Are Your Summer Containers Looking Drab? Refresh Them With Autumn Color!

By the time September rolls around most summer containers may not be at their perkiest. Now's the perfect time to welcome in the colors of Autumn.

Chrysanthemums, asters, and marigolds showcase the colors of the season. Deep russets, bright yellows, and vibrant purples are all a good contrast to deep green foliage. Perennial grasses, now in their prime, are a way to add height, texture, and movement to larger containers. The grasses can either be left in your containers when you transition them into winter, or planted before the ground freezes.

Ornamental kale adds a unique statement to any container. The white or blue-green ruffles of the plant adds fullness and texture. Or, use a head of kale to give a jack-o-lantern a head of hair!

Pansies are often though of as an early season plant. However, their hardiness that makes them a great plant for Spring, also allows them to be a perfect plant for the Fall. Those little plants may go into a container as a filler, but they somehow end up being the star!

Hardy mums and asters can be planted before a freeze and will come up again in the spring. And don't overlook the versatility of an annual mum. They can be placed in a hollowed out pumpkin or in the center of a wreath and used as a centerpiece for a Harvest Dinner

Whether you plant a container or just put a mum on the doorstep, you'll be enjoying Mother Nature's last fashion show of the season!