The season’s hot sun has faded, and the crisp autumn air is calling for a change in the garden. This is the perfect time to infuse your landscape with the rich colors and textures of the season. Mums, asters, pumpkins, and a few other simple elements can transform a tired summer garden into a festive fall display.
The Stars of the Show: Mums and Asters
You can’t have a fall garden without mums (Chrysanthemums). These aren’t your grandmother’s mums; today’s varieties come in a stunning array of colors, shapes, and sizes. They are the workhorse of the fall garden, providing a burst of color when most other flowers are fading.
Color Selection: Mums come in every shade of autumn—deep reds, rusts, brilliant oranges, sunny yellows, purples, and crisp whites. Don’t be afraid to mix and match colors. A classic combination is deep purple with bright orange, or a more subtle blend of creamy whites and burgundy.
Placement: Place mums in pots by your front door, along a walkway, or nestled in your garden beds. They can fill in gaps left by finished summer annuals. Grouping them in odd numbers (three or five pots) creates a more visually appealing display.
Asters are another essential for the fall garden. They’re a fantastic choice for adding texture and height. Aster blooms look like small, delicate daisies, but they are tough and cold-hardy.
Variety: Look for asters in shades of purple, blue, pink, and white. They come in varying heights, so you can use taller varieties as a backdrop and shorter ones in front.
Pairing: Asters and mums are a classic combination because they bloom at the same time and their forms contrast beautifully. The soft, airy texture of asters complements the dense, rounded shape of mums.
More Than Just Pumpkins: Natural Elements
Pumpkins and gourds are the quintessential fall decor, but don’t stop there. Think about all the natural elements you can use to add warmth and interest.
Pumpkins and Gourds: Go beyond the standard orange pumpkin. Look for heirloom varieties in different colors like white “Casper” pumpkins, striped gourds, or bumpy “Warty Goblin” gourds. Arrange them in a loose pile at the base of a porch planter or along a garden path.
Hay Bales: A small hay bale can serve as a rustic pedestal for a pumpkin or a pot of mums. They also add a wonderful, earthy texture to your display.
Cornstalks and Wheat Sheaves: Stand cornstalks upright and tie them with twine on either side of a doorway. A small wheat sheaf placed in a decorative pot can add vertical interest and a touch of harvest charm.
Colorful Foliage: Collect fall leaves from local trees and use them as a natural scatter or centerpiece base. Branches with berries from plants like Cotoneaster or Juniper can be placed in pots to add a vibrant pop of color.
Layering for a Lush Look
The secret to a fantastic display is layering different elements. Don’t just set a few pots out; create a vignette.
Start with the Base: Choose a location like your front porch or a section of a garden bed. Start with your largest elements, like a hay bale or tall cornstalks.
Add Structure: Place potted mums and asters around the base. Use different-sized pots and arrange them at varying heights to create depth. You can use an upturned pot or a small wooden crate to lift a plant higher.
Fill in with Accent Pieces: Scatter pumpkins and gourds in and around the pots. Tuck in smaller decorative items like lanterns or rustic signs. For a finished look, spread a few fall leaves or pinecones at the base of your display.
Easy Care Tips
Maintaining your festive fall garden is simple.
Watering: Mums and asters in containers will dry out quickly, so check them daily. Water them thoroughly until water runs from the bottom of the pot. Plants in the ground will need less frequent watering.
Light: Most fall plants, including mums, love full sun. Place your containers in a spot that gets at least six hours of sun a day.
Frost Protection: Here in Prescott, we get early frosts, so use garden hardy flowers that easily take our nightly temperature swings. Add winter-blooming pansy, viola, and snapdragons for winter-long fun.
Creating a festive fall garden is about more than just plants; it’s about celebrating the change of seasons and bringing a little bit of that harvest magic to your home. It’s an easy way to welcome guests and enjoy the beauty of autumn right outside your door.
Until next week, I’ll be helping gardeners decorate their autumn gardens here at Watters Garden Center.
Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his websites at WattersGardenCenter.com or Top10Plants.com.
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