Have you ever seen this easy, unique fall container idea?

Summer is winding down, and fall container updates are definitely on my mind! But I don’t want just anything: I want a fall container that’s got something unique and truly interesting about it.

After our front yard “hell strip” narrow raised bed was finished a couple weeks ago, I could finally situate a new pot at the top of the bed near the front entry. I hooked up its irrigation and popped a parched Karl Foerster grass in it (to match the pot on the other side of the step).

Now a week or so later, I’m ready for the first fall planting!

But it’s still hot….and the annuals are mostly still in place….so I chose more of an “end of summer” palette for this early switch. Mauve-purple mums, apricot pansies, ornamental kale, and by golly, that dried out ornamental grass already planted in the pot (and not to recover until next spring) looks pretty seasonal as well!

The best part of this fall container idea, though, is the special detail I added at the end. Many of us have tall ornamental grasses in our yards somewhere. In our Zone 5 area, they typically provide winter interest and aren’t trimmed until spring, but the clumps get so big that you can easily cut out several pieces without it being noticeable. Long, flexible grasses must have some crafty benefit (right?), so I decided to braid them!

I cut three sturdy stems for each braid and secured both ends with floral wire. Then I trimmed off the top of the grasses and looped the ends into the pot around the newly planted flowers. If wind becomes a problem, I’ll use landscape staples to anchor the braids into the dirt.

The grass braids are such a fun detail that will look even more seasonal as the months progress. I may swap out the pinkish mums for something red or burgundy as we get further into fall, but for now, this was a super quick, easy fall container – with a little extra twist (okay, braid!)

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-Katie