10 Fall Container Garden Ideas

Jewel Toned Foliage

Here’s how to recreate this gorgeous container garden by @carmenjohnstongardens:

“First, fill the pot with lots of good soil — don’t skimp on this step,” Johnston says. “Then, add your plants: tall grass in the center (any type will do!), flanked by cascades of lemon lime nandina and coleus on either side.

“Purple Pixie Dwarf Weeping Loropetalum from the Southern Living Plant Collection spilling from the center down the front is a gorgeous pop of focal color. The jewel toned foliage creates a rich, texture-filled combination against the shiny copper. Finish the arrangement with a layer of faux pumpkins that will last all season long!”

Pumpkin Planter

To make a cute pumpkin planter like this one by @lady_green_fingers, hollow out a real or faux pumpkin and drill a few drainage holes in the bottom. Then the fun part: Add your favorite fall plants!

This pumpkin container garden features Stipa Arundinacea (or wind grass), heuchera (coral bells), Autumn Joy sedum, succulents, ferns, white cyclamen and rainbow chard. Choose plants with varying heights and textures for the perfect balance.

Window Box Container Garden

Fall container gardens, like this stunning window box by @evergreen_floral_designs, should include plants that can last through the cold weather whenever possible.

Ornamental cabbage and pepper plants, featured here, tolerate cold weather and add beautiful color and texture to your container. If you live in a particularly cold climate, cabbage is your friend — it can live in temperatures as low as five degrees!

Elegant Fall Container

This pretty autumn container by Bridget Schroeder of @thecontainedgarden includes ornamental cabbage, kale, zebra grass, heuchera and Jerusalem cherries. Add non-living items to your fall containers for more interest.

Here, a few mini-pumpkins make the arrangement extra festive. The red berries are preserved and dyed milo berries. “They come on a long stem and we push them into our arrangements to add height and color,” Schroeder says.

Celebrate the Season

This pair of container gardens from @tonkadale are the epitome of fall. The rustic galvanized metal pots hold trailing ivy, mums and preserved lotus pods.

Of course, the star of the display is the big pumpkin. Nestle a large pumpkin among trailing plants and add faux stems to fill in any gaps. You’ll have a full seasonal planter without much effort!

Unexpected Color Palette

Don’t feel limited to orange, red and brown when planting your fall containers. Traditional fall colors are nowhere to be seen in this planter by @thistlecontainers.

This gorgeous blue pot inspired the choice of plants and flowers in blues, whites and fresh greens. The result is chic and refreshingly modern yet still autumn-appropriate.

Classic Fall Container Garden

This container garden from @donaromasmv is simple yet effective with only three types of plants. The white and yellow mums, dark purple ornamental cabbage and orange pepper plant contrast beautifully for a nicely balanced display of hues and textures. The wine barrel planter adds rustic charm that’s perfect for your autumn porch.

Purple Fall Container Garden

When choosing plants for your fall container garden, stick to slight variations of one color for a cohesive, modern look. This all-purple container by @thefancygarden features asters, dracaena, black sweet potato vine and sweet alyssum. Be sure to incorporate different heights and textures to avoid the arrangement looking too one-note.

Halloween Container Garden

The creator of this ghoulish Halloween planter, @taracottapots, says, “It’s a great time to trim those trees and add in dead branches and cornstalks to your flowerpots. Tuck in a skull here, a leg bone there, and have fun with fall flowers and grasses.”

She utilizes the thriller, filler, spiller method for planting container gardens. Thrillers are plants that add height and drama to the arrangement. Filler plants like mums are more rounded and make the container look full. Spillers are trailing plants that hang over the edge of the planter.

Grassy Fall Container Garden

Though this planter lacks blossoms, it’s got plenty of autumn color and interesting texture. The tall grass, a great choice for fall, is particularly striking. “Fountain grasses are one of the best focal points a planter can have,” says @juniperandhoneybee. “It grows beautifully all the way into late fall.”

The tall grass plant is shown here paired with coleus.