Many gardeners find it difficult to maintain visual interest as the vibrant colours of summer fade. Fall container gardens add height, colour and texture to your garden. By choosing the right plant and using creative techniques to plant, you can create stunning tall container gardening that brings life to your autumnal landscape. Taller autumn container gardening may be accomplished with the aid of the advice in this article.
The Basics For Fall Container Gardens
The fall is the perfect time to start container gardening.
- Containers: Select nursery containers which are large and deep enough for tall plants. Containers will need adequate drainage to avoid waterlogging.
- Selecting the soil: Use only high-quality potting sand that is well-drained and retains adequate moisture to ensure plant health. Compost can help improve soil structure, fertility and quality.
- Selection of Plants: Choose plants which can thrive at cooler temperatures. For a more dynamic and varied display, combine evergreens with ornamental Grasses and late-blooming perennials.
Fall Container Gardens – How Do You Get Height?
Choose Tall Plants
The easiest way to increase height is to use tall plants. Miscanthus grass or Pennisetum can reach impressive levels and provide a beautiful, airy texture for your garden. Flowering plants are also a good option. Mums and Asters provide vibrant autumnal colours.
Use Fill, Thrill and Spill
This classic container garden technique involves selecting different plants to create a balanced, visually appealing arrangement.
- Thriller: The Thriller is a choice of a tall, eye-catching plant. This can be a tall, eye-catching plant or tree.
- Filler: Fill the area around your thriller with midsize plants to add colour. These can include foliage plants or compact perennials.
- Spoiler: Plant trailing flowers around the outside of the containers to soften and create cascading effects.
Stacked Baby Containers
For a creative approach, you can stack nursery containers in order to increase verticality. Start by stacking a large, sturdy container at the bottom and adding smaller ones secured with stakes, garden wire, or both. This will create a layered look, allowing for different textures and heights.
Use Trellises
You can add trellises into your container to give climbing plants something to climb. You can train climbing plants, such as clematis and ornamental gourds, to grow upwards.
Garden Art and Structures
Garden art can be used to add height, like obelisks. These elements provide not only vertical interest but also focal points in a container garden. You can use them to heighten the height of shorter plants.
Layered Arrangement
Planting in multiple layers within the same container can also help create a feeling of height. Place taller, more mature plants at the back or in the centre and shorter plants on the outer edges. This way, you can maximise the amount of space in your container and also make sure that all plants are getting enough light.
Tall Fall Container Gardens: Recommendations on Plants
- Ornamental Grasses
- Miscanthus: Tall, feathery puffs that sway in the breeze.
- Pennisetum: Foliage like a fountain with fluffy, soft seed heads.
- Flowering Plants
- Asters: Late-blooming, vibrantly coloured flowers.
- Moms: Fall flowers in various colours.
- Evergreens
- Boxwood: Evergreen foliage with dense growth that can be cut into different shapes.
- Alberta Spruce: compact conical evergreens for containers.
- Climbing Plants
- Ivy Climbing: A tough climber with attractive leaves.
- Clematis: This beautiful flowering plant can be trained so that it grows vertically.
Fall Container Gardens: Maintenance Tips
- Watering: Maintain consistent moisture levels, but do not overwater. Adjust your watering schedule to the weather conditions.
- Nitrogen Fertilizer: Use slow-release nitrogen fertilizer in the spring to maintain nutrients through the fall.
- Trimming: Regularly trim away any overgrown vegetation and deadhead flower heads to maintain a neat look and encourage new development.
- Prevention: If temperatures are dropping, move containers to a more sheltered spot or use frost cloths on sensitive plants to prevent frosts.
Conclusion
To maintain visual interest during the cooler seasons, you can create taller container gardens. With the right selection of plants, creative planting techniques, and structural elements, impressive heights can be achieved. Using nursery containers allows you to experiment with different plants. Use these tips and techniques to maximize the beauty of your fall container gardens and make the most of a transitional period.