This Dark and Moody Fall Container Garden features bold and beautiful plants like traditional fall mums, ornamental peppers and cabbage, and striking salvia flowers. This planter idea is perfect for fall and transitioning straight into the Halloween season!
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A couple weeks ago, I decided to change out some of the flower pots in our yard. Some of the summer annuals were starting to die off. So I grabbed pots of seasonal flowers and ornamental plants from the garden center to get into fall mode. I also incorporated some of the flowers and plants I already had growing in our yard into my fall planter plans.
I put together a few simple flower arrangements, using dark and moody plants, to use in my fall and Halloween displays. I planted one of my flower arrangements in a large, metal Halloween bucket (a curb find from years ago) and planted two others in cute whiskey barrel planters. The bold, dramatic colors I used will look great with fall decorations, but also transition nicely into spooky season!
Plants I Used in My Fall Container Garden
The plants I used should thrive until the first frost (around the beginning of November here in Jersey). But it's always wise to check your zone for planting conditions. Here are the plants that I used in these fall container gardens.
- Mums: It's not fall without some mums sitting on the steps of your home! I grabbed several pots to use in my container gardens as well as hanging baskets and a planter on my deck.
- Black Pearl peppers: By far one of the coolest plants in my garden! I found this plant at the grocery store years ago and have been planting it by the seeds I kept for years now! This plant has small, round black peppers that sprout out of equally dark leaves. While the peppers are edible, they pack some fiery heat! I wouldn't recommend eating them.
- Salvia Sizzler Purple: I bought these early summer, but they really haven't thrived until the last month or so. They'll grow up until the first frost and can be overwintered. They add a little height to the container garden and stand out with their gorgeous purple color! They're also a pollinator favorite!
- Ornamental cabbage: These ornamental plants are perfect for cold temperatures! In fact, their color actually gets more vibrant the colder is gets. These plants can thrive well into winter and look great in seasonal container gardens.
- Diamond Frost Euphorbia: I added Diamond Frost Euphorbia to my last planter. Not at all a dark plant, but it added a ghostly white touch. These tiny white flowers look like natural sparklers and will grow until the first frost.
- Cherry Bomb peppers: This plant randomly decided to grow in my black pearl pepper pot. I'm not mad at it! One of my gardening groups on FB suggested it's the parent plant the black pearl peppers reverted to. These are edible with a nice heat to them and also work in fall containers since peppers can thrive up until the first frost.
How to Make a Dark and Moody Fall Container Garden
The hardest part about putting my fall container gardens together was choosing the color mums I wanted to use. For my main container (the jack-o-lantern), I decided to go super moody with dark red mums. For the other containers, I chose orange and purple for a classic Halloween vibe.
The first thing to create my container garden was prepare my pot with potting soil. Now's a great time for fertilizing plants (it'll help their roots get strong and healthy before the cold hits), so I added some all-purpose fertilizer and mixed it in.
Then, I had to decide where I was going to place my plants. I started with the taller plants and planted the salvia and black pearl peppers towards the back of the container.
I planted the ornamental cabbage next on the other side of the container.
Finally, I placed a pot of red mums in the open space left between the salvia and peppers and ornamental cabbage.
I also planted two barrel planters with the same sort of flower arrangements (minus the cabbage).
SUPPLIES
- 12 inch barrel planter, or other large planter with drainage holes
- Potting soil
- All-purpose fertilizer
- Variety of moody fall plants like mums, purple salvia, black pearl peppers, ornamental cabbage, etc.
STEPS
- Fill planter with potting soil and sprinkle some fertilizer on top. Use a shovel to mix the fertilizer and soil together.
- Practice arranging the plants before planting them. Then, make deep enough holes for each plant, add plants, cover with soil, and water thoroughly.
- Place planters in sunny locations. Water when dry and deadhead the mums to extend the blooming season.
Obviously I didn't go by the "spiller, thriller, filler" rule, but there's enough variety to keep these planters full and visually appealing. If you want to add another easy, visually appealing touch, add a seasonal garden stake to your planter. Then, display on your steps or in your yard for dark and moody fall and Halloween decor!
Did you make this Dark and Moody Fall Container Garden project? Share it on social media using the hashtag #holokahome. Don’t forget to tag me @holokahome!
