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10 fall planter ideas that incorporate mums and other autumn decor, including pumpkins, gourds, olive buckets, grapevine, and more. Fall is calling!
With the arrival of each new season, my all-time favorite thing to do is refresh our front porch. Even at Christmas, decorating the porch trumps everything…the tree, the garland, even the presents. Coming up with new front porch ideas at least three times a year is a challenge I love…but sometimes it’s more of a challenge than I care to admit! Our current front porch is made of basic concrete, and it has a pretty white railing. Additions of a blue front door, white rockers, a fun doormat, and of course, seasonal planters add charm, color, and texture.
How do you decorate outdoor fall planters?
What follows are 10 fall planter ideas from our Sutton Place house, and our current home. Each one is simple to assemble, and easy on the budget. The best thing about decorating your outdoor space for the seasons is simply being outside. It’s especially lovely in the fall, when the air becomes a bit cooler, and your inspiration is refreshed.
Galvanized Washtubs with Grapevine Trees
There are two things all fall containers need…plants with color and foliage for filler. First up are these galvanized washtubs with grapevine trees. This DIY project was originally shared in 2014, and because it’s still a great idea, the post has been updated with re-edited images, more organized information, and source links. These washtubs are the perfect way to flank your front door, and they add amazing fall curb appeal.
Mums in Olive Buckets
Back in 2015, when a snagged a pair of vintage olive buckets, our front porch took on a cozy and vintage vibe that I loved. Dark autumn colors were featured, along with touches of navy blue. The olive buckets flanked the front door, with gorgeous russet mums taking center stage. The assembly of these olive bucket planters was super easy, and any kind of bucket or planter can be used as the base. For more inspiration, take a look at the rest of our 2015 fall front porch.
Olive Buckets with Bittersweet + Pumpkins
The olive buckets came back, but this time they were filled with pumpkins and bittersweet. These sweet planters went viral on Pinterest, and were pinned more than 146,000 times. They are so easy, and take hardly any time at all to assemble. Because the pumpkins are not the real thing, you can make these when September begins, and they will last all the way to Thanksgiving!
Mums with Yellow Blooms in Square Black Planters
These sunny yellow mums in black planters were very simple, but they added incredible curb appeal to our front porch. They popped off the brick, and were the first thing you noticed from the sidewalk or street. They literally took minutes to assemble!
Lanterns in Black Planters
These black planters with lanterns are one of my top ten favorite projects. Like many things I attempt, I wasn’t at all sure what I was doing, or how the planters would look at the end. I can honestly say that they turned out way better than I imagined!
White Metal Planters with Boxwood + Ivy
This was the year that I actually thought ahead to Christmas, and planted boxwood and ivy in crisp white planters. Although there was no color in the planters, the combination of russet, gold, and navy blue on the rest of the porch made up for it.
Mums, Ivy, + Mini Pumpkins
Next up are lightweight faux galvanized planters filled with mums, ivy, and mini pumpkins. Like I sometimes do, I used ivy that had been growing in my summer pots for the fall version. Using leftover herbs or trailing plants from summer in your autumn pots is an easy way to get a full and mature-looking end result.
Mums, Trailing Petunias, + Ivy in Navy Planters
I didn’t know it at the time, but these navy planters with mums, ivy, and trailing petunias were my last at the Sutton Place house. I loved that the planters matched the door color, and that the mums matched the doormat. The pairing of navy blue and bright russet is always a homerun in the fall.
Dark Russet Mums + Ivy in Square White Planters
Our first fall in our new home was relaxed and cozy. I tried very hard to keep things simple, yet festive. I filled my white planters with dark russet mums, and left the existing ivy. Like the year before, this look featured one of my favorite fall color combos…blue and russet.
Ivy-Covered Grapevine Trees
Together with the layered doormats, these ivy-covered grapevine tree planters not only welcome the season, they welcome our guests as well! I built grapevine topiaries for the white planter boxes, and filled in the bottom of the trees with faux fall stems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fall container plants can be a mixture of perennials, annuals, and herbs. Make sure to consider if your planters will be in all shade, partial shade, or full sun. Here are some ideas:
-coleus
-purple fountain grass
-creeping jenny
-asters
-ornamental cabbage
-purple kale
-flowering kale
-marigolds
-lavender
-moss
-ornamental kale
-ornamental peppers
-sage
-rosemary
-thyme
-a planter box
-any kind of basket
-urns
-olive buckets
-galvanized buckets
-galvanized washtubs
-terra cotta pots
The colors of autumn are rich, dark, and saturated. Here are some ideas:
-any shade of orange
-deep purple hues
-burgundy
-rust or russet
-copper
-gold
-yellow
Planter Resources
- vintage olive buckets
- vintage galvanized wash tubs
- black square planters
- small metal trash can: spray paint it white
- tall black planters
- faux galvanized lightweight planters (See them on our patio.)
- polyresin planters that can be painted
- white Polywood planters
Do you have your fall game plan figured out? If you still need inspiration, see the Ultimate Guide to Fall at the link below. Enjoy!
The Ultimate Guide To
Celebrating Fall
A collection of 100 autumn decor ideas, fun crafts, fall wreaths, and yummy recipes all in one place. It’s the ultimate guide to fall, and provides easy links to find exactly what you are looking for!.
GET FALL PRINTABLES!
Sign up to get a collection of free fall
printables and create custom art for
your home. Let’s celebrate autumn!
The AUTUMN Market
A collection of wonderful
fall decor items,
curated especially for you.
Here in Texas, we simply can not wait for Fall !! Today’s temp was 103* with Heat Index 109* ~ hoping for cool temps soon to want to be outside. Recently purchased a nice outdoor chaise for Mr.’s Father’s Day gift and two wicker comfy chairs & have yet to carry them out of the house ~ the sweat-factor…lol
Thank you Doreen for the beautiful ideas. I would love to know where you get the outdoor candles for your tall lanterns.
So many pretty ways to decorate a porch,I love all of them.Can’t wait to see how you decorate the porch of your new house.
Thank you Ann, for so many beautiful ideas! They all look lovely and would make such a difference. You put so much work into your posts, and they are very much appreciated!
I love your front door vignette as it changes though the season. I always get great ideas. Thank you.
Karen B.
The combination of the orange coir mat on top of the brighter blue mat really pops! I’d have never thought of those together but it really is pretty.
I’ve never been a fan of mums. I do like your idea of using them with coleus though. I love the leaves of the coleus especially the deep maroon shades or the lime green edged ones.
I’m starting my door basket today but probably won’t hang it for a couple more weeks.
These are great tips to get me started. Thank you!
Such lovely porch ideas. I wish I could have fall flowers on mine, but they must be faux. The deer love my real flowers . Looking forward to selling your new fall porch decor!
Wow! You are so creative! Love all your fall porch ideas from the Sutton Place house & your plan for your new house! I can’t wait to decorate for Fall. Thanks for the inspiration!!