Eight autumn container ideas

Golden rudbeckia and purple Michaelmas daisies in a terracotta pot with pale green anemanthele

On top of the autumnal colour provided by deciduous trees and shrubs, there are lots of perennials that reach their peak display in autumn, including dahlias, sedums, rudbeckias and asters (Michaelmas daisies).

Don't forget, the pot or container you choose can be just as important as the plants you grow in it – check out these rustic upcycled garden containers.

For even more autumn colour, add autumn-flowering perennials and bulbs to beds and borders. These plant combinations for autumn colour should give you lots to think about.

Get started with these pot and container ideas for autumn colour.

Agastache, sedum and veronica

Bee-friendly combinations are a good source of nectar and pollen for pollinators. The purple sedum provides beautiful contrast with the foliage and flowers of the agastache and veronica.

We used: Agastache 'Summer Glow', Veronica 'Atomic Sky Ray' and Hylotelephium telephium 'Purple Emperor'.

Bee-friendly pot — Purple sedum with agastache and veronica in a terracotta pot

Festuca, rudbeckia and eucalyptus

Evergreens play a large role in this container, with the snow gum forming the backbone of the pot and the blue fescue bringing some texture. Rudbeckias lighten everything up.

We used: Eucalyptus gunnii, Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm', Festuca glauca.

Festuca, rudbeckia and eucalyptus pot — Silver festuca and eucalyptus with golden rudbeckia flowers

Sempervivums

Sempervivums are evergreen, so they can be relied upon to green up your outdoor spaces at any time of year. Go for several different varieties of different sizes and colours to add interest. Position the container in a sunny spot. Find more advice on growing sempervivums.

Sempervivum container — A variety of sempervivums in a shallow blue glazed pot, topped with gravel

Lilyturf, button fern and balloon flower

This indigo-toned container is perfect for a spot in partial shade. The button fern is tender, but so do consider other evergreen ferns like aspleniums or common polypody.

We used: Liriope muscari 'Royal Purple', Pellaea rotundifolia and platycodon or ballon flower, Platycodon grandiflorus.

Blue-toned autumn container — Mauve lilyturf and balloon flowers, with button fern, complemented by a blue hued pot

Dahlia, heuchera and carex

This container is packed with warm tones that echo the turning autumn leaves of deciduous trees and shrubs. Deadhead the dahlias to prolong their flowers and protect the tubers over winter.

We used: 'Dahlia 'Gallery Art Nouveau', Heuchera 'Fire Chief', Carex comans 'Bronco'.

Dahlia, heuchera and carex pot — A warm planting of bronze-leaved heuchera, brown carex and a pink-flowering dahlia

Hylotelephium, Japanese anemones and anemanthele

This combination of Japanese anemone, stonecrop and anemanthele can be placed in sun or partial shade, where it'll attract pollinators seeking autumn nectar. Discover how to propagate Japanese anemones.

We used: Anemone 'Pretty Lady Julia', Anemanthele lessioniana, Hylotelephium spectabile.

Hylotelephium, Japanese anemones and anemanthele — Pink sedum and Japanese anemone flowers with anemanthele

Quick crops

Speedily grown salad leaves are a great way to get fresh leaves on your plate after as the main growing season comes to an end. You can also continue to harvest crops like tomatoes, aubergines and courgettes that were sown at the beginning of the year. This assortment shows chard, beetroot, carrots, tomatoes, watercress and lettuce.

Grouping of containerised crops — Chard, carrots, tomatoes and lettuce growing in containers

Rudbeckia, symphyotrichum and anemanthele

Rudbeckias and Michaelmas daisies (also called autumn asters) provide colour that is easily on par with summer flowers. New Zealand wind grass boosts the height and gives the container a more informal feel.

We used: Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm', Symphyotrichum novi-belgii 'Tonga', Anemanthele lessioniana.