It may be unusual for a gardener, but since we’re among friends, I’ll admit it: Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the chill in the air, the vibrant trees, the wood smoke curling out of chimneys. No sooner does the calendar turn to September 1^st than I start planning and plotting for hay bales and mums, pumpkins and overwrought (and overpriced) lattes. For me, these signs start the transition to fall.

But what to do when the weather doesn’t cooperate? Another month with temps in the eighties (and sometimes nineties!) doesn’t much inspire one to set out the scarecrows and ornamental kale. And it seems a shame to toss my pots full of coleusand creeping Jennywhen they’re still putting on such a great show.

My solution? In recent years I’ve begun to slowly transition my plantings. Now, instead of tearing everything out and overhauling all of my containers at once, starting in early September I begin to pull out only the annuals that are past their prime, and leave everything else in place. This is also a good strategy for those who prefer to bid summer a long, slow, farewell. That means, out go the leggy angeloniasand impatienswith faded leaves and blossoms, in go the cool season annuals that will stay in place through the rest of the fall season.

Keep reading for tips on seamlessly starting the transition to fall with containers

One of the keys to successful container planting is making sure the end results look lush and full, without being too crowded. It can be tricky to gauge this in spring when your plants are still small and you have to imagine how everything will come together once the empty spaces fill in.

Designing your pots at the end of the summer is much simpler! Whichever plants you decide to keep in your containers for the next month or so, (marigolds, waxed begonias, alyssum, as well as trailing vines- ivy, creeping jenny, vinca vine, etc.), have already grown up. It becomes easy to see how much space you have to work with after you remove the spent annuals. When you create your containers next spring, keep this moment in mind, and choose plants that will be a nice complement to your warm weather flowers, but will also serve as good transitional plants for early fall.

Coleus is a good plant to start with

When it comes to plants that bridge the gap between summer and fall, a favorite of mine is coleus. While technically too sensitive to withstand the really cold days ahead, in shades of deep red, purple, green, orange, and brown, plants look tailor made for early autumn, and provide a lovely backdrop for mums,pansies, and ornamental kale. I pot up coleus seedlings in spring, in containers with petunias, impatiens, or caladiums– whatever you like!

Ornamental kale, salvia and coreopsis (Photo by Sarah Marcheschi)

Come fall, when I replace the warm weather plants with cold hardy selections, the detailed leaves of coleus look just as handsome alongside them. They thrive in the shadier spots in my yard, but also do well in part sun. Plants should be pinched back throughout the season to maintain the best form, and prevent the formation of flowers. (Once the plants flower, appearance of the leaves can suffer, as much of their energy goes into producing seeds.) Making sure to grow coleus in pots and soil with good drainage will help guarantee your plants are still healthy and thriving at the end of the season.

Why not sdd some grass (Sedge) to your fall pots?

Grasses are another group of plants that can be successfully transitioned from summer containers into fall, and Carex, (or Sedge), is one genus that particularly thrives in pots. Sedges are easy to grow, durable, and require little in the way of maintenance. And with around 1,000 species, and many cultivars to choose from, there really is something for everybody. Leaves can be cascading or upright, tall or short, green, or variegated- even bronze colored! Plants do well in shade or sun, and thrive with regular watering and feeding during the growing season. With proper care, these should keep containers looking good through the fall.

Ferns are perfect for fall containers

Another perfect choice to shine in summer as well as fall containers is the Brilliance Autumn Fern, or Dryopteris erythrosora‘Brilliance.’ A beautiful, and somewhat unexpected choice for planting in pots, this fern starts out a delicate coppery-red and matures to a deep green by the end of summer. In autumn, the lacy fronds often turn red again. It’s easy to grow, thrives in heavy shade or dappled sun, and appreciates a drier soil.

Annual vinca, coreopsis and a mum (Photo by Sarah Marcheschi)

Geraniums are cool for fall temperatures

A plant you might be surprised to find on this transitional list is one many of us have come to acknowledge as a quintessential part of summer – the geranium! In fact, you can keep your potted geraniums right into the chillier weather, and chances are they will get a burst of energy when the temperatures cool off and start to perform even better than they did during the sweltering days of July and August. And varieties with red blooms look just as attractive against the orange and bronze shades of fall as they did with the greens of summer. For best results, geraniums should be planted in full sun with well-drained soil. They will reward you with pretty flowers right up to the first frost.

Don’t forget the marigolds

I love planting marigolds in the spring alongside my veggie patch, and seeing their cheery flowers over the course of the summer months. But I think they really make a splash in the fall, when their quintessential reds, golds, and brassy oranges perfectly capture the spirit of the season. Marigolds like full sun, and fertile, well-drained soil. Pinching off the tops of the plants during the summer will encourage them to grow into a bushier shape and promote more blooming. Similarly, deadheading plants will spur them to produce more flowers as well and help get the most life out of your plants.

Moving to cold tolerant plants can extend the season

Whatever combinations you choose for your containers, switching out some of your summer plantings with more cold tolerant options is a great way to extend the growing season and keep pots looking pretty into the fall. As the weather cools off, notice which plants continue to thrive and keep them around, but don’t be afraid to edit out some of the struggling annuals. There are plenty of great options you can turn to for filling in the gaps, and your containers will transition beautifully from the dog days of summer right through until the frost. And after that? Well, that’s what evergreens are for …