If you’ve driven by our office in Mason, WV over the last few weeks, you might’ve noticed a display of fall decorations fresh from our markets. With a few simple steps, you can create beautiful fall mixed planters. Mixed fall planters are a fantastic way to add color, texture, and charm to porches, patios, or garden beds. By combining classic autumn plants like mums, pansies, ornamental peppers, and flowering kale, you can create eye-catching displays that thrive in cooler weather. They also have the added benefit of being able to easily be moved indoors in the event of cold weather. Here’s a step-by-step guide to designing and maintaining your own mixed fall plant containers.

Why Choose Mixed Fall Containers?

Mixed containers allow you to play with contrasting colors, textures, and heights, creating dynamic arrangements that elevate your fall decor. The plants we’ll focus on—mums, pansies, ornamental peppers, and flowering kale—are cold-tolerant, low-maintenance, and bursting with seasonal appeal. These plants not only withstand cooler temperatures but also bring rich hues of red, orange, purple, and yellow to your outdoor spaces, perfectly capturing the essence of autumn.

Step 1: Choose the Right Container

The foundation of a great mixed planter is the container itself. Here are some tips for selecting the perfect pot:

Size Matters: Choose a container at least 12–18 inches in diameter to give your plants room to grow and spread. Larger pots also retain moisture better and provide stability for taller plants like mums or kale.
Material: Terra-cotta, ceramic, or lightweight resin pots work well. Ensure the container has drainage holes to prevent root rot.
Style: Opt for earthy tones like rust, brown, or deep green to complement the fall aesthetic, or go bold with a bright container to contrast with your plants’ colors.

Step 2: Select Your Plants

Here’s why mums, pansies, ornamental peppers, and flowering kale are perfect for fall containers:

Marigolds, celosia, spike, ornamental peppers, and ornamental kale.

Mums (Chrysanthemums): These fall superstars come in a rainbow of colors—red, orange, yellow, pink, and white. Their dense, mounded blooms add fullness and act as a focal point in your container.
Pansies: With their cheerful, face-like flowers, pansies bring delicate charm. Available in shades of purple, yellow, blue, and white, they’re perfect for adding pops of color and filling in gaps.
Ornamental Peppers: These plants offer vibrant, jewel-like fruits in red, orange, purple, or yellow. Their upright growth and glossy foliage add texture and a touch of the unexpected.
Flowering Kale: Known for its rosette-shaped foliage, flowering kale provides striking texture and colors like green, purple, or white that intensify in cooler weather.

When selecting plants, aim for a mix of heights and textures: use mums or kale as the “thriller” (tall focal point), pansies as the “filler” (to spread and soften the arrangement), and ornamental peppers as the “spiller” or accent for visual interest.

Step 3: Plan Your Design

To create a balanced and visually appealing container, follow the classic “thriller, filler, spiller” formula:

Thriller: Place a mum or flowering kale in the center or slightly off-center for height and drama.
Filler: Surround the thriller with pansies to add softness and color variety.
Spiller: If you have trailing plants like ivy or sweet potato vine, they can cascade over the edges. Alternatively, ornamental peppers can serve as a bold accent near the edges for structure.

Consider color coordination:

For a warm, traditional fall look, combine red or orange mums with yellow pansies and red ornamental peppers.
For a modern twist, pair purple flowering kale with white pansies and purple peppers.
Mix textures by contrasting the soft petals of pansies with the waxy leaves of kale and the glossy fruits of ornamental peppers.

Step 4: Planting Your Container

Here’s how to plant your mixed fall container for success:

Ornamental cabbage, spike, celosia, and marigolds

Prepare the Container: Fill the pot with a high-quality, well-draining potting mix. Add a layer of gravel or broken pottery at the bottom to improve drainage if needed.
Arrange the Plants: Before planting, set your plants (still in their nursery pots) in the container to experiment with placement. Ensure taller plants like mums or kale are in the center or back, with shorter pansies and peppers around them.
Plant: Remove plants from their pots, gently loosen the roots, and place them in the soil at the same depth they were in their original containers. Fill in gaps with potting mix and press firmly to secure the plants.
Water Thoroughly: Water the container until the soil is evenly moist but not soggy. This helps settle the soil and ensures the plants establish well.

Step 5: Care and Maintenance

Fall plants are relatively low-maintenance, but a little care goes a long way:

Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Check the soil daily, especially in windy or dry conditions, as containers dry out faster than garden beds.
Light: Place your container in a spot with full sun to partial shade. Mums and pansies thrive in 4–6 hours of sunlight, while kale and ornamental peppers can tolerate slightly less.
Deadheading: Pinch off faded mum and pansy blooms to encourage continuous flowering.
Fertilizing: Apply a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer (e.g., 10-10-10) every 2–3 weeks to keep plants vibrant.
Frost Protection: These plants are cold-hardy, but if a hard frost is forecast, move containers to a sheltered spot or cover them with frost cloth.

Step 6: Add Seasonal Accents

Enhance your fall container with decorative elements:

Tuck in mini pumpkins, gourds, or pinecones for a festive touch.
Add a layer of mulch, like bark or straw, to retain moisture and add a polished look.
Incorporate seasonal ornaments, such as small scarecrows or lanterns, for extra charm.

Final Thoughts

Creating mixed fall plant containers is a fun and rewarding way to celebrate the season. Mums, pansies, ornamental peppers, and flowering kale offer endless possibilities for color and texture combinations, making it easy to design a display that reflects your style. With proper care, your containers will stay vibrant through fall and, in some cases, into early winter. So grab your gardening gloves, pick out your favorite plants, and start crafting a stunning fall planter that will wow your neighbors and guests!

Autumn Mixed Planters