The secret to planting a stunning container garden is to follow the “thrill, fill and spill” formula. Thrill with a strong vertical feature plant, then fill with smaller flowers around the edge and include a trailer to spill down the side. To see what this means in practice here are twelve examples described by Lauren Dunec Hoang in her article which I found on the Houzz website.

Embrace the bold tones of autumn with containers filled with eye-catching foliage in brilliant gold, fiery orange and deep burgundy. By choosing plants based on your climate, you can create dramatic displays that will last well into the holidays. In cold climates, select plants that are resistant to frost, such as conifers and coral bells, for long-lasting vignettes. In mild-winter climates, play up the colors of the season with succulents and perennials in rich fall hues. Here are 12 container combinations to add fall cheer to your porch or patio.

Pot Incorporated

1. Autumn embers. Vivid foliage and hot-colored flowers nearly glow in two charcoal-colored containers in this Vancouver garden. A mass of bronze coleus leaves edged with chartreuse forms the middle layer of the composition in front of orange-flowering canna lilies (Canna sp.) and purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum ?Rubrum?). Spilling over the edge of the pot, pumpkin-colored Calibrachoa picks up the color of the canna blooms, while sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas) deepens the color palette.
Water requirement: Moderate to high
Light requirement: Full sun

Kenneth Philp Landscape Architects

2. Light and airy. Bright green tendrils of maidenhair vine (Muehlenbeckia complexa) pour over the side of this tall rectangular container to create an eye-catching cascade in Seattle. Evergreen huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum ?Thunderbird?), a Northwest native, provides dark berries in summer and copper-colored leaves in fall, as seen here. The larger green and bronze leaves of highland doghobble (Leucothoe fontanesiana) and variegated Japanese sedge (Carex hachijoensis ?Evergold?) complete the display.
Water requirement: Moderate to high
Light requirement: Partial shade to full sun

Pot Incorporated

3. Dark chocolate. A dark monochromatic base palette can be particularly effective in highlighting bright accents. Bronze-leafed coleus, cascading sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas ?Black Heart? and ?Blackie?) and burgundy canna lilies (Canna sp.) create a rich base to show off bright gold Coprosma, center left; a lime-green tuft of cape restio (Rhodocoma capensis), center right; and coral dahlia blooms, behind.
Water requirement: Moderate to high
Light requirement: Full sun