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New England Gardening

Any ideas for Fall Containers? Different plants?

prairiemoon2 z6b MA

17 years ago

Hi,

I am ready to put some fresh plants into containers. I am just so tired of the same old plants that are usually available. Does anyone have any ideas of some different plants for fall containers? Do you know any nurseries that have something special this time of year?

Thanks :-)

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Comments (3)

ginny12
17 years ago
While the usual mums, asters, cabbages, pumpkins are all that occur to me, I'd suggest you go to a great and creative nursery near you. Examples would be Lake Street in Windham NH or Allen Haskell. I think that's your best bet for finding the unusual.
Sue W (CT zone 6a)
17 years ago
Even though they may be common, I really like the ornamental cabbages and kale. None of my containers is getting tired enough to swap anything out though. In fact I'm going to have to go on a pinch fest this weekend to bring some of the coleus under control. A couple of weeks ago I switched from a weekly feeding to a very weak strength daily feeding and jump started the bloomers like million bells, fuschias, and Brugmansias. The tender stuff and tropicals are carrying the garden right now.

Sue
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Tracy, thanks. I haven't seen that in person yet. [g] It sounds pretty, and definitely like fall. I know that can be grown from seed, maybe something to think about next year. I haven't seen any at the local nurseries. We checked out a few nurseries today and Lowe's. Everyone has the same mums and the same ornamental kales. Some people had pansies, but not the selection of the spring, naturally. Mahoney's had large 6 packs but they were $6. each. I wanted two colors, so it would have cost me $12. for pansies. That seems like a lot for pansies that will probably be dead in 6 weeks. I've seen some pretty varieties of ornamental kale in seed catalogs, but commercial growers, seem to all be using the same seed. A purple and a green and one frilly. Every year, I think I am going to start some seeds for the fall and never do. I am going to keep looking. :-)
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Thanks for the tips. Yes, I can probably get my hands on some more bark/mulch. Turns out the romas aren't going to be yanked out just yet. They finally have a few fruit on them that haven't been attacked by BER yet. Instead, I plan to take out the eggplant plants that never grew much, and use the big 18gal container they're in. My broccoli spouted, but need a few weeks before they're ready to go in the garden, I think. I pulled up my peas (they were very very dead), but the kale is still puttering away, and maybe will start growing a bit more. Beans are still going. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks! Peg
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Heuchera will go with so many plants...if for shadier location, maybe lady's mantle, siberian bugloss, 'cascading' type grass like japanese forest grass, creeping jenny, hosta, ferns (I love Maidenhair and Japanese painted and Ghost fern), and for something taller solomon's seal... For sunnier location you still could use heuchera, even with lamb's ear - and just about any other perennial or annual will go with lamb's ear. Cabbages would look good with it too. Or you can create more monochromatic container with other silvery plants (artemisia, dusty miller, licorice plant, silver sage, blue fescue...) I would plant euphorbia 'Diamond frost' in that container too...Rina
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prairiemoon2 z6b MA
Original Author
17 years ago
Ginny, I wasn't aware of Lake St and that location is not that far from me. Haskell's I have been to, and it is quite a ride for me. Maybe that is just what I need, a new nursery to try. :-) Thanks!

Hi Sue, I also love the ornamental kales and cabbages and I know I have seen some really attractive new hybrids, but the problem is I haven't seen them at my local nurseries. I also enjoy all of the other fall plants, if I could just find a Mum, that wasn't lavender, yellow, maroon or orange. I don't even know what I am looking for, just something a little flashier I guess. [g] I don't really even mind using some of these tried and true, if I could just find something new to go with them maybe.

I really fell down on the job with my containers this year. I winter sowed and used seedlings from that process and many of them were plants that I was trying for the first time and using them without ever having seen what they looked like in bloom. We also were in the middle of constructing vegetable beds and finishing laying a patio and moving piles of dirt, as late as early June, so we got off to a late start too. The containers were really an afterthought this year. I haven't been happy with them from the beginning. Can't wait to put something together that is more pleasing to the eye. Thanks for sharing your fertilizing schedule. Every year I say I will do better in that department,but there's always next year. [g]

Pmoon

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