I was going to title this post: Before and After, but that could apply to so many things couldn’t it?
The containers that sit at the front of my house are always a garden challenge. In summer, oak trees are leafed out so that one container is in nearly full shade while another suffers from a lot of afternoon sun. Add to this that we put in drip irrigation. The garage kitties love to run behind the containers, and they used to knock out the drip line. Well, we didn’t notice for a couple of very hot days, and I bet you can tell which one nearly died of unhappiness.
Here are the plants I bought to rehab my containers for fall. The bale of hay in the photo above will have pumpkins and perhaps a scarecrow sitting on it in a couple of weeks after I get back from the GWA Symposium in Tucson.
I’ll move the grass into the garden after a freeze. I hope it has time to get taller and bloom. Some of these plants, like the peppers and crotons, are warm weather tropical/annuals, but we still have lots of warm weather left. We don’t usually get a freeze until November, and frost doesn’t show on the pumpkins until late October. I’ll move out some things after a freeze and do winter pots.
Here are the containers after I finished. What do you think? I used the variegated ivy already in the summer pots as something to flow over the side. There was also a purple, pink, green and white ajuga in the container which worked nicely with the heucheras (coral bells.) I swept off the sidewalk–a lot of work because rain makes it muddy. I live on the side of a hill, and the rain comes flowing down.
So, I put the grass in back as it will get tall, the large croton in the middle and the coral bells on the right side of one pot and the left side of the other. The peppers went in front along with the other plants. One thing to remember . . . plant the containers as mirror images of each other since they are on either side of the front door. I always have the best luck with my fall plants. Perhaps, it is because I like fall so much.
I’ve shown you mine. Now, I’d love to see what you’re doing with your fall decorations. You can either upload a photo in your comments or write about it on facebook or on your own blog. Have a great rest of your week everyone!
These are beautiful, Dee! Your front walk looks so inviting. I haven’t even gotten around to planting fall containers, but I definitely have to stick with cool weather plants–winter sometimes arrives early here.
Your containers are beautiful! I don’t do any fall containers. Most of my pots are full of perennials. I spend the fall redesigning/transplanting and getting my beds ready for winter. So I’ll just have to enjoy your fabulous fallness virtually. :o)
Great fall colors. The crotons really make the arrangement. Since they’re tropical, I don’t tend to think of them for fall, but they really work. Super idea.
I like to decorate with multi-colored broom corn. It grows in the garden just like corn (gets about 8-10-ft. tall) and it will be ready to harvest soon. I also add red celosia, red burgundy okra pods and silver/white artemesia to complete the stalk. I love this time of year!
Very nice! gorgeous fall colors. Love it
Love it! The new colors really pop. And your door itself is lovely – we just ordered a door with a 3/4 lite glass insert and I’m super excited for more light coming into the house. You must enjoy yours as well!
Not much we can plant here for fall except mums…so I too take mine out soon and store them…but yours are gorgeous Dee!
I’m ready to get out the fall mums. I haven’t done so yet, but I think I’ll set my glass pumpkins on the sideboard today. It will make me feel even more like fall. Hugs to you Donna.~~Dee
Your pots are an inspiration for me to get something done with mine. I have nothing going for fall yet. I am still recovering from the drought. I have a couple of empty pots. I could get to filling them right away. Yours are beautiful with all of those fall colors going.
Thank you Lisa. I understand about recovering from drought. It’s been a long, hard summer this year and last. Hope your gardens are starting to come into their fall glory.
Your containers are very bright and cheerful, and I love that red watering can! I don’t plant containers for fall. They finally look their summer-best right before the first frost. After that I empty them and store them for the winter. I will keep one pot of violas out until it gets buried in snow, but that’s it.
Thank you Kathy. I actually bought the watering can for a different purpose and then it seemed to go so well with this. You live so much further north I can understand why you don’t work on fall containers. Here in the South, fall is our second spring.
