Updating your existing container gardens for fall doesn’t mean you need to throw away and replant them. Here are some tips that can help you switch from summer to fall.
- Add some bold foliage plants. You can swap out your warm-season flowers for richly colored foliage plants. Leave evergreens and long-lasting perennials.
- Tuck in cool-season flowers. After you remove the summer annuals, fill in your gaps with cool-season bloomers in fall colors. An example would be to add some pansies which are some of the most cold-tolerant annual flowers. Plant them before your soil temperature drops below 45 degrees F. For fall colors, choose pansies in hues of orange, gold, red and deep purple. Avoid pastels, blues and yellows.
- Plant ornamental grass. Give your fall containers some flair by adding purple fountain grass. It is dramatic and can grow 3 to 5 feet tall by 2 to 4 feet wide.
- Make a play on texture. Add one or more textural plants with berries, twiggy branches, grassy leaves or broad foliage. Or you can add texture without planting by sticking dried curly willow branches or floral ornamental seedpods into the pot.
- Late blooming perennials. This time of year, nurseries are packed with late-summer and fall-blooming perennials. Add a few coneflowers, black-eyed Susans or chrysanthemums. These will add fall colors and then be back in the spring for another round.
- Dark foliage. Add one or more cool-tolerant dark-leaved plants. Try amethyst-colored coral bells and Ruby Glow spurge. Add a dramatic contrast to the golden orange leaves and red stems of the dwarf vine maple tree.
- Gardener’s hack. As a quick fall cover up for bare spots add a small pumpkin. Pick a deep orange color. You can also pop in some preserved Chinese lanterns from a florist’s shop.
- Rearrange your container layouts. Sometimes you just need change up the position of your containers rather than replanting them.
- Change up the underplantings. Update your containers by changing out the low-growing plants beneath larger ones instead of replanting. If you have ornamental trees, grape vines or bushes planted, you can change up the feel by adding some deep-colored fall flowers.
Greenville Area Update
The parent company of Lowes Foods has announced they are doing a deal to purchase the BI-LO store at 3619 Pelham Road in Greenville SC. The store will continue to operate as a BI-LO until later this fall when the deal becomes final. Southeastern Grocers, Inc., parent of BI-LO also announced it has agreed to sell a total of 20 stores to Alex Lee, Inc., parent company of Lowes Foods.
A new restaurant will bring Mexican-style sushi to a second location in Greenville SC. Holy Molli. Their sushi blends the flavors and techniques of Mexico and Japan into a crunchy, creamy and spicy large roll. It includes a choice of seasoned chicken or steak, rice, cream cheese, cheese, cucumbers, avocado in a seaweed wrap coated in panko breadcrumbs and tempura batter and fried.
Real Estate News
Buyers are actively buying homes. June and July have seen record-breaking sales and it is continuing into the fall. However, it is becoming harder for buyers to find homes to purchase. If you are looking to sell, now might be the right time. Pending home sales rose 5.9% in July. Year-over-year contract signings rose 15.5%. CNBC has stated that, “the usual summer slowdown in the housing market is not happening this year.”
People are on the move and I am ready to help you buy or sell in the Greenville area. Please contact Victoria Cottle by email thevictoriacottlegroup@gmail.com or call (864) 275-3953 for your real estate needs in the Upstate of South Carolina!
Victoria Cottle is a Realtor® in the Greenville South Carolina area and if you, a friend, or a family member need assistance with selling or buying a home I can help. Referrals and people needing relocation assistance are welcome! Search Single Family homes in Greenville. Search Condos and Townhomes in Greenville.