Top Plants for Fall Containers

Refresh your container gardens with cold-tolerant plants. English Gardens has the best selection of Proven Winners annuals for impressive container gardens!

The best technique to achieve a balanced container garden, is to utilize the thriller, filler and spiller rule. To learn more about this, read our blog on Container Gardening Made Easy. 

Here’s some of our favorites for fall color:

Thrillers

Graceful Grasses Toffee Twist

With slender and bronze grass blades, Toffee Twist is the perfect thriller for fall containers. This annual grass offers an elegant vertical sweeping and trailing habit. Prefers part to full sun.

Heuchera

Foliage is the new flower! Acting as a thriller and a filler, Proven Winners has a collection of Heuchera, which includes:

• Blackberry Ice – Foliage has black veining and amethyst purple undersides. As the leaves mature, they develop a soft silver overlay. In midsummer, they produce wands with cream flowers.
• Blackcurrant – The foliage is dark purple with silver accents. They begin blooming in early spring with cream flowers.
• Brazen Raisin – A dramatic black purple foliage with hot pink buds that open pale pink or white flowers in spring.
• Cinnamon Curls – The foliage emerges fiery orange-red in spring, then turns a unique blend of coppery orange, red, and purple tones as they mature.
• Key Lime Pie – Adds stunning chartreuse and yellow foliage to your container.

As Heuchera is a perennial, it must be planted in the ground before the first frost to enjoy next year. Perennials will not survive Michigan’s winter in pots above ground. Attracts pollinators, such as hummingbirds and butterflies, and prefers sun to part shade.

Fillers

Chrysanthemum

The classic fall flowers-mums! Mums are perfect fillers for any container gardens. With a wide range of colors, you’re sure to find the perfect mum for your palette.

Flowering Kale

This ornamental vegetable has beautiful foliage that provides color and texture.  Plant in full sun to partial shade. Some varieties include:

• Coral Queen Red – Edges are purple-green with a brightly colored red center.
• Glamour Red – A burst of hot pink in the center of green foliage.

Sunsatia Lemon Nemesia

Beautiful and intricate flowers, Nemesia will add flare to your container garden. The blooms have two petals that form lips to create eye-catching flowers. Sunsatia Lemon is a remarkable yellow that ranges in hue from a bright yellow to a pastel shade. Prefers full to partial sun.

Pansies

Pansies are recognized for their cheerful blooms in cold weather container gardens. They feature perky foliage with short ruffled blooms. Pansies grow best in a shady area.

Lemon Coral Sedum

Easy to grow and a fabulous addition to any container, Lemon Coral has chartreuse and spikey foliage. This annual sedum is very vigorous and drought-tolerant. Loves full sun to part sun.

Spillers

Supertunia

Supertunias are vigorous annuals that act as both a filler and spiller in containers. They prefer full sun. With medium to large sized flowers, varieties include:

• Honey – With orange and yellow flowers, this Supertunia resembles a sunset.
• Limoncello – Blooms soft yellow with deep yellow veins.
• Black Cherry – A dramatic addition with deep red petals and black accents.
• Vista Bubblegum – A rich pink with red veining.
• Vista Fuchsia – Brilliant fuchsia color with a dark center.

Superbells

Superbells have clusters of small, colorful flowers that drape throughout a container and along the edges. Superbells need full sun. Some varieties include:

• Superbells Dreamsicle – A dreamy combination of orange and red flowers.
• Superbells Lemon Slice – Features blooms that resemble yellow and white pinwheels.
• Superbells Saffron – Sunny yellow flowers with red lining around the center.

Dark Knight Lobularia

Lobularia produces masses of small fragrant flowers. Dark Knight blooms deep purple all summer. Its mounding and trailing habit will fill the container and drape over the edge. Prefers partial to full sun.

Orange Symphony Osteospermum

Daisy-like flowers, Orange Symphony has large orange petals accented with purple in the flower’s center for a dramatic look.  Be sure to allow soil to dry between watering. Requires part to full sun.

Plant selection varies by store.