From flame-colored leaves to golden evenings, there’s something so quintessentially beautiful about the fall – but there’s no denying that it can leave borders looking patchy and tired. Thankfully, there are some amazing fall border fillers you can use to perk things up.
Yes, fall doesn’t have to mean settling for anything less than an amazing garden border. A fresh wave of bedding plants, in fact, can add color, texture, and bold foliage when everything else is fading away (which makes gazing out of the window a whole lot more appealing, especially on gloomier days).
So, how to make a garden masterpiece using nothing but fall garden border fillers, then? Well, there are six easy options if your space needs an instant makeover – as well as one ‘out there’ perennial to plant for a magical comeback each and every year.
1. Pansies and Violas
The ultimate when it comes to fall border fillers, pansies and violas may have sweet little ‘faces’ at the centre of their flouncy blooms, but you’d best believe they’re laughing wickedly at the cold.
Yes, these annual plants are able to not just survive, but thrive in USDA Hardiness Zones 6-10. Better still, they flower in almost every shade imaginable and keep going long after the first frosts. Plant Walmart’s Pansy-Matrix Autumn Blaze Mix en masse for cheerful drifts of color, or tuck individual plants into bare spots at the front of borders.
Just remember to deadhead regularly to keep them blooming through the colder months. If you put the effort in (and you’re based somewhere warm), they’ll even flower through into the springtime.
2. Chrysanthemums
Whether you love them or loathe them, nothing says fall quite like mums. Available in fiery oranges, deep reds, and sunny yellows, these fall border fillers bring instant seasonal joy and are hardy in USDA Zones 5-10 – but they do need a spot with plenty of uninterrupted sunshine if you want them to do their thing properly.
Something like the Cosmic Solar Yellow Garden Mum from Walmart should lift the spirits nicely right about now. Just take care to keep the soil moist for these one-season bedding stars, as it will help to prolong flowering.
3. Ornamental Kale and Cabbage
Ornamental kale plants (Brassica oleracea) and their cousin, the ornamental cabbage, are perfect fall border fillers as they promise lots of texture and color over the cooler months.
They’re considered hardy in USDA zones 2-11, and, while seeds should be started by the first of July, you can also purchase plants directly from the store or garden center; Walmart’s Expert Gardener 2QT Red Ornamental Kale Live Annual Plant Sun 3-Pack should do the trick nicely. Just be sure to keep them moist; they can’t cope with drying out!
4. Hardy Cyclamen
Another no-brainer when it comes to fall border fillers, hardy cyclamen is available in several fall-blooming varieties – and they promise plenty of color and intrigue with minimal maintenance. They’re generally hardy in USDA Zones 5-9, too, so long as they get moist soil and at least partial sun.
You can pick up some hardy cyclamen from Nature Hills easily enough, so you can get started straight away!
5. Asters
Asters tend to be most people’s answer to fall border fillers, because they pack in a rainbow spectrum of beautiful color throughout USDA Zones 3-8 – and all over the season of mist and mellow fruitfulness, no less!
We’re particularly fond of the Grape Crush New England Aster from Nature Hills, as it’s a vital source of food for bees and butterflies as everything else dies back.
6. Coral Bells
Coral bells (Heuchera) are hardy to USDA plant hardiness zone 3, and, despite being labelled as evergreens in most climates, they’re fall color at its firework-hued best; think russets, bronzes, golds, and more.
Pre-grown plants will require a little more watering than seeds and seedlings, but they’re pretty low maintenance otherwise, so give the Caramel Coral Bells from Nature Hills a go. It’s a brilliant border filler option!
Bonus Wildcard: Yarrow
White yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is one of those easy-breezy perennials that is perfectly suited to being used as a fall border filler – not least of all because it’s completely edible, a medicinal marvel, and a great pest deterrent.
It grows very quickly, and comes back every year, so you could sow Walmart’s 1000 white yarrow Achillea Millefolium Flower Seeds for plenty of pollinator-friendly blooms in the years ahead.
Now that you know which fall border fillers to use, you can set to work transforming bare patchy spots into flourishing beauty spots. Happy planting!
