Fall is just around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to update your summer planting containers! By reusing some of your existing plants and adding some new fall colors, you will have a fresh new container to last through autumn.

To start, cut back any existing plants that have become overgrown. This will prevent them from upstaging your new plantings. Next, use a knife to cut out any annuals that look unhealthy or weak. Prune other plants as needed to create a planting hole large enough for your new annuals.

Now it’s time to select your new plants! Look for annuals and perennials with great color, like flowering cabbage and kale, ornamental grass, mums, aster, and rudbeckia. Kale can endure light frosts and adds fullness as it continues to grow. Plant ornamental grasses towards the center or back of your container to provide movement and height.

Chrysanthemums (or “mums”) are iconic fall bloomers. They come in a wide variety of colors and will produce flowers for weeks. Purple Aster comes in several different heights, and can also be planted in the garden as a perennial. Rudbeckia, perhaps better known as Black-eyed Susan, has vibrant yellow flowers that create a great color impact.

Finally, add some pumpkins, gourds, or decorative corn to incorporate fall décor into your container. You can even add interest with artificial silks like colorful fall leaves or bittersweet stems. With a little imagination and some fresh foliage, you can breathe new life into your containers and embrace the colorful bounty of fall!