16 Fall Container Garden Ideas

By
Kerry Michaels
Kerry Michaels

Kerry Michaels is a container gardening expert with over 20 years of experience maintaining container gardens in Maine. She specializes in writing and capturing photography for gardening and landscape design for print and broadcast media, including the Discovery Channel, Small Gardens, and Disney, among others.

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Updated on 09/12/22
Fall container plants and pumpkins

Ali Harper / Stocksy

Fall is a great time to experiment and have fun with container gardens. Incorporate different colors and textures. Use perennials, or try out some cold-loving annuals. By grouping containers, you can change the look of a whole area—be it a deck, stoop, or yard. And you can move the containers around to change the appearance of the grouping. This is particularly handy when popular fall plants, such as asters and mums, start to fade. You can easily move them to an out-of-the-way spot and feature your best-looking containers.

Here are 16 ideas for a fall container garden.

  • 01 of 16

    Ornamental Grasses With Pops of Color

    Ornamental grasses and orange million bells

    The Spruce / Kerry Michaels

    These relaxed fall planters boast a mix of textures and a bright pop of color. The lower planter contains Calibrachoa 'Superbells Dreamsicle' and Mexican feather grass (Stipa tenuissima). The larger pot includes purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum'), golden leaf sage 'Icterina' (Salvia officinalis), and stonecrop (Sedum tetractinum).

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  • 02 of 16

    Snapdragons and Nemesia

    fall container garden with snapdragons and grass

    The Spruce / Kerry Michaels

    Have a little fun with your fall container garden by using snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus), which look just like candy corn. The Nemesia 'Bluebird' in this floral mixture contrasts beautifully with the brown and orange snapdragons. And while the 'Crown Red' snapdragons add some pop, the grassy leather leaf sedge (Carex buchananii) pulls it all together.

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  • 03 of 16

    Birch Log Container Garden

    Log container garden filled with plants

    The Spruce / Kerry Michaels

    This rustic grouping features planters made from hollow birch logs, and the shades of red and purple scream autumn festivities. This particular planter features coleus, fuchsia, impatiens, and purple shamrock. But you can choose any favorite plants with warm, rich tones to mimic the look.

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  • 04 of 16

    Fall Container With a Gourd

    cabbage branches basket mum container garden

    The Spruce / Kerry Michaels

    This fall container from VSF of New York City is both imaginative and beautiful. The use of bittersweet, branches, moss, and ivy give the planter texture. And the giant gourd and flowering kale really drive home the autumn feel.

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  • 05 of 16

    Flowering Cabbage

    Container garden basket with three flowering cabbage

    The Spruce / Kerry Michaels

    This basket of flowering cabbage will look even better as the weather gets colder and the colors deepen. Because of its low profile, this container would be great as a table centerpiece or on a low step. And the cabbage also would look nice among some taller plants that rise above it, along with plants that spill over the container edges.

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  • 06 of 16

    Purple Fountain Grass With Wire Vine

    annual grass and wirevine

    The Spruce / Kerry Michaels

    This fall container garden will last well past the first frost. It uses purple fountain grass and creeping wire vine (Muehlenbeckia axillaris) in a simple arrangement. The plain metal planter works well with the elaborate textures of the grass and wire vine, giving the container garden a modern look.

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  • 07 of 16

    Lamb's Ear

    lamb's ear

    The Spruce / Kerry Michaels

    Large-leafed lamb's ear (Stachys byzantina) is a great fall container plant. It can be beautiful in a mixed container or alone in a pot. The plant is known for the silvery fuzz on its leaves, which can add texture to the container garden.

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  • 08 of 16

    Sedum With Rosemary and Grass

    Sedum, grass, and rosemary in a container garden

    The Spruce / Kerry Michaels

    This fall container garden uses the wonderful structure of rosemary to complement the loosey-goosey look of fountain grass. The combination of the dusty pink and sage of the sedum looks great draping over the edge. This container garden is tolerant to the cold and will look fantastic through fall and into winter.

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  • 09 of 16

    Fuchsia and Purple Shamrock

    rustic basket of fuchsia and "charmed wine," shamrock

    The Spruce / Kerry Michaels

    This container garden in a rustic basket is made for the shade. The 'Summer Splash' fuchsia and purple shamrock (Oxalis 'Charmed Wine') work well together and are happy in full to partial shade. When the temperatures start to dip, you can bring them inside to overwinter without having to worry too much about having a window with ample sunlight.

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  • 10 of 16

    Hens and Chicks

    hens and chicks in old metal basket

    The Spruce / Kerry Michaels

    This basket of hens and chicks (Sempervivum 'Red Beauty') will last through the fall. These succulents thrive on neglect, and you can transplant them into the garden before the ground freezes. Just rest them on some sandy, well-draining soil; if it's sunny they should spread and thrive.

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  • 11 of 16

    Coral Bells

    Heuchera hybrid with gourds

    The Spruce / Kerry Michaels

    You can't beat coral bells (heuchera) for a fall container garden plant. They love the cold and only get more beautiful as the temperature drops. Hybrids come in a gorgeous array of colors, from the bright 'Key Lime' to the almost black-purple 'Blackcurrant'.

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  • 12 of 16

    White Clover and Asters

    basket filled with white clover and pink aster

    The Spruce / Kerry Michaels

    'Dark Dancer' white clover is a wonderful fall container garden plant. The colors are fantastic, and it's hardy to -30 degrees Fahrenheit. The leaves are small and the plant is compact and dense, so it can really tie a container garden together. In this basket, the pink of the asters really brings out the deep purple-pink of the white clover.

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  • 13 of 16

    Lamb's Ear, Sweet Potato Vine, and Kale

    large terra cotta pot with fall plants

    The Spruce / Kerry Michaels

    This large terra cotta pot is stuffed to the brim with fall plants. They include the large-leafed lamb's ear, sweet potato vine, sedum, flowering kale, and a small ornamental grass. These plants all do well in cool weather, and the mix of textures adds plenty of visual interest.

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  • 14 of 16

    Mums, Coral Bells, and Ornamental Grass

    Coral bells, toffee twist sedge, and pink mum in a fall container garden

    The Spruce / Kerry Michaels

    This fall container garden features dark coral bells (Heuchera 'Dolce Mocha Mint') with ornamental grass (Carex flagellifera 'Toffee Twist') for texture. And the deep pink mums add a necessary pop of color while bringing out the purple tones of the coral bell foliage. All together the arrangement is warm and inviting.

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  • 15 of 16

    Birch Bark Pot With Mums and Wire Vine

    birch bark-covered container holding mums and wirevine

    The Spruce / Kerry Michaels

    This birch bark-covered nursery container takes about 10 minutes to make. All you have to do is cut birch bark to fit a large nursery pot and attach it to the container with twine. For a finished edge, tuck the bark under the rim of the pot. Using a plant that drapes over the side—in this case wire vine—also gives a more finished look.

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  • 16 of 16

    Peppers in a Fall Arrangement

    several pepper plants in terra cotta pot

    The Spruce / Kerry Michaels

    Hot peppers bring a playful look to any arrangement, and they thrive in container gardens. Enjoy them in your container, waiting until they turn red. Then, cut them and hang them to dry. Keep some for decoration, and grind up the others to use for cooking.