Planting For Fall & Spring

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I’ve been out on the patio planting for fall and spring. I’m planting bulbs in the fall so I’ll have spring blooms.

Yesterday I planted tulip bulbs. In the bigger pots, I have about five tulips of varying colors, and then the fall plants are layered on top.

Cool Weather Flowering Plants:

These flowering plants thrive in cooler weather.

  • Pansies & Violas (USDA Zone 3-8)
  • Snapdragon (USDA Zone 7-11)
  • Osteospermum or African Daisy (USDA Zone 9-11)
  • Calendula (USDA Zone 9-11)
  • Ornamental alliums (USDA Zone 3-8)
  • Flowering Kale (USDA Zone 2-11)
  • Dianthus (USDA Zone 3-9)
  • Alyssum (USDA Zone 5-9)
  • Poppies USDA Zone 2-10)
  • Bachelor’s Buttons (USDA Zone 2-11)
  • Larkspur (USDA Zone 2-10)
  • Lobelia (USDA Zone 10-11)
  • Nasturtiums (USDA Zone 2-11)
  • Chrysanthemum (USDA Zone 5-9)
In Planting For Fall & Spring, these are mums in a green container on my patio

Fast-Growing Vegetables For Early Spring:

  • Spinach
  • Green Peas
  • Beets
  • Lettuce
  • Parsley

Spinach loves cool weather. You can plant seeds and harvest them in as little as two weeks. It prefers an area with morning sun and afternoon shade.

Peas are cold-resistant, but they’re not tolerant of heat. So get them into the ground as soon as they’re workable.

You can sow beet seeds in soil at 50°F to 80°F for germination in 5 to 10 days. Beets are thirsty plants, so remember that they need water regularly and heavily.

Like spinach, lettuce is a leafy green you can plant early in spring. It is a good container plant. Lettuce enjoys the cool days of spring (or fall), but will bolt when the weather gets hotter.

The lettuce seeds will germinate in soil temperatures as low as 40°F

Mums, pansies, and kale in containers on my patio

What I Planted For Fall Weather:

The fall plants I’ve planted are pansies, kale, and chrysanthemums.

In Planting For Fall & Spring, you can see all the many pots of things growing

Walking out my patio door and seeing all the color and pretty blooms is a treat. I like gardening in containers on a patio surface. I’m not a proponent of grass yards.

Ornamental kale growing in a red pot

Kale is a fall favorite of mine because of its colors, veins, and texture. I like how this particular plant contrasts against the red pot.

In Planting For Fall & Spring, this is my vintage wagon with gazing balls surrounded by pots of fall plants

For added interest and color, above is my vintage child’s wagon filled with various colored gazing balls.

This patio is my happy place with varied pots, ornamental grasses, and garden art.

So don’t forget to plant your spring bulbs. Then we will anxiously await our spring blooms. 

I hope to see my tulips come up and put on a colorful show. 

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I'm Brenda, creator of Cozy Little House. I live with my cats, Ivy, Simon, and Daisy. I graduated from journalism school with a degree in professional writing and won awards for feature writing. I practice gratitude and enjoy my solitude. My interpretation of life is that the glass is always half-full.

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36 Comments

  1. I did not know that you could put bulbs under pansies. I always thought they had to be refrigerated and then planted in December! I will have to try that.

  2. I started using colorful bowling balls for gazing balls. I spray them with marine polyurethane to keep them sparkling. I love your calm, secluded and charming patio.

  3. I love your patio, Brenda. I know you truly relax out there and enjoy your free time. I love your idea of planting the tulip bulbs under the fall flowers! I have a lot of different pots on my patio, too, it's where I get the most sun. To keep them from crowding each other out and to elevate the smaller pots, I use those metal plant holders that lift the pot up about 2 feet or so. You know, the top is round and the pot just fits in it. I find them at the dollar store super cheap and in all colors.

    The weather is gorgeous here. I did get some mums and hope to do a post today.

    Jane xx

  4. All of your cobalt blue accents are really eye catching and pretty. I love cobalt blue used outdoors.

    I have never tried planting bulbs in containers before. I may give it a try this year. One year I forgot to plant my bulbs until December 23. They bloomed the following spring. This fall I am going to search for some bulbs for giant red tulips and I want to plant some snow drop bulbs and some more hyacinths.

    That is a nice bird feeder. I hope you get some more birds stopping by your place. Your little cardinal couple is so cute.

