Now your Fall garden planters around your home and yard should be looking pretty spent.  The mums may have started to fade and the grasses have been beaten by the wind.  We would like to make a few suggestions on how to transition into your winter containers.

The main focus is to plant the containers with plants that will last thru the harsh winter temps and still look presentable and decorative.  In many cases, you only need to plant on center evergreen and then add a bunch of decorative items to make the whole container more dazzling and lively.

Birch branches are always a big addition.  You can tie them together to create a cluster and stick in the center of the planter.  This gives the planter height, a stark white contrast to the deep green plant that is unique.  Berry Branches are also stunning when sticking out of an evergreen.  You can cut them off an existing bush or purchase them at the local craft store.  Holly is a wonderful addition to any winter planter.

Pods and Seed Heads are very decorative.  They add a dried touch to the yard pots and can be sprayed with spray paint that matches your décor. Red, Gold & Greens look lovely for the holidays while the natural earth tones will last into the new year and still look lovely.

Conifers in all varieties are the very best.  Cedar, spruce, and boxwoods are the perfect addition to any winter container because they can handle the harsh weather and fill your planter with lots of earthy green color and texture.  Junipers, ornamental cabbage, and kale are large and work wonderfully planted around the outside of your pottery.

Now that we have given you a few suggestions for turning the Fall planters into Winter planters around your yard, patio or porch we think it is time to try thinking outside the box.  Look around your yard or your neighbor’s yard and see the different types of plants, shrubs, berries, and branches that are growing.  Try adding them into your design and create a planter that will last for many months to come.

Now that Fall has arrived what do you garden planters look like?  If you are tired of cleaning out your summer containers and leave those same planters empty all fall and winter than there are a few suggestions of fall flowers that are easy, colorful and fun to pot up.

Visiting your local home and garden center will show you many of the fall flowers that are available and ready to take hope and plant in your patio pots.  During this time of the year they are so important for providing color and texture to a garden or yard that may be looking a bit worn out and tired.

Consider these flowers when redesigning your garden pottery for the yard, porch or patio.

Sunflowers – who doesn’t love these cheery yellow flowers that will last till the first frost.  They can attract songbirds and are prefect to cut and bring indoors for a decorative touch.

Daisy is another cheerful and bright addition to any plant container.  They attract butterflies, also make great cut flowers for indoor arrangements and come in many wonderful colors.

Aster is a fall flower that blooms in yellow, orange and red which means they will compliment any fall mixture of plant materials you group together in a flowerpot.  They love the sun.  Autumn crocus is similar to the spring blooming crocuses and grow up to 6” high.  Great when placed in the center of a garden container with smaller flowers surrounding it.  They require little maintenance and are perfect for all containers.

Pansies are always great for fall and perfect for garden pottery.  They have the sweetest little faces and come in all shades of colors.

Ornamental Kale & cabbage have become more and more popular and are seen planted in most fall containers.  Their colorful purple and deep green ruffled leaves add aesthetic qualities that other flowers do not.  The colors of potted cabbage and kale intensifies as it gets colder outdoors.

We hope we gave you some good suggestions on different types of flowers to pot up for fall and that you give one of them a try.  We think you will be pleased and your garden pottery will look stunning!

If you are considering changing out your summer containers into fall planters and just visited your local garden center you will see there are a lot of garden mums in multiple colors to choose from.  White, Yellow, Pink, Lavender, Red and Bronze are all in full bloom.  Here are a few tips that may help so you can keep your fall garden containers looking good till Winter.

Fall mums are great for garden pottery during the cooler Autumn months.  Their colors compliment all other plant materials like ornamental kale and cabbage, cornstalks, rustic grasses and evergreens.  When shopping for mums looks for plants with buds that are just starting to open.  These will last approximately 6 weeks.

As your potted mums start to grow, look for spent blooms and prune when they are faded and dried looking.  Remember to water your potted mums regularly.  Fall mum containers will stay prettier and be happier if they don’t dry out. 

You won’t need to fertilize your mums since the grower has already taken care of.  If you prefer to keep your potted mums indoors then place the vase near a window with indirect light. Check for moisture and keep them watered but not soggy.  That pretty much is it.  Fall mums that are planted in your garden pottery are the easy and colorful solution.

How to prep your garden containers for Fall

It’s much easier to turn a spent Summer garden container into a Fall planter than you think.  Just follow some easy tips provided below and create wonderful Fall planters.

Don’t leave your entryway garden containers empty this time of year.  Now is perfect for seasonal color and rust grasses.  Evergreen foliage will add life to any type or style of landscape container.  When you visit your local garden center you should see lots of Fall colored mums.  Bright yellow, orange and reds, deep burgundy, purple and gold.

Simply by adding a center mum and surrounding it with pumpkins, gourds and succulents you can create a wonderful Fall planter that will take you into winter and welcome your guest with warmth and beauty.  Plant rustic grass in the center of a terracotta planter then surround it with ornamental kale and cabbage with dark deep greens and purple leaves. 

Instead of just planting typical green houseplants in your entryway planters how about herbs like cilantro, thyme and oregano?  They can all handle the cooler weather.  Plant trailing ivy, gold mums and red flowers in your garden container of choice and then set pumpkins and gourds around the outside of the pot.  You don’t even have to plant anything.

Try mixing dark purple and deep green of kale and cabbage and fill around the outside of the pot with mini WHITE pumpkins and create a purple and white display of color. Stunning & elegant!

One tip that you can never fail at it to over stuff your pottery. Mix lots of plants, greens and ornamental items without space between them.  This creates a full and colorful display.  By using a neutral based color planter like terracotta or taupe you can mix tons of colors in the pot and they will all look grand.

Autumn in here and it’s that time of year when you can savor and appreciate your fall potted foliage.  Fall perennials are the perfect choice.

Fall perennials in garden flowerpots provide a range of colors from pink and purple to white and gold.  They offer a bloom that you can depend on and will bless you with color year round.  Dried flower head and stalks left to stand over winter will provide shelter and nourishment for birds & other wildlife.

Below are a few of the popular potted perennials that you may enjoy.

Sedum:  Varieties like Autumn Joy have pink to red flowers that turn maroon as colder weather hits.  It favors full sun and average garden soil.  A wonderful late season perennial.

Asters:  Classic fall bloomer, they are often planted to compliment other fall blooming flowers like chrysanthemums, which you see everywhere this time of year.  They range in color, height and size making them perfect for any display.

Mums:  They are fall’s ubiquitous flowers.  Every garden center offers them this time of year for a reason. Their colors are perfect for a fall display.  Yellows, orange, and rusts are perfect when potted on a holiday table or the front entry of your home.  It shouts we are into the season!!!.  Place the planters indoors for color or outside for fall beauty.

Goldenrod:  There flowers are perfect for insects and bees. With its bright yellow flowers and long stalks they are perfect in any garden planter where you want color and beauty this time of year.

So, don’t leave your flowerpots sitting empty as the weather cools.  Plant some of these suggestions and enjoy the beauty the flower kingdom has to offer.

And then comes Winter.  There are winter flowering shrubs the will look lovely in your pottery. Now is the time to make sure you are using poly resin, concrete, sandstone or high fired glazed pottery that can stand the cold.  Put up some evergreens which look lovely this time of year when dusted with snow.  Plant a pine or spruce tree and add Christmas lights to bring some excitement and light to your garden or patio area.

There will always be 4 seasons and only one you.  Don’t let a season go by without planting in your garden containers.