Create a Moody Container Garden for Fall with These Dark Plant Combos

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By Claire Hoppe Norgaard – Better Homes & Gardens

Mix and Match Thrillers, Fillers, and Spillers for Spectacular Spooky Season Containers

As autumn rolls in, it’s time to infuse some spooky charm into your outdoor spaces. A simple yet stunning way to celebrate the season is by creating fall-themed container gardens. But what makes a show-stopping Halloween planter? It’s all about combining thrillers, fillers, and spillers — a foolproof design technique that turns ordinary containers into spectacular seasonal displays.

Thrillers: The Eye-Catching Focal Point

“Thrillers” are the stars of your container, adding height, drama, and that wow factor. For spooky season, consider using dark and dramatic plants like black mondo grass, blood-red coleus, or ornamental grasses with deep purple or silver tones. Ornamental peppers with black or vibrant orange fruits can also make a striking impact. The key is to choose plants that command attention and set the tone for the rest of the arrangement.

Fillers: The Supporting Cast

While thrillers steal the show, “fillers” provide volume and help to bridge the gaps in your container. These medium-height plants create lushness and complement the thriller without overpowering it. For fall, opt for seasonal plants like dusty miller, which brings a ghostly white hue, or chrysanthemums in rich oranges and yellows. You can also use heucheras with their variegated leaves to add texture and color contrast.

Spillers: The Finishing Touch

To complete your spooky container garden, you’ll need “spillers” — trailing plants that cascade over the edges, adding movement and softness. Creeping jenny, with its vibrant lime green foliage, provides a striking contrast to the darker thrillers. For a more sinister vibe, consider ivy or sweet potato vine in deep burgundy or nearly black shades. These plants create a dramatic, overflowing effect that takes your container to the next level.

For a truly festive touch, don’t forget to accessorize! Add small pumpkins, faux spider webs, or creepy figurines nestled between the plants. You could even drape some battery-powered string lights for a haunting glow as the sun sets.

By thoughtfully combining thrillers, fillers, and spillers, you can craft eye-catching containers that capture the essence of spooky season. Whether you’re decorating a porch, patio, or windowsill, these autumn arrangements will keep your space feeling festive and fun all the way through Halloween.

WE STILL HAVE FALL BULBS FOR SPRING!

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Hurry In For Best Selection!

Fall is the best time of year to plant bulbs such as tulips, hyacinth, crocuses and daffodils — in order to enjoy their fireworks of colorful blooms come Spring.

Payne’s sells ONLY the biggest, highest quality Holland-grown bulbs to make sure you get the largest, longest-lasting, most brilliantly colored blooms.

Stop by PAYNE’S NORTH and choose from our great selection!

PAYNE’S TIP: Give your bulbs a healthy head start! Add a little bulb food or bone meal when planting to help support strong roots and beautiful blooms. A little preparation now can make a big difference come spring. And yes, we have both at Payne’s!

PAYNE’S POINSETTIAS ARE FINALLY GETTING SOME COLOR NOW!

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The holiday season is just around the corner, and so are our stunning poinsettias at Payne’s North! Look for next week’s e-newsletter for more information regarding our Poinsettia varieties and sizes!

Grown with extra care right here in our greenhouses in Santa Fe, these vibrant plants are a timeless favorite for bringing warmth and color to your home during the festive season.

THEY ARE ALMOST READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

STOP BY AND GET SOME PAPERWHITE NARCISSUS FOR THE SEASON!

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Payne’s has Paperwhite Narcissus bulbs for the Holiday season. Hurry in because these will sell out AND we won’t be getting in another shipment!

When you buy Paperwhite narcissus bulbs from Payne’s, you buy the best bulbs available from our Dutch grower. Paperwhites are deliciously fragrant and don’t need cold treatment to be coaxed into bloom, as hyacinths and tulips do.

Here’s how to bring your Paperwhites to flower:

  • Plant your bulbs in a well-drained soilless potting mix, like an organic potting soil
  • Choose a pot that’s only slightly larger than the bulb, or plant three bulbs in a large enough container to hold them 1 inch apart.
  • Plant the pointy end up and the base down.
  • Set the bulbs into the mix so that their top third is exposed above the surface.
  • Water with warm water, put the pot(s) in a sunny 50-60ºF room, and keep the soil just moist (not soggy, no standing water in the drip catchers!). 
  • They’ll bloom in about 6 weeks.

