Fall Annuals for Vibrant Color in Beds, Borders & Containers

The cool autumn days are typically the time for planting perennial plants that will burst forth in the spring with colorful flowers and foliage. Did you know that many annual plants can be planted in the fall, such as Kale, Mums, Pansies, and Salvias, to name a few? These plants can be interplanted among your perennials and shrubs and will fill the spaces with color.

Planting Ornamental Kale in the Fall

Ornamental kale or cabbage have ruffled leaves that become more colorful as autumn progresses. Plant these fall annuals between late September and early October so they'll have time to establish themselves before the temperatures begin to cool. The coming frosts enhance their color, making them standouts in the late fall and winter months. Ornamental Kales can often be seen lighting up the garden after a fresh cover of snow.

Planting Pansies in the Fall

Pansies are another popular fall flowering annual plant. Pansies come in a vast array of colors, including yellow, purple, blue, and orange. These colorful flowers are perfect for flower beds, mixed borders, decorative containers, and extensive mass plantings.

Plant pansies in full sun to part shade areas of the garden, and they will reward you with cheerful colors from early autumn through early to mid-spring. Pansies are also perfect plants to use in hanging baskets that may be looking tired from the long summer season.

Planting Fall Annuals in Decorative Containers

Fall is a great time to plant up some decorative pots to display on your front porch or the deck. Colorful planters welcome guests into your home and add color to entryways. Planting annuals in containers is simple as long as you follow a few simple rules.

Start with a taller plant in the center of the pot. This plant can be Ornamental Kale such as Redbor Kale or Dusty miller plants. Kale and dusty miller retain their color throughout the winter and typically are not bothered by freezing temperatures. This plant is called the "Thriller."

The second level in a decorative planter is the "Filler." Filler plants are usually mid-sized plants such as Pansies, Mums, or Ornamental Peppers. Ornamental Peppers, for example, can have dark leaves of purple or near black, but the real show-stopper is the colorful peppers that are held above the foliage.

More than one type of filler plant can be used, allowing you to add complementary colors and textures surrounding the thriller.

The final and often the most elementary level of the planter is the "Spiller." Spillers are planted along the edge of the container and allowed to trail over the edges of the container providing a level of color that can trail down to the ground.

Spillers can be calibrachoa, Creeping Jenny, Ajuga, or just about any plant that has a trailing or creeping habit. This method of planting in containers is called the Thriller-Filler-Spiller method.

Whichever Fall Annuals you choose to plant, we know you'll be thankful as the gray days of winter set in, but you are still enjoying colorful flowers even after a snow flurry.