Late summer can feel a little sad in the garden. The sun might still be shining and the evenings warm, but by August something has shifted. Grasses are parched, the fresh green of June is long gone, salvias are slowing down and the first flush of roses is a distant memory.
But all is not lost – not yet. Late-summer flowering perennials, ornamental grasses and evergreens can breathe new life into pots, bringing fresh color and texture right through fall and, in some cases, until the first frost. Asters are a perfect example. I have seen brilliant pink and purple varieties flowering quite happily into November in cold, wet Wales. Give taller varieties a little support and they can keep the show on the road remarkably late in the year.
So, if you are looking for container gardening ideas to revive a patio, porch or tired pot display, late summer is no time to give up. From colorful asters – there are great deals on live plants from Amazon – to fiery rudbeckias, these are the pot plants to grow now for blooms through fall.
1. Black-eyed Susan
Native to North America, black-eyed Susan, or Rudbeckia spp., are prairie plants seem made for that awkward point between summer and fall, when plenty of other perennials are beginning to fade.
Hardy down to US hardiness zone 3, they are easy to grow in containers, provided you give them plenty of sunshine and keep on top of watering. ‘Goldsturm’ is a dependable choice, producing masses of golden-yellow flowers, while ‘Henry Eilers’ has unusual, thin petals that give each flower an almost spidery appearance.
The striking 'solar sisters' Black-eyed Susan plant is available from Trees.com (formerly known as Fast Growing Trees.)
2. Aster
Asters are among the last great performers of the gardening year. Depending on the variety, they can flower from late summer until the first frost, producing masses of daisy-like blooms.
Most perennial asters are hardy from US zone 3 to zone 8 and perform best in full sun with well-draining soil.
For containers, I particularly like compact varieties that are less likely to flop or require staking. ‘Wood’s Blue’ is a good option, producing masses of purple-blue flowers through fall but reaching no taller than three feet.
Keep containers watered during dry spells and deadhead faded flowers to maintain the display.
Perennial asters are available to order from Walmart.
3. Switchgrass
Native to North America, switchgrass, or panicum, is an ornamental calming plant perfect for adding height and movement to container displays, with fine flowers grouped in airy clusters called panicles appearing in late summer and remaining attractive well into fall.
Hardy from US zone 4, switchgrass prefers full sun. In pots, however, keep an eye on watering, as containers will dry considerably faster than plants grown in your borders.
For a particularly good fall display, try Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’, which has blue-green leaves that tend to become increasingly tinted with burgundy-red as the seasons change.
You can fine switchgrass plants at Nature Hills.
What to Shop
The Felco F2 pruning shears are loved by gardeners for their high quality and longevity, ideal for trimming trees and shrubs in the fall.
Black eyed Susan plants are reliable and tough perennials suitable for any level of gardener, illuminating pots in the fall.
The Ethical Gardener, by Thomas Rutter, includes tips the best species to future-proof your yard, including tips on container gardening.
4. Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemums are one of the easiest ways to refresh containers as summer begins to fade, bringing a final burst of color in September and October.
One variety I really enjoy is ‘Emperor of China’, with beautiful soft lilac-pink flowers and hardy down to zone 5. This, like most garden chrysanthemums, performs best in full sun and well-draining soil, and hardy varieties can return year after year.
Flowering can continue remarkably late – potentially into November – making them perfect for bridging the gap between summer and winter displays.
These orange Belgian mums from Trees.com (formerly known as Fast Growing Trees) are my top pick for fall.
5. Helenium
There are many wonderful helenium varieties, but one of my favorites is Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’, with rich orange-red petals surrounding brown centres. Flowering from late summer into fall, it is ideal for injecting some warmth into containers as the season begins to change.
Hardy down to US zone 3, ‘Moerheim Beauty’ performs best in full sun and will do just fine in a pot, in something like this paisley terracotta pots, available now from Walmart, so long as it is watered well.
For a simple late-summer combination, pair the rusty-red flowers with the golden yellow of black-eyed Susans. Together, they create a red-yellow burst of color that, in my opinion, feels perfectly suited to the time of year.
You can find helenium plants at Amazon.
6. Nandina
Not every plant in a fall container needs to flower, so allow me one here for its foliage. Nandina domestica ‘Wood’s Dwarf’ earns its place for its leaves, bringing rich red and bronze tones just as summer flowers begin to fade.
Few evergreen shrubs deliver red foliage quite as reliably as nandina. For containers, look for a compact variety such as Nandina domestica ‘Wood’s Dwarf’, which grows to around two feet tall and is hardy down to US zone 6.
The foliage is the real attraction, shifting from green to increasingly rich shades of red as temperatures fall. Better still, this isn't simply a plant for one season.
As an evergreen, nandina can provide permanent structure in a pot, complemented by chrysanthemums and asters in fall, bulbs in spring and summer annuals later in the year.
I have found nandina does best in partial shade, although a sunny position will be fine in cooler regions.
You can find the dwarf 'fire power' nandina from Trees.com (formerly known as Fast Growing Trees), and 'gulf stream' nandina at Plant Addicts.
7. Diascia
For something to soften the edge of a fall container, diascia is hard to beat. Its masses of small pink, apricot or yellow flowers spill and tumble beautifully from pots, reaching no more than 10 or 12 inches tall.
Diascia, or twinspur, is best treated as an annual, and performs best in full sun to partial shade and, with regular deadheading, can continue flowering from summer well into fall, often until the first frost.
And, when it is done and turns brown, simply remove and add to the compost heap.
For more inspiration, check out our guide to fall raised bed garden ideas, and fill your plot with plenty of plants this October and November.
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