Fall is an excellent time to show off your seasonal
favorites like mums, pansies, violas, and flowering kale or cabbage. Play with
colorful and dynamic combos of perennials, annuals and grasses to create
stunning containers.
Photo Credit: Southern Living
Use solid colored Pansies in orange and velvety black
to make the perfect Hallow’s Eve arrangement. Place in a black or silver
container for a super spooky addition to your front porch Jack O’Lanterns.
Photo Credit: Southern Living
Use a variety of colorful Pansies
as a filler against an evergreen, like an Arborvitae or a Blue Point
Juniper, with a classical ivy, like English Ivy for a formal
arrangement.
Photo Credit: Southern Living
Use different varieties of Dianthus to create a full
container – pair with a neutral pot to really show off the bold colors.
Photo Credit: Southern Living
Make a MUM-KIN! Cut out the top of a pumpkin and
plant your favorite fall Mum. Use orange or yellow for a consistent
color scheme or add pink or purple for a deep contrast against the orange of
your pumpkin!
Photo Credit: Southern Living
Strawberry Jar Planters can be used in more ways than one!
Plant Violas in different shades for an incredible ‘spill’ effect.
Photo Credit: Southern Living
Create a sunny disposition, even
in fall! Plant yellow Pansies(with and without a ‘face’) to
create a trio of gold on your porch. Add a fountain grass for a ‘thriller’ to
really draw attention!
Photo Credit: Southern Living
Have stairs leading up to your home? Create a stair-step
quattro of planters with Violas. Use different style pots with the same
variety of Violas to create a stunning look on your stairs!
Photo Credit: Southern Living
Have fun with Succulents in fall too! Just like our Mum-kin
(pictured above) plant succulents in pumpkins and spray paint
the pumpkins in neutral tones to make these desert gems stand out.
Do you have bare spots in your yard where grass won’t grow? Under a large tree that is too shady for
grass? A slope or steep area? If you’ve answered “YES!” to any of these
questions, you may need a groundcover to solve your issue.
What is a groundcover? The definitive answer would be
“Any one of a group of low-lying plants with a creeping, spreading habit that
are used to cover sections of ground with minimal maintenance.”
Groundcovers can be used in so many ways:
mass plantings in your actual landscape,
adding color to a rock garden,
use in skinny walkway beds,
introducing new colors and textures to your
garden beds,
erosion area
Ajuga
Also known as ‘Bugleweed’
This evergreen perennial (stays green all year) has a ground-hugging habit of growth. Ajuga sends up beautiful electric blue blooms that rise above its foliage from mid to late spring. It attracts butterflies but not deer. Ajuga loves to spread, plant in part-shade, and watch her thrive!
Japanese Ardisia
Also known as ‘Maleberry’
Japanese Ardisia shows off a rich, green color and dainty
clusters of pink star-shaped flowers at the ends of its branches during spring,
and red berries in mid fall. This multi-stemmed evergreen shrub is perfect for
areas that are shaded, moist and cool. Reaching a spread of 3 feet, this
part-shade to full shade lover makes for an excellent groundcover (and an
excellent houseplant!).
Sedge
Also known as ‘Carex’
Sedge is a vigorous, mound-forming evergreen with striking,
grassy foliage. The gracefully arching stems of this plant bring a fine and
delicate addition to any garden. This groundcover is relatively
low-maintenance, and does well in partial shade or full shade, and spreads up
to 16 inches. Many native varieties of Sedge cultivar are right here among us
in East Texas! Sedge makes a great border edging, mass planting, and also works
well in mixed containers.
Coral Bells
Also known as ‘Heuchera’
Coral Bells is an evergreen perennial with tall flower stalks
held atop a low mound of foliage. These tiny, delicate flowers come in as many
colors as its foliage does, from lime green to purple! This low-growing plant
is relatively low-maintenance and a good choice for attracting butterflies.
Coral Bells are perfect for containers, mass plantings, borders and rock
gardens. This evergreen can take full sun or full shade and can spread up to 18
inches.
Japanese Pachysandra
Showing out in a rich, emerald color, Pachysandra is an
evergreen that looks amazing year-round. Spreading up to 1 ½ feet at maturity,
this perennial does best in part shade to morning sun. The bold, dark green
leaves make for a fantastic groundcover, or border for walkways. Small, bright
white flowers appear in early spring – though not particularly showy, the
flowers offer an ornate addition against the green background.
‘Blue Rug’ Juniper
This ground-hugging Juniper features silvery-blue foliage
that takes on a nearly purple tinge during winter and produces blue berries
from late spring to late winter. A dense, multi-stemmed evergreen, ‘Blue Rug’
Juniper is extremely adaptable and hardy – making for a great groundcover or
border, or even trailing over walls. A lover of full sun to part shade, this
Juniper can reach a spread of up to 7 feet!
Creeping Phlox
Also known as ‘Moss Phlox’
Creeping Phlox puts on a show of bright, cherry red, blue or
white star-shaped flowers at the ends of the stems from early to late spring.
It’s tiny, needle-like leaves remain green in color throughout the year. This
evergreen blanket of flowers does best in full sun to part-shade, which makes
it perfect for border edging, mass planting or general ground cover. At
maturity, Creeping Phlox can spread up to 18 inches.
Sedum
Ground cover sedums are a form of succulents that are winter
hardy and stay green throughout the year.
These are heat loving plants that grow well in full sun or partial sun
and are drought tolerant! They come in a variety of colors, some have
variegated leaves and bloom in late Summer through Fall. Use in rock gardens, as ground cover in
landscape beds, as spillers in containers or in hanging baskets.
Delosperma
Also known as ‘Ice Plant’
This is a multi-purpose plant with succulent type foliage. It blooms in bright colors from Spring
through Fall, stays green throughout the winter, loves full sun and heat but
will also perform in partial sun. Good
for rock gardens, a spiller in containers, and in hanging baskets.
Standard Mondo Grass
This old standby is an evergreen perennial with grass like
stems and small purple flower spikes which bloom throughout the Spring and
Summer. It is slow growing and spreads
through runners. It can be easily divided
and moved to other areas and requires minimal care once established. Mass plantings are striking – giving the
appearance of a deep green lawn. Plant
in shade or part shade.
Asian Jasmine
This woody stemmed favorite grows well in a variety of soils
and conditions. It is a great erosion
control on slopes and on the side of creeks or ditches. It can be cut with a weedeater or even with a
mower set on the highest setting if it becomes too tall for the area. Plant in partial sun to full sun.
English Ivy
Another shade loving groundcover which keeps its dark green
color year-round. This plant runs along
the ground and sets roots along the stem.
It can become invasive and grow up into trees if not contained.
Creeping Thyme
Evergreen flowering herb that is covered with a blanket of
pink-purple blossoms in the Spring. It
can handle some light foot traffic and reaches a height of 3”. Grows in full sun to partial shade.