Fall offers a palette of warm colors and textures that can transform your home’s exterior. Here are the top five ways to boost your curb appeal this fall.
1. Create a colorful container garden.
One of the quickest and most impactful ways to add fall flair to your home’s exterior is by creating colorful container gardens. Place large pots or planters in focal point areas, then fill them with a mix of fall-blooming flowers and foliage plants such as:
- Mums: Available in a variety of autumn hues, mums are the quintessential fall flower.
- Pansies: These hardy flowers can withstand cooler temperatures. Be sure to add trailing Cool Wave pansies, as these will drape over container edges.
- Ornamental kale and cabbage: Their textured, colorful leaves add interest and structure to containers.
Arrange your containers with taller plants in the center, surrounded by medium-height plants and trailing varieties spilling over the edges for a full, lush professional look.
2. Plant fall-blooming perennials.
Incorporate fall-blooming perennials into your landscape to provide recurring beauty year after year. Some favorites include:
- Asters: These daisy-like flowers attract pollinators.
- Goldsturm rudbeckia: Bright yellow flowers with a brown center give these their common name of black-eyed susan.
- Russian sage: Pale gray foliage with blue to purple blooms, this sage loves sun and heat.
Plant these perennials in groups for maximum impact.
3. Showcase ornamental grasses.
Ornamental grasses reach their peak beauty in fall, with many varieties developing striking seed heads and changing colors. They add movement, texture and visual interest to your landscape. Consider these varieties:
- Adagio maiden grass: Tall with feathery plumes that catch the light beautifully
- Purple muhly grass: Airy purple plumes provide a soft texture.
Plant ornamental grasses in groups or as specimen plants in key visual areas of your yard.
4. Incorporate fall foliage plants.
Enhance your landscape with shrubs and trees known for their autumn foliage such as:
- Burning bush (euonymus alatus): Brilliant red foliage in fall
- Oakleaf hydrangea: Large leaves turn deep red and purple in autumn.
- Red maples: Offering a mix of red, orange and yellow fall colors, these are wonderful, fast-growing shade trees.
- Japanese maple: Many varieties provide stunning fall colors.
Strategically place these plants where their fall colors will be most visible from the street or entrance to your home.
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5. Add seasonal decorative elements.
Complement your fall plantings with seasonal decorative elements to create a cohesive autumn theme. Use items like:
- Pumpkins and gourds: Arrange an assortment of sizes and colors near your entrance or in garden beds.
- Cornstalks: Bundle them around porch pillars or mailbox posts for a rustic touch.
- Hay bales: Use as risers for potted plants or pumpkin displays.
- Wreaths: Hang a fall-themed wreath on your front door incorporating dried flowers, leaves and berries.
When incorporating these elements, aim for a balanced, natural look that enhances rather than overwhelms your home. Remember to maintain your plantings by watering appropriately. With a little effort and creativity, your home’s exterior can become a showcase of autumn’s beauty.
For more ideas, visit The Good Earth Garden Center’s online Learning Center.
