Gorgeous Fall Container Gardens for Every Region of the West

Bright grasses and colorful leaves bring a splash of seasonal flavor to your porch or patio

Written by Julie Chai, Mike Irvine, and Heather Arndt Anderson September 23, 2010

Whether you’re working with a small garden space or just need to add some new pops of color and texture, the solution is the same: just add containers. This is an even better approach in the fall, when most of the garden is winding down. 

First off, start with the plants you love, then pick your containers that will extend the color theme. Cluster containers of different shapes and sizes in threes or plant a single pot with three kinds of plants, for the best-looking displays. Here are a few of our favorites to inspire you.

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1 of 24 Photo by Jennifer Martiné

Wine Punch

In this theme, pops of icy blue in cooling contrast with warm combos of bright pinks and deep purples. Keep reading to see how to get the look of this fall container garden for your own space.
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2 of 24 Photo by Jennifer Martiné

Phormium ‘Sundowner’

Start with a bold specimen like this New Zealand flax. Its strappy leaves start out bronze green with rosy stripes, echoing the hues of its com­- panions, before aging to cream. Use a 1-gallon plant. Sunset climate zones 7–9, 14–24. More: Phormium in the Sunset Plant Finder
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3 of 24 Photo by Jennifer Martiné

Echeveria nodulosa

Add a pop of pattern and color contrast. Its leaves contribute a bolt of icy blue, in cooling contrast to the warm combo, while its swirled markings pick up the pink of the other plants’ leaves. Use three plants from 4-inch pots. Zones 8, 9, 12–24. More: Echeveria in the Sunset Plant Finder
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4 of 24 Photo by Jennifer Martiné

Heucherella ‘Sweet Tea’

Soften the edges with a sold color: The maplelike foliage of this new variety lends a splash of mostly solid color that sets the tone for the whole planting. ‘Sweet Tea’ stays low too, softening the pot’s edges. Use a 1-gallon plant. Zones 8, 9, 12–24. More: Where to plant Heucherella
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5 of 24 Photo by Jennifer Martiné

Sipping on Cocoa

In this chocolate-hue theme, we have deep bronze, burgundy, and plum shades along with leaves that turn reddish throughout the season, creating an autumn experience right on your porch. Here, multiple single-potted specimens make this fall container garden a natural resting place for the eye. Keep reading to see how to achieve this look.
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6 of 24 Photo by Jennifer Martiné

Phormium ‘Platt’s Black’

Another gorgeous New Zealand flax to add texture. Deep bronze leaves repeat the shades of the other two plants, but are pointed and upright, not rounded—just what’s needed to liven up this single-toned scheme. Use a 1-gallon plant. Zones 7–9, 14–24. More: Phormium in the Sunset Plant Finder
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7 of 24 Photo by Jennifer Martiné

Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’

Smoke tree to draw the eye up and soften the corner. Round, deep plum leaves cover this multi­-stemmed smoke tree through summer and into autumn, then turn reddish before dropping in winter. Use a 5-gallon tree. Zones 2–24. More: Cotinus coggygria in the Sunset Plant Finder
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8 of 24 Photo by Jennifer Martiné

Heuchera ‘Sugar Plum’

Heuchera to add brighten and soften it up. Dark burgundy leaves brushed with silvery green look good all year, and its mounding form tempers the other upright shapes. Use two 1-gallon plants. Zones 1–9, 14–24. More: Heuchera in the Sunset Plant Finder
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9 of 24 Photo by Jennifer Martiné

Harvest Gold

Orange-striped blades of grass, apricot-tinged leaves with purple undersides, and matching gold pots make this fall container garden look ready for a sprinkle of nutmeg.
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10 of 24 Photo by Jennifer Martiné

Libertia peregrinans

Start with height, structure, and bold color. Stiff green blades with orange stripes form 2-foot-tall clumps, and add structure in front of trio. Use two 1-gallon plants. Sunset climate zones 8, 9, 14–24. More: Libertia peregrinans in the Sunset Plant Finder
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11 of 24 Photo by Jennifer Martiné

Heuchera ‘Crème Brûlée’

Caramel-coated Heuchera. Its apricot-tinged leaves with purple undersides are broad and ruffled, in contrast to the other plants. The mounding perennial grows 2 feet tall and wide. Use a 1-gallon plant. Zones 1–9, 14–24. More: Heuchera in the Sunset Plant Finder
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Shades of Green

In this fall container garden theme, soft textures and bright chartreuse tones light up bronze-colored 17-inch-wide containers.
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Shades of green plan

A. Restio multiflorus A wispy, grasslike plant that grows 3 to 4 feet tall or more, it develops brown seed heads that hang on through winter.

