As summer comes to a close, your once-vibrant container garden may lose its luster. Flowers wilt, edible plants slow down, and planters can start to look barren. But there’s a simple way to revive your garden: introducing plants that thrive in the autumn. By adding fall-friendly flowers and foliage, you can extend the beauty of your garden for a few more months.
To maintain your garden’s appeal, it’s essential to avoid common container gardening mistakes. Overcrowding your planters with too many vines, grasses, and flowers might seem like a good way to achieve a lush appearance. However, this often leads to plants competing for limited resources, ultimately hindering their growth. Additionally, frequent watering can deplete soil nutrients, so it’s crucial to replenish your pots with fertilizer or compost. With the right soil amendments and careful garden planning, your summer plants can regain their vitality.
Reviving Your Summer Garden with Fall Plants
To breathe new life into your garden, consider planting flowers that bloom during the fall. These plants are triggered by the shorter days, allowing you to enjoy their vibrant colors until winter arrives. Chrysanthemums, or mums, are a popular choice, bringing the warm hues of red, orange, and yellow that define the season. Asters are another excellent option, growing up to six feet tall and adding touches of white, blue, and pink to brighten your outdoor space.
For a different texture, ornamental kale and cabbage can fill out your planters and provide a beautiful alternative to flowers. These plants boast deep green and purple leaves that become even more striking as the temperatures drop, offering a bold contrast to the fading summer blooms.
To start, remove any dead or dying plants, including their roots, from your containers. Refresh the potting soil by mixing in new soil, fertilizer, or compost. Then, carefully plant your new fall selections, ensuring they are well-watered. Be sure to follow the care instructions specific to each plant species to meet their unique needs. With these steps, you can enjoy a vibrant container garden well into the colder months.