Fall Container Garden Ideas From GPOD Readers
Fine Gardening's GPOD feature shows six reader-submitted ideas for transitioning container gardens and displays into autumn, using plants like mums
As the gardening season shifts, Fine Gardening's Garden Photo of the Day (GPOD) column has compiled six fall container and display ideas from its readers. The ideas range from classic plant combinations to creative seasonal decor, offering inspiration for the autumn transition.
Classic Fall Plant Combinations
Longtime GPOD contributor Howard Nemeroff in Chicago pairs ornamental cabbage and kale with bright yellow mums in a large dish planter. The blue-green foliage of the brassicas provides a cooler palette for a familiar fall combination. From Westminster, Maryland, Mary Spencer's planter mixes black-eyed Susan, ornamental pepper, and ornamental cabbage. A striped squash tucked at the base adds a seasonal element without relying on mums.
Blending Summer and Autumn
Angie, a gardener in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, uses containers throughout her small yard to ease seasonal changes. In her summer-to-fall transition, pots of mums are combined with pumpkins and summer annuals that are still thriving. This approach shows that preparing for fall does not require removing all summer plantings.
Simple Seasonal Touches
Beth Tucker in Waxhaw, North Carolina, demonstrates that fall decorating can be simple yet intentional. Her front-entry display uses just a bright mum, a few pumpkins, and small decorative touches to create an autumnal mood. This minimalist approach proves effective.
Creative Displays Beyond Containers
Cherry Ong in Richmond, British Columbia, moves beyond traditional planted containers with a succulent-topped pumpkin project. She uses Turk's turban squash, turning them upside down and decorating them with succulent cuttings from her garden. Ong calls these creations "fairy crown" pumpkins.
For a later-season twist, Howard Nemeroff's Halloween displays in Chicago show how a fall container can evolve. White mums and ornamental cabbage create a classic base, but the addition of two skeletons tangled in a vine-covered trellis changes the mood as Halloween nears.
The GPOD editor notes the variety of starting points among these submissions. Howard and Mary build with classic fall plants, Angie integrates summer annuals, Beth alters the mood with few additions, and Cherry forgoes containers entirely. The column concludes by inviting readers to submit their own fall garden photos.
