier pumpkin stacks, pick flat-topped gourds without stems.
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller
(Here, we chose ‘Fairytale’ pumpkins.)
Vary the colors of the gourds on your steps, and add ornamental kale and cabbage.
We suggest loosening things up with free-flowing asters.
Credit: Robbie Caponetto; Design: Mark Thompson
Blooming in late summer and early fall, these vibrant flowers can withstand the South’s fickle autumn temperatures.
Mix purple ones with spiky Mexican bush sage and ornamental cabbage to create a moody, monochromatic display.
Provide full sun and water daily.
Credit: Robbie Caponetto; Design: Mark Thompson
Start by buying a form and liner that it’s possible for you to use every season.
At the end of winter, replant with spring annuals.
Prep TipTo assemble, place the jute liner (plastic side up) in the wreath.
Credit: Alison Miksch
Fill partially with potting soil, leaving enough room for adding plants.
Cover with the second jute piece, and clip the wire frame in place.
Snip holes in the liner for plants.
Credit: Alison Miksch
Make It LastSmaller flowers and foliage are easier to plant.
They’ll grow into the wreath and last through the season.
Lay it on the ground to water and let it drain before rehanging.
Credit: Alison Miksch
When you have a neutral base, a lush arrangement of contrasting foliage and flowers steals the show.
Mums, a familiar fall favorite, are front and center.
Count on these cheery containers to brighten your stoop until the first frost.
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn
Its leaves, which turn red in fall, can last through the winter.
In summer, expect creamy white flowers, so keep this around for a warm-weather container.
Prep TipAre you hosting a dinner party this season?
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn
Attach place cards to mini white pumpkins to show your guests to their seats.
Flamelike bromeliads hold court atop the multihued leaves of crotons and the whimsical structure of pitcher plants.
Yellow creeping Jenny at the base of each container provides a bright green pop against the white pots.
Credit: Photo: Hector Sanchez
While bromeliads and crotons can’t handle frost exposure, pitcher plants are hardy perennials.
Texas and the Southwest Regional Container
The texture is the secret to this handsome duo.
Start at the bottom with aged concrete vessels, which give a rugged, established look.
Credit: Hector Sanchez
Plus, the neutral tones coordinate with the home’s exterior and allow the colors to shine.
Variegated yucca provides a background for each architectural arrangement.
The bluish-purple echeverias contrast nicely with the yellow tones of the yuccas and the green of the sedums.
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn
A bright red kalanchoe finishes each container with a flourish.
This low-maintenance display will last until the first frost.
You’ll want to bring the echeverias and kalanchoes indoors for the winter.
Credit: Photo: Helen Norman
First, encircle a copper container with a bittersweet wreath (fresh or faux).
Spice up the center with “Calypso Orange” ornamental peppers and “Cosmic Yellow” cosmos.
Crown the look with a halo of Mexican bush sage.
Credit: Ralph Lee Anderson
Stack pumpkins on the steps for additional color.
Provide full sun and moderate water, and the display will flourish through the fall.
Plant the sedum in your yard to continue the show.
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn
The mums will also pair well with boxwood, salvias, ornamental cabbage, and kale.
This arrangement is a quintessential autumn container garden.
Tuck in the showy foliage of ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ heuchera to complete the look.
Credit: Ralph Anderson
Next to the neutral background, these colors shine.
A “mumkin,” of course!
Fill smaller gourds with containers of pansies to create a trio of trusty sidekicks.
Credit: Photo: Van Chaplin
Different flower varieties in the same color add dimension and interest to the space.
Add trailing greenery to spill over the container for flourishing abundance.
Show-Stopping Autumn Window Box
Dwarf Alberta spruce is a focal point for this fall-focused window box.
Credit: Southern Living
Kales, pansies, and violas provide fall colors and textures.
For a bit of romance, English ivy cascades over the sides of the box.
Add sweet potato vines for an extra pop at the bottom.
This pot will last until your first frost.
This strawberry jar features a striking combination of ‘Sorbet Plum Velvet’ and ‘Sorbet Icy Blue’ violas.
Varying heights allow for more blooms in this stacked container garden.
Credit: Southern Living
Cheery Chrysanthemums
Mums usher in the spirit of autumn like nothing else.
Slip them between the coleus from your summer pots for a big show of color.
If you takecare of themthe right way, these blooms should last you all season.
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn
Stair-Step Violas
‘Penny Red with Blotch’ violas will warm any entry.
Group them on your steps to add a vertical boost that brings the eye toward your door.
Use your favorite color violas to complement your house, or add a variety of fall pops of color.
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn
Fiery Ornamental Plumes
Purple fountain grass looks great in containers.
Its vertical shape creates an exclamation point in the border.
Purplish red leaves and fall plumes combine well with the red coleus below.
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn
They’re ideal in pots or on the ground.
Its mounding and cascading form is ideal for large containers and window boxes.
The bright foliage of coleus mixes perfectly with the petunias.
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn
Ornamental grasses add a unique groundcover surrounding the container.
Hardy Succulents
You won’t find any plants better adapted for growing in pots than succulents.
This pot combines ‘Red Stem’ portulacaria with echeveria and ‘Amazon Mist’ sage.
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn
Stacked Violas
Gather two galvanized buckets.
Plant the smaller one with violas and parsley.
Finally, tuck more violas and creeping Jenny around the edges of the larger one, and stack.
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn
The final results will be amazing.
Elevated Autumn Urn
Add extra height to your pots with pole baskets.
Line the baskets with sphagnum moss, place them in containers, and plant them for a multilevel display.
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn
Here we used ‘Dolce Creme Brulee’ heucheras or coral bells.
They sport bronze foliage like just-fallen autumn leaveswithout the raking!
Perfect for window boxes or anywhere you want to add a little more greenery.
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn
The variegated leaves add interest without drawing too much attention.
This display is perfect for somewhere you want to add some plants without visually overcrowding the space.
Fresh Decorative Collards
While not so traditional, some edible greens grow well in containers.
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn
The striking foliage of collards is a decorative choice to fill any space.
The crop will be most delicious after the first frostgroup pots to keep plenty of fresh greens at hand.
A beautiful indoor display with staying power.
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez
For another fantastic look, try these plants in a window box.
The flowers complement the surrounding pumpkins, and the spilling greenery adds a whimsical touch to this display.
Perfect for pots, boxwoods look good all year long and are the nearest thing to no maintenance.
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez
Pruning is essential for a uniform shape and healthy plants.
Heirloom Viola Container
A small, perfectly placed container significantly impacts this cottage garden.
Use a well-draining container to help maintain healthy soil.
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn
Blooming Lantana
Bring butterflies and other wildlife to your yard in the fall by potting Lantanas.
Beloved by nature because of their bold color, these perennials will last until winter.
Credit: Photo: Ralph Lee Anderson
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez
