Round 4: Fall Planting Ideas From the Authors of Fine Foliage

We’ve come to the end of our four-week installment of faaaaabulous cool-season planting ideas from Karen Chapman and Christina Salwitz, the Seattle-based authors of Fine Foliage. They saved the best for last—and it’s another container idea! If you missed the previous entries, find them here, here, and here. 

Berry harvest

Why it works: Inspired by the late season berry harvest, these color tones make a juicy container combination. By using a dusty-blueberry colored juniper, the small needles are not only one of three colors, but also of textural patterns that makeup this trio. The second pattern of the coleus is a soft contrast, with strawberry and gold deeply dissected feathers tickling the edges of the juniper. With a bold and broad surface of a larger leaf, the coral bells melds the combination together in a unique autumnal palette.

Key players:

‘Blue Star’ juniper (Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’) – these sparkling blue needles are a garden standout.  With its slow mounding growth habit and drought tolerance once established this conifer is as beautiful and useful in a container as in the border. To 2-3 ft. tall x 3-4 ft. wide, Sunset Climate Zones 1–24

Bonefish coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides) – this compact growing plant is a colorful sensation, its leaf form resembling a crustacean; fuchsia in the middle and chartreuse on the edges. Distinctive and sun tolerant, this charming and evocative plant grows 15-18″ tall x 10″x 12″ wide, Sunset Climate Zones 24, H1, H2 or enjoy is as an annual.

Berry Smoothie coral bells (Heuchera hybrid) – one of the most adaptable coral bells, this takes full sun or full shade and copes well with both heat and humidity. In spring, this evergreen perennial is a vibrant raspberry, gradually turning to deeper berry shades as the season cools. 18″ tall and wide, Sunset Climate Zones 1–9, 14–24

Conditions: Partial sun, well-drained soil