1. Purple fountain grass– great for texture, color and height. If you plan ahead and plant them in your container in mid-late summer they will establish and put on an exciting show of plumes and color. Fountain grass is a perennial so it’ll come back next year!

2. Red peacock Kale– great texture and color- this one fills the lower areas in the garden. Be gentle because the leaves can break off easily while transporting or planting.

3. Pansies– I know, I know- pansies are everywhere! But how great is it to see them bloom after a snow melt. There are a huge variety of colors and the blooms last from fall through to next summer until it starts to get warm. Make sure to deadhead the old flowers to keep them blooming for months.

4. Mums– mums come in a huge variety of sizes and colors. They are fragile so be careful as you bring them home and plant them. They’ll also require careful watering the first season because the can dry up quickly killing the blooms. Mums will come back the following year. Be sure to prune them back mid season (late June, early July) so they aren’t ‘leggy’ when they bloom.

5. Dynasty Red Cabbage– These are similar to the red peacock kale and should be transported and planted carefully so the leaves don’t break off.

Here are some other plants I love to use in fall containers: caramel heuchera, beautyberry, winterberry, hollies, creeping jenny, sweet potatoes vine, variegated vinca vine.