Welcome fall with plants, decorations at doorstep

By Kathy Huber

Houston Chronicle

Welcome fall with an inviting entry. Set the stage for the new season with containers of flowers and foliage for a warm reception at your front door. Nurseries are packed with pots and plants to decorate our doorsteps.

Enlarge photo

Joey Koyama/Minneapolis Star Tribune/MCT Scavenge a piece of fallen tree bark to fashion a "vase" for fall flowers.

More Homefinder stories »

• Family gets more space, same district
• Rainy stretch can leave mark on foundations
• Brown pelicans enjoy a revival
• Be thankful for homebuyers’ tax credit
• Bulbs need room to bloom

● Pick a pot: Containers come in all shapes and sizes, from elegant urns to rustic troughs to long toms for vertical impact. They may be made of terra-cotta, stone, metal, wood, concrete or fiberglass.

Choose pots to complement your home’s style. Scale matters: Select the appropriate-size pot for the space. A common mistake is to go too small.

Pots can be heavy, so place them before planting. Frame your door with a pair of large containers to make a symmetrical statement. Or group containers for greater impact. A group of three to five similar-style pots in varying sizes is pleasing.

● The color palette: There’s no shortage of plants that celebrate fall’s traditional colors of plum, purple, gold, bronze, red, orange and yellow. Overwhelmed with choices? Go monochromatic or stick to two or three colors. A simple approach: Plant one variety per pot, and group the pots. Or plant a harmonious, one-color container whose plants have varying leaf shapes.

● Shapely subjects: The best-size plants balance a container creation; form and texture provide a polished look. Taller spiky or fountainlike types to give containers a vertical lift include butterfly iris, yucca, cordyline, daniella, ornamental grasses and russelia. For medium- to full-bodied bloomers, consider asters, geraniums, begonias, petunias, million bells, snapdragons, straw flowers, calendulas, osteospermums and ornamental peppers.

● Culture: Choose plants with similar light and moisture needs. Use a well-draining potting mix, and add a time-release fertilizer.

● Finishing touch: Tuck a few pumpkins and gourds among your pots.