Fall is an exciting time of year in the landscape! The air is crisp and cool, and the colors of nature change from the hot tropical hues of Summer to the anticipated and cherished jewel tones of Autumn.  It’s now time to transition our tired Summer garden pots, planters, and window boxes into magical displays of fresh, vibrant, autumnal textures and colors.   This transformation can be easily made with the addition of easy-to-grow mums, winter pansies, ornamental cabbage and kale, and much more! To add a little spice to your season, an abundance of exceptional container plants are now available at your local Master Nursery Garden Center. With the addition of a few of these colorful, cold-hardy selections, your containers will not only look good this Fall, but many of the plants will hold on until next Spring.

To keep your container plantings performing and looking their best for the remainder of the year, be sure to refresh your planting soil. This is an important step as Summer plantings will have depleted the soil of all its nutrients. Begin by adding a generous amount of Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® Potting Soil to your existing container soil or, even better, replace all of it for best results [Eastern & Midwestern Regions | Western Region]. Be sure to fertilize and water thoroughly after planting.  Master Nursery® offers an excellent selection of Bumper Crop® Plants Foods as well.

Some of our favorite Fall container plants include:

Aster as it will provide food for bees and butterflies as well as add autumnal purple to your design.

Chrysanthemum, available in a wide spectrum of colors and they just scream FALL!

Celosia, the perfect fall flower to brighten up your plantings with gorgeous jewel tones.

Fall Pansy will hold on through most Winters for a double play in Spring.

Ornamental Grasses, like fountain grass and toffee sedge, add texture and movements to your planter.

Ornamental Cabbage and Kale make a bold statement in container plantings. They are the perfect Fall accent piece.

Ornamental Peppers provide unique color and texture.

Tricolor Sage adds a lovely variegated foliar accent with swaths of purple!

Visit your local Master Nursery Garden Center for Bumper Crop® Potting Soil, additional container design ideas, and a wide variety of unique Fall annuals and perennials.

WESTERN REGION

The Western United States is a large and diverse region. California, alone, is made up of 16 USDA Hardiness Zones. These zones delineate areas, based on average temperature highs and lows, to use as a guideline when selecting plants that may be grown in a given area. However, in order for a plant to thrive, and not just survive, other factors must be considered such as light, water, humidity, and soil type and nutrition. Within a single mile in California, you can experience high-mountain altitude and low desert heat. It is important to be aware of your individual microclimates to garden successfully. Your local Master Nursery Garden Center is an excellent resource for not only quality plants and gardening products but also for gardening information specific to your zone and microclimate.