B. Libertia peregrinans Stiff, narrow leaves have warm tones of olive and orange; plants reach 2 feet tall.

C. Euphorbia amygdaloides robbiae This spreading foot-tall plant has rounded grass green leaves.

D. Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold' Feathery green-gold foliage glows in soft autumn light. Plants reach 1½ feet tall.

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Chocolate with a Twist of Lime

In this delicious fall container garden, willowy burgundy Agonis, trailing lime-colored Grevillea, and curly plum heuchera in egg-shaped pots create a rustic vignette against a weathered wooden garage.
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Lime and chocolate plan

A. Agonis flexuosa 'Jervis Bay Afterdark' A tree with feathery burgundy foliage.

B. Heuchera 'Crimson Curls' Deeply ruffled plum-toned leaves grow in a mound that reaches about 1½ feet tall.

C. Grevillea 'Fanfare' Saw-toothed leaves are coppery when young, maturing to a shade of lime. This low spreader grows 1 foot tall.

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Touch of Bronze

In this single-pot fall container garden, bronze and chartreuse foliage mingle in a 16-inch rose-blushed celadon pot.
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Touch of bronze plan

A. Pieris 'Forest Flame' Fiery red new leaves fade to pink, then turn dark green when mature. This shrub prefers part-shade and can reach 10 feet tall.

B. Dryopteris erythrosora The hardy wood fern’s feathery new growth blends copper, pink, and gold tones that turn rust-colored in fall. It grows 2 feet tall.

C. 'Little John' azalea Bronzy leaves make this azalea, which can reach 6 feet tall, a choice focal point.

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Smoke and Berries

Bright cotoneaster berries fringe a shapely Atlas cedar in pitted burnt-orange pots in this fall container garden. (Large is 18 inches wide; small is 16 inches wide.)
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Smoke and berries plan

A. Weeping blue Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca Pendula') Pendulous branches sport soft-looking silvery blue needles. Slow-growing; trained to form a spiral trunk.

B. Cotoneaster dammeri 'Coral Beauty' Stiff branches with green leaves and red-orange berries add a playful touch to pots. It grows to
6 inches tall.

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Black and Gold

Black mondo grass edges upright coprosma in a pale gold bowl that’s 23 inches wide.
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Black gold plan

A. Coprosma 'Roy's Red' This shrub’s glossy purple-black fall leaves turn red in winter. The plant grows 3 to 4 feet tall.

B. Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' Clumps of silky ebony blades make perfect edgings.

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Northwest Colors That Pop in the Mountains, Too

Bring autumn’s changing leaves and bright hues to your yard with these evergreen, no-fuss specimens that pop against dark wood fences and on overcast mornings. This fall container garden looks right at home in any cool garden. FROM LEFT: ‘Orange Rocket’ berberis, Bay Gem buxus, Obsession nandina, Golden Oakland holly, ‘Orange Rocket’ berberis, EverColor ‘Everillo’ carex.
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NorCal and Intermountain Mix and Match

Low-maintenance is by no means unattractive. Case in point are these hardy perennials and shrubs with dense foliage and lively color—ideal for containers throughout the colder months. FROM LEFT: ‘Soft Caress’ mahonia, Miss Lemon abelia, ‘Sunshine’ ligustrum, Purple Pixie Dwarf Weeping loropetalum, Purple Diamond, Semi-dwarf loropetalum, EverColor ‘Eversheen’ carex.
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SoCal and Southwest Pick-Me-Up

As the days get shorter and the sun sits lower, summer hangout spots can turn gloomy. Lighten up that entryway with this cheery combo that requires only 4 to 6 hours of sun. CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Lydia tecoma, ‘Ebony’ leucodendron, Platinum Beauty lomandra, ‘Neverland’ agapanthus, Clarity Blue dianella, ‘Lemon Lime’ nandina, ‘Angyo Star’ fatshedera.
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