Fall Foliage: The Secret to Stunning Container Gardens
CONTAINED
BRILLIANCE
One big reason fall is a favorite season is the focus on foliage. Yes, those classic wine purples, burnt oranges, and golds that people travel to see. But as a container gardener, I appreciate foliage not just for its color, but as a design element for its texture and form. Just like layering textures in my clothing—corduroy pants, a chunky knit sweater, and faux leather jacket for that perfect fall outfit—I shop nurseries for foliage plants that offer a tapestry of textures. Texture is, after all, the hallmark of a well-designed container.
What are Foliage Plants?
Foliage plants are simply plants recognized for their leaves rather than their flowers, which are insignificant compared to the beauty of their robust foliage. They can be just as stunning - if not more so - than others with showy flowers, and they’re often easier to maintain through fall, winter and even early spring. These plants also offer an astonishing variety of forms, colors, and textures that take your container garden to the next level.
Texture: The Heart of Foliage Design
Last fall, while working with a new employee, she asked, "Can you explain texture to me?" She came from an art background—sculpture, to be precise—and wanted to grasp what I meant by emphasizing the importance of texture in our fall plantings. In Seattle (USDA Zone 8b), we plant in October, and well-selected plants can withstand the winter. However, fall offers fewer flowering plant options than spring or summer, so the contrast—let's call it interest —has to come from something other than color. And that's where texture comes in, sparking an interesting discussion: how does texture differ between art and plants?
Texture in Art vs. Plants
In art, texture refers to the surface of an object and how it feels or appears to feel. It can be tactile—rough, smooth, soft, or hard—or visual, where the artist creates the illusion of texture through shading, colors, or patterns. With plants, the concept is similar but comes to life in different ways.
Texture in plants is defined by the size, shape, and surface of the leaves. Tactile texture is how the leaves feel - rough, fuzzy, smooth, ruffled, or prickly - for example, while visual texture comes from how leaves are arranged, their vein patterns, and how light interacts with the plant's surface (whether matte, glossy, or velvety). Using plants with different sized and shaped leaves creates interest, drawing the eye to each plant's finer details while still taking in the overall arrangement. This is the next step in designing like a pro—moving beyond just flower colors to focus on foliage and texture.
In container gardening, you can really explore the impact of texture by creating designs with only foliage plants, or pairing plants with flowers in similar colors. You’ll see how texture can take the design to the next level adding sophistication and depth.
What’s interesting is that in art, texture is deliberately created by the artist, but with plants, texture arises naturally as part of their biology. As gardeners, we get to arrange these natural textures to enhance the beauty of the composition. In both art and plants, texture plays a key role in the overall artistry and interest of a design.
Go-To Fall Foliage Plants for Texture
If you’re still not convinced that foliage can be as stunning as, if not more so than, flowers, consider some of my favorite fall foliage plants for adding texture:
Grasses: Ornamental grasses create movement with their linear blades and feathery plumes. Their beautiful mesmerizing sway in the wind adds a vertical element that contrasts nicely with the larger, rounded leaves of many other plants. Plus, their decorative seed heads add to the overall tapestry and feed wildlife.
Bergenia: Often considered a bit old-fashioned, Bergenia—also known as “Siberian Tea”, “Elephants Ear”, “Wild Geranium”, "Pigsqueak"—deserves a spot in your fall containers. Its thick, leathery foliage turns stunning shades of red and burgundy in the fall, lasting into winter. Despite its pedestrian reputation, it adds great texture to any design.
Evergreen Ferns: Graceful and lush, many evergreen ferns thrive throughout fall and winter, and their rich green tones are never not a good choice for containers. Their feathery texture pairs beautifully with bold, large-leaved plants enhancing the beauty of both. Some ferns even display coppery tones as new fronds emerge, adding extra depth.
Heuchera: With jewel-toned foliage, Heuchera (Coral Bells) adds visual interest and contrast, especially when paired with finer textures like ferns or Chamacyparis ‘Fernspray’. Its larger leaves provide a striking contrast, and its airy flower stalks are a bonus for attracting pollinators later in the year. Its evergreen quality ensures it looks good all year with minimal maintenance.
Branches: Don't forget about branches! They bring an important vertical element, seasonal statement and texture. Think of the raised lenticils on red-twig dogwood, the peeling bark of birch, or the twists of a contorted filbert. These unusual textures can bring added contrast and interest to plantings.
Foliage Colors that Pop
After I’ve nailed down selecting textures that complement and enhance each other, I shift my focus to foliage color. In the plant world, green is the neutral canvas, while silver, black, chartreuse, variegated, and bronze colors bring fall designs to life.
Silver Foliage - Silver adds a calming, subtle element to your designs, allowing texture and form to stand out. It also intensifies surrounding colors, making them pop.
Black Foliage - Rich and luxurious, black foliage is as striking as any brightly colored flower. It works as a stunning backdrop, allowing other colors and textures to pop, creating a bold and dramatic contrast.
Bronze Foliage - Bronze brings warmth and richness to plantings offering a beautiful earthy tone that complements that season’s natural color palette. Its subtle sheen reflects light pairing beautifully with cooler tones like steel blue or silver.
Chartreuse Foliage - Chartreuse adds a fresh, contemporary, feel to containers. It’s brightness offers a striking contrast to bronze and dark foliage in fall combinations.
Variegated Foliage - Variegated leaves can add a playful touch by breaking up the monotony while also adding natural brightness to a planting. Their highlights create natural contrast for darker and muted tones.
Get Inspired
This fall, wander through your local garden center and explore foliage plants. They're versatile budget- friendly essentials that can reimagined for spring and summer designs after winter, adding texture and subtle pops of color to your plant combinations now. Try experimenting with Autumn ferns, Bergenia, Heuchera and grasses for a rich mix.
Foliage plants don’t just survive through fall and winter– they thrive, showing off their unique textures and colors in any USDA climate zone 5 are higher. Whether you’re drawn to rich jewel tones, moody dark foliage or calming silvers, there’s foliage to fall for, and a combination for you to discover.
Happy container gardening!
