Fall Container for the Front Porch

Fall is one of my favorite times of year! It's the time of year when I put together the planters on the front porch for the fall season. Assuming we don't get a hard freeze between now and Thanksgiving these will take me to the holiday season when I replant. We are lucky to live in the Northwest where the weather is very mild. Many of the plants that I use here in the Northwest simply would not work in other parts of the country. Let's get started!

I start with an existing pot that I use on the front porch. This year I had to take a little steel wool to it and give it a fresh coat of paint. A little spray paint can go a long way to making a project like this look great. There is nothing worse than putting the time and money into a project like this and ending up with a plant combination that looks great and a container that looks like crap. Take the time to find the right container.

First I plant the the Monterey Cypress. I got mine for $20 each - they will last for years. They are not supposed to be hardy around here but I have had really good luck with them lasting outdoors in pots for years. The great thing about using this as the anchor is that when I change out the plants for the holiday season, this one will stay and I'll have a great starting point.

Next I add the bright orange begonias to the pot. These were $5 each. These are not hardy so a hard frost will kill them. Luckily these are right up against the house so they can tolerate colder weather - remember they only have to last two months and then we replant for the holidays!

Next we add the bright red Kalanchoe. I paid $6 for this plant. This is a great plant that I love. It too is often sold as a house plant but does fine for a few months outside in a container on the porch. Advance tip - kalanchoe's come in many colors. At Christmas the white ones look fantastic planted in a basket with miniature red poinsettias! You can bet that you will see some posted on the site at the holidays!

Next comes the ornamental pepper plant. The pepper plant cost $5 each. I love the contract of the dark green leaves and the bright yellow peppers. This to is not hardy but should do fine for this purpose for a couple of months.

Lastly, I tuck in a small winter kale ($1.49) for added texture and color.

I add a few small pots of mums and a little Halloween lantern and I'm all set.

I put one on each side of the porch for a welcoming fall look. Each pot cost less than $38 to put together. That includes the Cypress which will be used as an anchor plant for several years. Well worth the investment!

This weekend I'll go out and pick up some pumpkin's and a few stalks of corn to finish off the looks of the front porch. As Halloween gets closer we add a few orange light and some blinking eyeballs as the finishing touch!

Have a good one -

Jim