Autumn Blooms for Containers: Eight Striking Choices for Everlasting Fall Potted Decorations
In the heart of autumn, gardens continue to flourish with a splash of colour and charm. Here are some expert-recommended plants that will brighten up your baskets, pots, and hanging baskets during the fall season.
Asters, Autumn Anemones, Chrysanthemums, Geraniums, Petunias, and Dianthus are all popular choices for autumn containers. Asters and Autumn Anemones, being winter-hardy perennials, provide a long-lasting presence, while Chrysanthemums, Geraniums, and Petunias are known for their long-lasting blooms and attractiveness to pollinators like bees and butterflies.
Dianthus, a versatile species, is suitable for fall containers and can bloom through summer, with cool weather extending the production of flowers through autumn. Potted dianthus such as carnations or pinks are best, maintaining a more compact size. Echinacea plants, beautiful summer blooming plants, also work well in fall containers, with dwarf varieties such as 'Kim's Knee High', 'Lilliput Dwarf' and 'Paradiso Dwarf' being popular choices.
For those looking to prolong bloom in fall, Snapdragons are an exceptional option, with shorter, dwarf varieties performing best. Calendulas are another fantastic choice, maturing quickly and blooming in 6-8 weeks, persisting well through the arrival of the first frost. Calendulas are also beneficial to migrating insects.
Coneflowers, known for their drought tolerance, are another great addition to fall containers. Rudbeckia species, particularly Rudbeckia hirta, are well-suited to growth in containers. Salvia species such as Salvia greggii, S. leucantha, and S. farinacea are good choices for growth in pots and containers, blooming in autumn and being tolerant to cold.
When sourcing live mums for pots, look for a plant that is tightly budded. The Scent First Series featuring 'Candy Floss', 'Sugar Plum' and 'Passion' varieties are good choices for enduring color in fall containers. 'Green Twister' can be bought as live plants from Nature Hills, and Dianthus 'Neon Star' can be found on Amazon.
To maintain the health of your autumn containers, ensure your plants receive plenty of sunshine, water, and fertilizer. Mulching chrysanthemums through winter can aid in plant growth. Use natural products like Garden Safe Slug Pellets to protect calendula plants from molluscs.
Remember, deadheading can help you extend the flowering season of echinacea, dianthus, and even snapdragons. Asters are some of the best fall flowers for containers, with prolonged bloom from mid-summer through the first frost, and are beneficial to pollinators such as bees and butterflies in preparation for winter.
Sign up for our free platform Newsletter for timely gardening jobs and seasonal expert advice to keep your autumn containers blooming beautifully. Classic Home & Garden Store's Honeysuckle Tequila Sunrise Pots are fall-friendly and fabulous for potting fall flowers. Happy gardening!
