Happy Friday, GPOD! Another week in the books, and there’s no more pretending it’s summer. Fall temperatures have officially arrived here in the Midwest, and the changing leaves are putting on quite a show before winter returns.
While the growing season is winding down for many of us in colder climates, there’s still plenty of opportunity to enjoy color in the garden with seasonal containers. And few people do it quite like Howard, a Chicago-based container designer who has been creating seasonal displays for nearly four decades!
Howard has previously shared his spring container creations and creative Halloween displays with us. Today, he’s sharing a new collection of fall containers from a project in Glencoe, Illinois (Zone 6a). Enjoy!
Ornamental cabbage and kale (Brassica oleracea cvs., annual) make up the bulk of this stunning fall arrangement. But for me, those clusters of deep burgundy berries are the real stars of the show! The twisting woody stems add a touch of whimsy that ties the whole thing together.
I love how the earthy tones of these pots complement the stonework beneath them. The boxwoods (Buxus sempervirens, Zones 5–8) really make the ruffled foliage of the ornamental cabbage and kale stand out. It’s a great example of how containers can complement the surrounding landscape and elevate a small corner of the garden.
At first glance, I thought these weathered containers were one long planter box! Grouping them together rather than spreading them throughout the space makes such an impact. Ornamental cabbage and kale remain the stars of the arrangements we’ve seen so far, while accents of purple and burgundy appear again and again, whether through foliage, flowers, or berries like those in the first photo. It’s a great example of how repeating colors and plants can tie a design together without making every arrangement look identical.
Another gorgeous combination! The pots and plant tags scattered on the ground are all too relatable. The work can be messy, but the results are beautiful.
One more from Howard, this time at a different house on the same rainy day. Everything about this arrangement is a 100/10! The sculptural effect of those twisting woody vines with golden berries hanging throughout is just stunning. WOW! The colorful croton foliage complements the berries beautifully. There’s so much to love about this design, and I’m definitely saving it for future inspiration. What a way to say “Welcome home!” Thanks for sharing these with us, Howard! Looking forward to the next.
For more inspiration, explore his previous GPOD contributions:
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