The most important thing about planting autumn planters is timing, if you wait until October to make up your planters, then you will find its too cold for the plants to grow.
The answer is to buy fully grown plants in flower, using plenty of plants to fill the planter.
If you can think ahead and have 2 sets of pots you can plant them in August or early September, this gives them plenty of time to grow.
When your summer bedding pots have finished just swap the pots over.
Autumn plants are hardy and only need protection from severe weather.
Remember to water them, they still dry out during the winter.
Think beast from the east, that freezing cold wind can dry the plants out while the roots are frozen and unable to take up water.
If you look after them, checking the watering, removing dead flowers and some liquid fertiliser in the spring you will find the violas, primroses, bellis and wallflowers will grow and flower again in the spring.
Add some spring flowering bulbs to your planters, they will pop up in the spring an unexpected bonus of colour. Mini daffodils like tete-tete are popular for early colour. Hyacinths and tulips flower a bit later March and April
Choosing plants for your planter
To make a mixed planter using different types of plants can look complicated so to help you decide, I have split them into 3 groups using a clock to describe the habit
For a mixed planter choose a tall plant for height, some semi-trailing for filling and if the planter is high enough, use some trailing plants to hang down.
This is often described as Thrillers (tall) Fillers (semi-trailing) and Spillers (trailing) an American concept designed to help with choosing plants for containers.
Upright plants
10-2 o’clock
Taller plants for the middle of your planter often called the focal or main plant
Autumn winter thrillers
A range of plants that are perfect for using in winter patio pots and hanging baskets A selection of evergreen foliage plants, winter hardy they…
Semi- trailing
2-4 8-10
o’clock
Semi trailing spreading plants often called fillers
Autumn winter fillers
A range of bushy flowering and foliage plants Bud heathers can add height and colour Peppers in a wide range of colours provide colour well…
Autumn winter spillers
A range of trailing plants to provide colour and shape to your planters Ivy attractive foliage tough enough to survive the winter Lamiun colourful foliage…
It is possible to make a planter out of just one type of plant, they can look very effective. The secret is to use enough plants to create a bit of crowding this will force the middle up to create height and around the edges to improve the trailing effect. You can make a good basket out of any of the semi-trailing habit plants.
