1. Conjure Up A Contrasting Color Scheme
Fall color schemes tend to be fairly predictable (if beautiful), but there's no need to stick to tradition for fall planters if you don't want to.
2. Choose Dried Flowers For An Exotic Appeal
Decorating with dried flowers is having something of a moment, and it's a great choice for fall planters, assuming yours are part of your fall porch decor – in other words, kept out of the rain.
3. Combine Fall Planting With Halloween Decor
'If you can design a fall planter that's perfect for housing Halloween decor too, you've got it cracked,' says Jennifer
4. Create A Fun Fall Planter Kids Will Love
A planter full of evergreens that look good year round can be easily pepped for fall with a small pile of pumpkins (within the container or around the outside). The witch's legs are a fun addition bound to please kids before and beyond Halloween.
And don't forget, this shape and style of fall planter can be brought indoors as a fall table decor idea that can be put outside again once it's time to start putting up Christmas decorations.
5. Choose Seasonal Flowers In Autumn Colors
‘The vibrant colors of autumn offer plenty of ideas to bright up outdoor spaces before we transition to wintertime,’ says garden designer Anna Dabrowska. Choosing plants that bloom during autumn is a no-brainer for your fall planter ideas, but picking them in colors that mirror the oranges, reds and yellows of the autumnal leaves that surround them will boost the warmth of your outdoor fall decor ideas.
6. Add Pumpkins And Gourds To Your Display
Gleefully bulbous and vibrantly colored, fewer natural forms so clearly signal the arrival of fall as the pumpkin. They aren’t just for Halloween either – as well a picking out miniature gourds to include in your fall front door ideas, consider using them to add a seasonal touch to your outdoor planters.
7. Choose Warming Colors And Materials For Indoor Planters
As the temperatures drop, you’ll likely be spending less time in the backyard – so be sure to consider indoor plants within your living room fall decor too. Think about switching up your houseplants’ looks by moving them into seasonally colored planters – and focus on a palette of rusts and ochres to reflect the changing natural world. In this example, a tarnished copper planter gives a warming touch to a potted monstera, which is surrounded by natural woven baskets and raw woods.
8. Use A Planter As Part Of Your Fall Porch Decor
Gathering together atmospheric fall porch ideas is a great way to create a warm welcome for guests arriving in the colder months. Along with a wreath, pumpkins and lanterns lining the steps, and seasonal climbers turning the front of the house into a color riot like in this example, consider throwing a statement fall planter into the mix. Here, a large hammered metal planter is filled with berry-laden branches – cut and styled in this instance, you can also consider planted alternatives.
9. Use Pumpkins As Planters
A pumpkin planter is a wonderful way to show off fall planting or flower displays. But while fall color schemes may be largely about warmer tones, there’s no reason why you can’t mix it up for a chromatically exciting look.
10. Celebrate Harvest Season With Ornamental Cabbages
We may be losing the leaves from the trees, but we’re gaining a lot at this time of year too. With the arrival of fall comes a whole host of newly seasonal fruit and vegetables sprouting from the garden. If you can’t get enough of the harvest season and want to continue the celebration beyond the vegetable patch, consider growing ornamental cabbages in your containers.
11. Build Height With Hardy Grasses
‘For fall, you can also include ornamental grasses for texture and movement and they are particularly striking when the light catches them,’ says Agius. Hardy grasses are a great way to bring height to container gardens.
12. Channel Spooky Season With An Urn
If fall for you is all about Halloween, ensure your planters are ready for the spooky season. If you’re looking to invest in new planters, think about urns. Not just for adding grandeur to fall mantel ideas, their classical shape popular in the 18th century adds a historical aura to a garden, while the deathly connotations that come with the vessel’s alternative use come to full fruition on Halloween night. Look for distressed examples like this one at Petersham Nurseries for added ghostliness.
13. Use Evergreens For Structure
Of course, the colder temperatures of this time of year will limit what will flourish in your fall planter – so include some dependable evergreens to make sure your pots have structure all year round. ‘Look to balance the planting in any container,’ says Agius. ‘Ensure you have your structural anchor plants – this will probably be something evergreen and may not be the focal plant, but will provide the backdrop against which the more floriferous choices can shine.’
14. Channel A Little Desert Heat With Succulents
While cacti and aloe may instantly channel notions of baking desert heat, hardy succulents will happily prove that they can deal with pretty much anything if you include them in your fall planter ideas.
15. Pick Pansies For Pockets Of Autumnal Color
A longstanding favorite in the world of fall planters, pansies are always a great way to ensure dabs of bright color dot your autumnal garden. Often flowering through late fall and into winter and spring, they are continually popular for autumnal planters both small and large. With a wide range of colored and bi-colored varieties available, use them to add quaint chromatic details to evergreen laden planters like in this example.