The summer season is quickly wrapping up which means fall is just around the corner. Fall is my favorite season for so many reasons. It is a great time of year to plant not only your trees and shrubs but also cool weather annuals. If you have some tired, yellowing, dried up spring and summer annuals, have no fear, because there is a whole new crop of fresh fall annuals to pick from. A person doesn’t have to start completely from scratch to make their containers fresh for fall. If you have a grass or thriller plant that is still thriving, keep it and plant your new annuals around it. If you are someone who has never planted fall containers, there is no better time to get on this bandwagon.
What you will need for your fall containers:
- Soil
- Container of your choosing (preferably with a drain hole)
- Cool weather annuals
- Start and Grow fertilizer
When picking your fall annuals, the same rules apply from your summer containers. You want to pick a thriller, spiller and filler plant to ensure balance in the container. A short list of some great options include: Mums, Pansies, Grasses, Flowering Kale, Ornamental Peppers, Asters and Coral Bells. You may notice a few perennials on this list as well; these plants can easily be moved from the container to the ground for over wintering at the end of the season.
August and September are great times to be getting your fall containers started and established. Watering slows down significantly in the fall so be sure to monitor your containers so they don’t get over-watered or under-watered. As the fall season presses on, you can add pumpkins and ornamental corn to your fall displays on your patio or deck. There are also some fun fall garden stakes you could stick in your yard or container to add more fall flare. You will not be disappointed by your fall container gardens, happy planting!
