Plants for a purpose: autumn containers

If your garden is looking lacklustre, a container bursting with vibrant autumnal plants is the quickest and easiest way to give it a boost. There’s a host of beautiful plants that are looking their best right now, that will thrive in a container. Here, we share some of our favourite plants for autumn pots. There are options to suit every colour scheme, and plants that will thrive in sun or shade. Our choices include recommendations from the Gardeners’ World team and familiar faces from across the gardening industry.

• Plants for autumn shade
• Plants for autumn flowers
• How to grow in containers

Softening the edges of any container is so important in terms of design. But when you soften them with an evergreen, like trailing rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus), you get fantastic interest all year round, including in autumn. Even better when that plant is edible, highly aromatic, medicinal, delicious and has flowers beloved by pollinators.

Reliable old hybrids that perform well rarely go out of fashion, and this is true of the vivid amethyst blooms on Colchicum ‘Glory of Heemstede’. Usually seen colonising in open, short grass or through late borders, I find it is a great candidate for a large container, to bring a sparkle in areas where there is a colour lull. It’s especially effective when densely planted, creating a display worthy of a flower vase. After blooming, simply move the pot to a cool and sheltered spot to enjoy the lavish early spring foliage.

Admittedly, some cyclamen are