  5. Your patio garden is a joyful spot! I love all the colors and all of the fun ornaments scattered about. The pupsters seem to like exploring out there, too!

  6. Love the fall foliage and flowers! The addition of the plants around the wagon does make a wonderful focal point.
    I haven't done any fall gardening…our summer was late getting here and it never really got hot like it usually does. But when it did…the grasshoppers finally came. Blech!
    So…I just didn't plant.
    Everything is dry now…and starting to look so fallish. I would love to get some bulbs into the ground for late winter and early spring though.
    love your patio garden Brenda!

  7. HI Brenda and I'm so glad you got to dig in the dirt. I love the way your plantings look on your patio! The color peeping through looks wonderful! I don't have any birds at all in my backyard and it is upsetting me. The folks we bought the house from left a few things. I looked and saw a big owl that was left on the patio! Do you think this could be keeping the birds away? I know folks used those on the island to keep the doves and pigeons away, Anyway, I poked that owl in the garage.
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia 🙂

    1. I've already emailed you. Glad you put the fake owl away.

  8. Thanks for sharing your pretty garden. Cardinals are so pretty. Don't usually see them around here until mid to late Dec. into Jan. and Feb.
    I was tempted to buy mums this weekend, but it is not unusual to still have some pretty warms days this time of the year, so will wait a while so they might make it thru till Thanksgiving.
    Have a great week.

    1. These cardinals are always around the patio. I love them!

  9. I always wait too long to plant bulbs and promise myself I will do it next year. I do love the Spring bulbs coming up to usher in the warmer season after a long cold winter.
    Blessings,
    Cindy

  10. Thanks, Brenda, for sharing your lovely garden, and your encouragement. I have several packs of bulbs waiting to be planted, and will get out to do them tomorrow – thanks to you! Have a great week, Chris x

    1. I have often forgotten to plant my bulbs. But this year I'm on top of it.

  11. Your Cardinal feeder is so different than any I've seen in my neck of the woods.. Really nice ! Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal are beautiful.
    You're smart to plant your bulbs under the fall plants.. I should do that after the frost kills the annuals I have planted in pots.
    Everything looks so fresh and happy on your patio.. I like the idea of you building a snowman on it this winter..
    Have a wonderful week.
    Charlotte

    1. As soon as I saw that bird feeder and the price at the nursery, I knew the cardinal couple had to have it.

    1. It only took a couple of days for them to find it. Or at least that's when I spotted them on the feeder.

  13. Brenda, You are going to have some pretty things to look at when they all bloom. xoxo,Susie

    1. I wish I'd made note of the colors I planted, but oh well. It will be a surprise.

  14. Love it and the happy cardinal couple and I just thought to myself " It doesn't have to end when fall is over because what a wonderful space for Brenda to build a snowman in the winter !! " 🙂 🙂

  15. Brenda..I am just totally amazed at what you have done with your patio..When you first moved there I thought..is she really going to like not having a yard to dig in..well you certainly showed me didn't you..I should have known that you and your talents would blossom no matter where you were planted..You are truly an inspiring lady Brenda..Also..I will be looking forward to seeing those Tulips in the Spring!

    1. If you plant in containers, there's no weeding!

  16. Your patio garden is fantastic. Looks like a nursery out there. What a wonderful place to relax on and for the pupsters to explore!

    1. I have begun to love that little spot of cement!

  17. I'm glad that you finally got some pretty Fall plants. I know you've been wanting some. I love kale too. It looks so nice mixed in with the flowers. I always forget about planting bulbs for Spring. I should do that! I would like to look forward to Spring flowers.

    1. I said I was only getting one pot of mums. I couldn't resist!

  18. I love all your plants and how clever to plant bulbs below the Fall plants!

    Linda

    1. When you don't have a lot of space, you have to layer. Besides, it's a good way to keep something blooming around the year.

  19. hallo, brenda, danke für die wunderschönen garten,- und blumenbilder!!! hab einen schönen sonntag!!! liebe grüße von angie aus deutschland

  20. What a wonderful idea to plant spring bulbs under the fall plants! I agree with Susan–the jewel tones of the gazing balls is a terrific focal point to gather lots of plants around. Thanks for all the inspiration!

    1. I hadn't thought of it that way, but thank you!

  21. Brenda, you're so talented!! I love your patio garden and the wagon of gazing balls is a fabulous touch. I, too, like to decorate my fence. Have a great day!!

    1. Those are steel gazing balls. I learned a long time ago that the others are highly breakable. I've had these for years.

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