Fall Planter Idea with Lanterns & Mums
In this post: An easy fall planter idea using lanterns, copper mums, ivy, and Creeping Jenny. This planter idea is super simple and quick to assemble!
*This post was originally published in 2018. It’s been updated with more information and fresh source links.
Now that it’s officially September, let’s welcome autumn…and there’s no better place to start than on the front porch. I already shared how to make the lamb’s ear and cotton boll wreath pictured below. Next up is a fall planter idea that is easy to adapt to your space, and even to whatever pots you have on hand.
I’m going to be honest…I wasn’t sure this 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 are the prettiest copper color. So in the end, it all fell into place.
Fall Planter Idea Supplies Needed for One Pot
- Planter or pot
- Potting soil
- Lantern
- LED Candle
- Small mum
- 4 ivy plants
- 2 Creeping Jenny (or other trailing plant)
Sizes and sources for everything I used are listed at the end of the post.
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 some fresh soil. Water it well so the soil compacts a bit. This helps to steady the lantern.
Fall Planter Idea 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.
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.Â
If you have a larger planter with a big opening, it would work to place the lantern in the middle and surround it with plants. Use two mums instead of just one for better symmetry. It would also be really fun to fill the lantern with little pumpkins and/or gourds.
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.
Fall Planter Idea Sources
*Affiliate links included. Click HERE for my disclosure statement.
*If an item I used for these lantern planters is unavailable, I’ve linked to a similar source.
Planter box (16 in. x 16 in.)| Lanterns | LED Pillar Candles & Remote Control | Lamb’s Ear Wreath | Front Door Color | Porch lights | Address plaque | Mailbox | Door hardware | Wreath hanger | Rockers | Buffalo check rug | Hello doormat | Black & white buffalo check throw blanketÂ
I’ll be back in a few days with more photos of the rest of the porch, along with all the details.
*Update: see the fall front porch HERE.
I’m ready to add touches of fall inside the house as well, so watch for those in the coming days and weeks. I’m looking forward to sweater weather, shorter days, pumpkin bread, and soup on the stove. Let’s greet the season together!