Very nice! I especially like the crotons combined with pansies. I’m not really planning to change my containers at this point. When the tulip bulbs I ordered arrive I’ll pull out the container plants, put in the bulbs, and shortly after that move them to the garage.
Jason, thanks for visiting. I like crotons with anything! I can’t wait for the bulbs to come.
Actually, I’m both Orchid Ladies and Doc Peg (split personality). LOVE! your new containers. Warm, lot’s of great leaf texture and movement (an Orchid Ladies arrangement could fall in love)>
best, Peggy
Peggy, I didn’t know about your split personality. Ha! Thank you so much!
I love this! I have never used crotons so I must give those a try. We still don’t have “coolish” weather plants in our nurseries down here. I went out to find purple ornamental kale and violas today. . .nada. Just petunias and periwinkles. I don’t decorate my front door much as I don’t ever see it ;-( I live at the top of a heavily wooded hill and my driveway comes up to the side of my house. I do some decoration of the flower beds that line my driveway b/c that is all I ever see. Someday I will send you a picture of the front of my house. . . it is a joke. I am assuming yours is a log cabin. . . sweet.
Ann, I can see why you’d want to put something where you can see it for sure. Before we remodeled the house, we all went in the back door all the time so I understand exactly what you mean. I would love to see a picture of your house.~~Dee
Lovely and inviting. My containers so far consist of a mum in one and some pansies in another. I need to step it up a bit, take my game to the next level, I see. Thanks for the inspiration.
Yes, Carol, take to the next level!!!
Beautiful changes, Dee. And is that a little agave I spy in the blue pot on the left??
Yes, it is actually. I have two little blue agaves, one beside each pot. Then, there are the agaves on the back deck, and the ones I found at Home Depot that I haven’t planted yet. You have created a monster . . . and by that, I mean me.
Just lovely! I know you are celebrating the arrival of fall and it shows here!
Thank you so much Leslie. I do love fall.
Those look so good and really different from my thoughts for a fall pot. But as you know your mom does not have a green thumb or much in way of imagination. I do love the look you have there. I love you Mom
they look amazing. i have been doing it a little at a time which is kinda lame. i need to pull my potato vine out seriously.
Oh, thank you Marmee. I still need to work on the ones on the deck. I won’t do all of them, but I will put pansies beneath the rose there.
Nicely done girlfriend. Now you have time to come help me with mine.
Thanks Della. Just let me know when. You’ve done so much for me.
I like them a lot! It never occurred to me to use crotons, but, what a great fall color combo with the coral bells, annuals and grass.
Well, I must be honest . . . Helen Weis of Unique by Design fame taught me all about the crotons. I love them in pots. They work great with our sometimes hot, fall weather, and they can stand up to cooler temperatures too.~~Dee
just beautiful, Dee! i love the bright and cheery colors. I’m just realizing how much I love crotons. seems like my mom has a small one in a weird place that comes back every year. i might have to transplant it. ; )
Jennie, if you transplant it, I would put it in a pot to take inside. They usually won’t overwinter. Have fun with it.
Very nice! And I love your house.
Why thank you your Benevolence. High praise from you.
Your containers look wonderful, Dee, fresh and ready for fall. The crotons are the thrillers, so colorful and erect. Lots of inspiration here. I am terrible at containers!
Frances, crotons are pretty thrilling in the landscape. I’ve put them in the borders before in pots for fall. They were splendid.
Oh, they look great. It is so satisfying to get the containers spruced up for fall. I do want summer to last just a bit longer though.
Thank you so much Layanee. After our summer, I ready for it to head on out the door, but if I lived further north, I’d feel differently I’m sure. Have a happy fall.
Nice job…love all the color you have added!!! I have got to get in gear for fall! My favorite time of the year!
Pumpkin shopping this weekend…as soon as we get a break in the rain…all this glorious rain that we have needed so badly!
Thank you so much Sonia. Yeah, I can’t wait for pumpkins, mums, asters and even Halloween. Ooh, and apple cider sounds good too. I think you enjoy fall as much as I do.