Fall Planter Idea with Lanterns & Mums

Fall porch decor, an easy fall planter idea using lanterns, copper mums, ivy, and Creeping Jenny, plus tips on making it cozy and comfortable.

Greeting the season and putting my front porch plan into action has been more of a process than usual, but it’s finished, and I’m happy to be sharing it with all of you! Now that it’s officially September, let’s welcome autumn…and there’s no better place to start than on the front porch. Next up is a fall planter idea that is easy to adapt to your space, or whatever pots you have on hand.

I’m going to be honest…I wasn’t sure this fall planter idea was actually going to work. After I finally found small mums and got them planted, they promptly dried up and died! I have no idea what happened, but I had to start all over again. My second batch of mums actually look much better than the first, and they are the prettiest copper color. So in the end, it all fell into place.

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Fall Planter Idea Supplies Needed for One Planter

• Planter (square planter pictured is 16 x 16 inches)
• Potting soil
• Lantern (7 x 7 x 22 inches)
• LED Candle (4 x 12 inches)
• Small mum
• 4 ivy plants
• 2 Creeping Jenny (or other trailing plant)

Planter Assembly

• The first thing to do is fill your container almost full with potting soil. I had impatiens in mine, so I pulled those out, and just added fresh soil.
• Water the soil well so it compacts. This hard surface helps to steady the lantern.
• Refer to the picture above for placement of the lantern and plants. The lantern is flush against the back of the pot instead of in the middle. This allows for a little more room in the front to place the mum.
• The photo shows just the right side of the planter...use the same placement for the left side. 

Candle Placement Tip

Place the candle inside the lantern BEFORE the plants are added. Once the plants are in, it’s hard to open the lantern door. That’s also why I chose LED candles that have a remote. It would be impossible to turn the lantern on and off without a remote. 

I actually love the way these planters turned out. When the first set of mums dried up, I thought about leaving them out entirely. I’m glad I didn’t, because the added color looks festive and very fallish. You could also add color with little pumpkins, baby gourds, or bunches of mini Indian corn.

The Porch

This plan really started with the black and white buffalo check throws that are on the rockers. They are very basic and if I can pull it off, I want to use them for Christmas as well. Two seasons for the price of one!

Front Porch Fall Decorating Tip

To save a little money, try to use what you have. Shop your house for pillows or throws that have been around for a while that you won’t mind using outside. Reuse your summer planters and just refresh them for fall. I bet there’s a bin or two someplace in your house that has pumpkins and other fall decor in it…take a look and see what you can find.

I dragged a couple of galvanized buckets from the deck to the front porch and filled them with copper mums, kale, and ivy. They add a touch of farmhouse style, and the metal provides a break from the black & white. Since you can never have too much buffalo check, I carried it over to the door area by placing a rug under the coir doormat. I love the way this looks, and can’t believe I waited so long to try this cute layering method.