While autumn foliage is always a treat, it never lasts long enough—which is why we love these gorgeous fall annuals! Surround yourself with color all season long with these cool-season favorites.
A natural choice for both spring and fall containers, pansies are adored far and wide for their cheerful "faces" and eclectic color combinations. The long-lasting flowers thrive in cool weather with full sun exposure and usually handle light frosts gracefully.
A miniature version of the pansy, violas have all the same looks and benefits as their pansy cousins but in a smaller package. Combine pansies and violas in your fall annual containers for a multi-dimensional look.
As we progress into fall, warm color palettes begin to take center stage. Cornflower's brilliant shades of blue create a striking contrast with the season's red and gold tones. These nectar-rich fall annuals are frost-resistant, pollinator-friendly, and excellent for bringing contrast and texture to sun-soaked beds and containers.
This tropical beauty is best known as a houseplant but makes a fabulous fall annual! The multi-tonal yellow, orange, red, and green leaves are a natural fit for an autumn backdrop. Best of all, when the weather gets too cold, you can transition them indoors to take a permanent home on a south-facing windowsill.
You could eat this edible fall annual, but with its colorful rosettes of wavy foliage, would you want to? There's just something about this voluminous ornamental vegetable that reflects the themes of abundance we associate with Thanksgiving. Plus, you'll love watching its brightly-colored edges intensify in color as the weather grows cooler! Ornamental cabbage grows best in full sun.
These upright annuals are big on personality and perform best in the fall! Available in a wide array of colors, it's easy to find a snapdragon cultivar to fit the color themes of your patio containers. Another sun lover, snapdragons adore the autumn sunshine and are relatively resistant to frost.
Also known as "sweet William" or "pinks" due to the signature petals that look trimmed by pinking shears, dianthus is a spunky little flower that is as cute as it is fragrant, with a spicy scent that works beautifully with the warm aromas of the season. Red dianthus are especially of-the-moment for fall, perfect for combining with yellow, orange, and other red annuals. While they do best in full sun, dianthus also tolerates partial shade.
A true mainstay of the fall garden, it's hard even to fathom autumn containers without classic mums! Mums are so closely associated with fall due to their preference for cool weather and plush blooms that come in a range of jewel tones—each a perfect match for the richer colors of the season. Keep your mums well-watered and in a full sun location. Pinch back spent blooms as you find them to promote full growth and long-lasting blooms.
Every veteran gardener knows that ornamental grasses are a secret weapon for low-maintenance, all-season beauty—they add height, texture, and color to the landscape from spring through winter. Purple fountain grass is one of our favorite selections, thanks to its rich purple foliage, fluffy reddish tan plumes, and gracefully arching upright habit. You simply can't ask for a better 'thriller' plant for your fall annual container arrangements! Purple fountain grass prefers full sun but tolerates partial shade.
There are few better examples of intense color and texture than these exceptional fall annuals. Sun-loving celosia are available in both vibrant and pastel shades of pink, yellow, red, purple, and orange, making them easy to integrate into autumn color schemes. The flowers are long-lasting and have interesting foliage, which is excellent for low-maintenance containers or fresh-cut bouquets for your Thanksgiving table.
Are you looking for more ideas to bring fall color to your home and landscape? Visit one of our Westwood Gardens locations to shop for more cool-season annuals and other beauties for your fall planting!
