Gardening
Gerald Filipski
Fall Containers
I want to lay to bed the myth that the gardening season stops at the end of August.
Although many new and experienced gardeners alike put away their containers at the
beginning of the fall, there is still more colour and adventure to be had. Fall containers
can extend the enjoyment of the growing season. While it is true that by the end of the
summer many plants are looking less than their best, many other plants are just starting
to sing at the arrival of the fall. Some fall stars include pansies, mums, and asters; but
why stop there? Many other plants are often overlooked when it comes to creating fall
containers, and I think the fall is a great time to experiment with colours and textures.
Flowering kale, sometimes referred to as flowering
cabbage, is an underused plant for the fall. Over
the last few years, plant breeders have introduced
new varieties of flowering kale. The new colours are
stunning, and since the plants are very coldtolerant,
they make for an excellent
fall plant. The plant itself looks
like a giant multi-petaled
flower. The leaves range
in colour from shades of
pink, rose, magenta, and
white to creamy-yellow.
The outer leaves often
come in shades of bluegrey-green
to bronze.
There are also twotoned
varieties that are
particularly stunning.
The leaves are often
wrinkled along the edges
giving a ruffled appearance,
although there are varieties
with smooth edges as well. One
interesting thing about these beauties
is that a light frost actually intensifies the
colours. Now, I ask you, could there be a better plant
for the fall?
When growing kale, you should offer the plants
the same conditions as when growing any cabbage.
Use a good quality potting soil with added organic
matter such as well-rotted manure or compost. Keep
the plants well-watered and use a liquid fertilizer
such as Miracle Gro every second week. Many
greenhouses carry flowering kale at this time of year,
and this is a great time to buy plants with
your favourite leaf colours. The great
thing about flowering kale is that
a single plant can stand on its
own as a focal point, or it can
be combined with other
similar or different plants
in a larger display.
Remember those
pansies that seemed to
go into hiding when the
hot weather arrived?
You know, the ones
that you did not have
the heart to throw out
even though they looked
like yesterday’s dinner
salad? Well, bring them out
now because the fall is the time
for the pansies to shine. These plants
prefer cooler days, and the fall suits them to a T.
Purple pansies planted with purple and green kale is
a winning combination. Try this grouping in front of
a large bright yellow mum for a true “wow factor.”
The next two of my favourite fall container plants
are not annuals at all, but perennials. Sedum and
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