AMARYLLIS: A WINTER SHOWSTOPPER!

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Amaryllis is a beloved flowering plant known for its large, trumpet-shaped blooms that brighten homes during the winter months. Native to South America, especially Brazil, these bulbs are cherished for their ability to bloom indoors when most other plants are dormant. With their tall, elegant stalks and vivid colors—ranging from deep red and pink to pure white—they bring a touch of tropical warmth to the cold season.

Care and Growth

Amaryllis bulbs are remarkably easy to grow. Simply plant them in well-drained soil, water sparingly until growth appears, and place them in a sunny window. Within six to eight weeks, they burst into bloom. After flowering, the bulbs can be kept and encouraged to rebloom the following year with proper care—making them a long-lasting favorite among gardeners and flower enthusiasts alike.

Interesting Facts About Amaryllis

  • The name Amaryllis comes from a Greek word meaning “to sparkle.”
  • Each bulb can produce two to three flowering stalks, each with multiple blooms.
  • Amaryllis are often forced to bloom indoors around Christmas and are nicknamed “holiday flowers.”
  • Despite being tropical, they can be grown outdoors in warm climates or brought inside for the winter.
  • The blooms can last up to two weeks, and the plants can live for decades with good care.
  • In Victorian times, gifting an amaryllis symbolized pride, beauty, and strength.

Stop by PAYNE’S NORTH today! Many colors to choose from! Hurry in, these will be going fast! Last year we ran out and had to order more.

Use the Payne’s Amaryllis and Paperwhite planting calendar below as a reference on planting suggestions.

ASK THE GARDEN GURU!

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SHOULD WE BE PRUNING IN NOVEMBER?

Another GREAT Question!

In this week’s archived show from previous years, FIRST OFF … the Garden Guru wishes us all a Happy Halloween!

In the program, Lynn was chatting about pruning and if it’s the right time now in in late October or November or should we wait until the beginning of the year! Lynn suggests to wait until the January, February or March to prune. As leaves and other vegetative debris blows around in the garden … the debris gets caught in the plants stems and sort of acts like a mulch and it protects the plants. Lynn continues to give advice on more reasons to wait to prune. Listen and see what else he has to say about the subject!

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CLICK HERE to listen to the GARDEN GURU’s archived show.

HAPPY GARDENING!

MARIGOLDS! FLOWERS THAT HONOR TRADITION!

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With their brilliant orange and golden-yellow blooms, marigolds hold a special place in Día de los Muertos celebrations. Their sunlike colors and distinctive fragrance are believed to help guide the spirits of loved ones back to visit the living.

Marigold petals are often scattered along pathways to altars or placed among photographs and offerings, honoring cherished memories, celebrating life, and keeping family traditions alive.

STOP BY TODAY FOR OUR BEAUTIFUL SELECTION OF MARIGOLDS!

PAYNE’S PHOTO OF THE WEEK!

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK!

GORGEOUS RED POINSETTIA – HOMEGROWN AT PAYNES

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SHARE YOUR PHOTOS! Please keep sending in your photos. 
You Could WIN a $25 Gift Card!
If you have a photo taken in one of our greenhouses or of your own garden orlandscape that contains products from Payne’s, please send it to info@paynes.com!

If your photo is chosen, and used in our e-newsletter website or other marketingmaterials, then you will receive a Gift Certificate from Payne’s for $25!Please make sure to give us your contact information in your email.

ZODIAC SIGNS AND GARDENING? HERE’S THIS CYCLES PROFILE.

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by The Old Farmer’s Almanac

Here’s THIS MONTHS ZODIAC SIGN PROFILE AND HOW IT CAN HELP YOU GARDEN:


SCORPIO (OCTOBER 24 – NOVEMBER 23)
Scorpio deepens the fall. Always having a plan, you make sure that successive plantings of snap peas or lettuce grace your gardens. You are the strongest member of the zodiac and thus are attracted to vigorous plants such as Swiss chard, which regrows when cut. Tomatoes appeal to you for the color red, and eggplants for their affinity with purple. Being sexy and passionate, you are captivated by exotic lilies, with their deep, nectar-coated throats. You like a challenge, so sushi and Thai foods are often on the menu in your kitchen.