Hardy fall containers — designed a-la-cart

September is the perfect time to freshen up the garden for the coming autumn season. Not sure where to start?

I have designed two containers, using hardy (think evergreen) perennials to brighten up your patio or front entrance. I sought out hardy plants like sedum, succulents, grasses, coral bells, ornamental cabbage and, of course, garden mums.

The idea is to choose primarily foliage plants that have great fall colour and don’t lose their leaves when they are kissed with a little frost. They can be recycled by being planted in the garden at the end of the season.

With jewel tones in mind, I used the top rack of the shopping cart as my design table and selected plants that worked well together. They should have similar sun and water requirements. It was essential that the plants not only look good today, but they must be tough enough to keep their shape and colour well into November. Sound impossible?

Sun catcher fall planter

I spotted the wine red/green spires of big bluestem grass (Adropogon ‘Red October’); this native grass would anchor the first container as the purples of the grass are very seasonal, and the chartreuse heart of the plant really catches the sun.

Next, I sought out hardy plants that would echo the purplish-red and bright green colours of the grass. Sedum spurium ‘Red Carpet’ has reddish/purple leaves and a lime green heart, with curlycue red stems. I looked for a plant that had lots of trailing bits that would tumble over the edge of the container. Purple coral bells (‘Melting Fire’ heuchera) echoed the purple tones of the grass.

A small pot of garden mums, with violet-red flowers, carry the ‘hot’ red theme and are the only flowers in the plan. To echo the bright green of the grass, ‘Lime Rickey’ coral bells with pretty scalloped chartreuse leaves and carex ‘Evergold.’ The soft, cascading form of the carex will soften the edge of the container; its golden colour will catch the light to brighten the patio.

The plants were arranged around the pot of bluestem grass (the tallest element in the design) right on the cart — it’s often a case of trial and error until you come up with a group of plants that look good together, but it’s really worth the effort.

Fall blues planter

The second container would feature cool blue tones; a dusky purple ornamental cabbage would make a good anchor the design.

Again, using the top of the cart for a design table, I surrounded the cabbage with hardy plants that picked up the purple/blue tones. Two forms of sedum were included — one, cauticola, features pink stems and blue-green rounded leaves and has an attractive cascading form that works well in a container. A similar sedum (with larger, glaucous leaves edged in violet/red (but without a tag) was also included.

To reinforce the theme, blue fescue (Festuca ‘Beyond Blue’); like the carex used in the first planter, this grass offers interesting form and texture. A pot of ‘Munstead’ lavender has bluish green, needle-like foliage and a rich fragrance.

Finally, a pot of blue leadwort (Cerastostigma plumbaganoides), with electric blue flowers and leaves that turn bright red as the season progresses.

This plant is one of the hardest working (and requires the least attention) of all of the perennials in my home garden. Leadwort starts slow, often emerging in late May or early June. But it quickly fills in, offering great coverage for the dying foliage of daffodils and tulips.

Final thoughts

I went for a full, lush look — spring containers have time to fill in and grow, fall planters won’t put on as much growth, so fill them up. You don’t need large plants, just enough of them to generously fill the container. Use the biggest container you have — it will need less watering and put on a better show.

Hardy perennials are often on discount at this time of the year so not only will you get a bargain, but you can plant them in the garden and enjoy them next year.

You can also dig up clumps of perennials from your home garden to use in this project. September is the ideal time to divide many perennials.

To that end, the Master Gardeners of Niagara holds its annual plant sale next weekend, where you might find perennial and grass divisions for both your garden and this project.

Have fun — enjoy the long weekend.

THERESA FORTE SPECIAL TO TORSTAR Dress a quiet corner of the patio for autumn with planters filled with hardy plants, rustic galvanized containers and decorative stands.

Above: Fall blues fall planter. Clockwise from top: Flowering cabbage ‘Osaka Mix,’ leadwort, lavender ‘Munster,’ sedum, fescue ‘Beyond Blue’ and sedum cauticola.

Left: Sun catcher fall planter. Clockwise from the top: Big bluestem grass ‘Red October,’ coral bell ‘Lime Rickey,’ sedum ‘Red Form,’ carex ‘Evergold,’ coral bell ‘Melting Fire,’ garden mum ‘Feisty Red.’