13 Colorful Fall Decorating Ideas for Porches, Patios, and Yards

Festive Outdoor Decor

Turn to the familiar symbols of the season: haystacks, pumpkins, gourds, scarecrows, fall-blooming flowers, succulents, black plants, ornamental grasses, and ​Halloween props. Or go simple with a wreath on the door and a bright orange pumpkin on the front steps. Add to the harvest by growing plants that thrive in the fall, like ornamental and native grasses in reds, bronzes, and deep purples or in striking color combinations like chartreuse/lime green and plum or purple.

Gourd and Squash Arrangement

Gather your bounty in a cluster and display it on the patio table. The squash will be fine outdoors until you eat them, and hardy gourds can decorate your outdoor space for months.

A Handful of a Garden

Do you need a hand to help you with fall porch decorations? Get a grip and give visitors a fright with a faux hand clawing its way out of a container garden. 

Touches of Orange

Exchange your summery outdoor pillows and a few accessories for your favorites in fall colors. The olive green cushions of this vintage wrought iron settee s the perfect foundation for brightly colored pillows in assorted autumn prints and patterns. Even the beagle agrees as he finds a cozy place to hang out for a fall afternoon. 

Magnificent Mums

Large mounds of white mums are artfully arranged to make a visual impact in fall gardens. To add curb appeal, use just one color, such as with these creamy white mums. Count on at least four weeks of blooms, but they could possibly last longer if you deadhead spent blooms. Mums will bloom again for another spectacular showing in the spring.

Dia de los Muertos Decor

November 1 is Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, in Mexico and Latin America, and the holiday celebrates dearly departed loved ones on a joyful holiday with bright colors, favorite foods of the deceased, marigolds, skull candies and decorations, and altars. Dia de los Muertos celebrations and decor are becoming frequently seen in the U.S., as well.

Planting a Fall Border Garden

This autumn border garden was achieved with planning and research about the chosen plants. Border gardens can be designed with tall plants in the back, mid-sized plants in the middle, and smaller, low-growing specimens in the front at the edge. The plants in this vibrant bed include various Coleus (the front-of-the-border reds), ornamental okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), and red leaf tree fern (Blechnum brasiliense 'crispum').

White Pumpkins and Fountain Grass

Red or purple fountain grass—Pennisetum setaceum—has become increasingly popular in landscape design in the past decade. It's especially attractive in early autumn when the flowers (their feathers and plumes) are in bloom. Here, a potted small, dark fountain grass is surrounded by unexpected white pumpkins to make a striking vignette. Keep the vignette in October, but simply add Halloween props such as fake spiders, skulls, and crows.

Fall Container Garden

This gorgeous autumn planter is filled with variegated green, plus red and magenta coleus, all nestled against a Japanese maple for a breathtaking burst of colors for the fall.

Pumpkins and Ornamental Grass

Create a simple and uncluttered design scheme with two colors, bright orange and vibrant green ornamental grass. Here, it's just two colors, bright orange pumpkins and vibrant green ornamental grass.

Sweet Potato Vine Covering

Sweet potato vines are prolific growers in some climates and work well as autumn ground covers or in hanging planters. In the fall and at Halloween, Ipomea batata 'Blackie' is strikingly beautiful when mixed with other black plants or pumpkins. Another variety of sweet potato vine, 'Margarita,' makes a stunning contrast with the darker plant. Try other black plants, such as:

• Aeonium Arboreum 'Zwartkop'
• Black 'Bat' orchid
• Black Elephant's Ear
• Black Mondo Grass

Coleus and Cordyline Container

Nontraditional color combinations for fall include purple and lime or chartreuse green. This tall, spiky-leaved plant is Cordyline, while the rust-splashed coleus is 'Amora'. Other coleus varieties that feature lime or chartreuse green leaves include 'Antique', 'Bipolar Bigolly', 'Careless Love', 'Charlie McCarthy', 'Max Levering', 'Pineapple Queen', and 'Twist and Twirl'. Besides coleus, other lime or chartreuse green plants you might want to try include:

• Sweet potato vine (Ipomea)
• Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia numularia 'Aurea')
• Heuchera 'Lime Rickey' or "Dolce, Key Lime Pie"
• Euphorbia
• Cut-leaf elder (Sambucus racemosa 'Sutherland Gold')
• Sedum makinoi 'Ogon'

Rustic Charm for Fall

The weathered white planter is updated for the season with sweet potato vine and bright orange New Guinea impatiens. It would even look brilliant with a pumpkin or gourd sitting at its base.