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Container Refresh: Update Your Porch Pots for Late Summer

Easy Plant Swaps to Boost Curb Appeal and Keep the Color Coming

Is your porch planter looking a little tired after the summer heat? You’re not alone! By late summer, many container gardens start to fade, but it doesn’t take much to bring them back to life. With a few well-chosen plant swaps, you can give your pots a quick refresh that keeps them vibrant through the coming weeks and even into fall.

Here are some of our favorite ideas to revive your containers and extend the season in style:

🌿 Fresh Foliage for Instant Interest

If your flowers have faded but the container still has good structure, try adding bold, beautiful foliage to breathe new life into the design.

  • Coleus – Available in a rainbow of patterns, coleus thrives in shade or sun and adds instant color without a single bloom.

  • Heuchera (Coral Bells) – These perennial powerhouses come in rich burgundy, amber, lime, and more. Perfect for texture and color.

  • Ornamental Grasses – Try Pennisetum or Carex for height, movement, and a graceful seasonal transition.

🌸 Bloom Boosters That Beat the Heat

Still craving color? Late-season bloomers are a great way to revive summer containers and keep pollinators buzzing.

  • Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan) – Bright, golden-yellow flowers bring that late-summer warmth and attract butterflies.

  • Calibrachoa (Million Bells) – These prolific bloomers trail beautifully and can take the heat better than petunias.

  • Salvia or Agastache – These hummingbird magnets offer long bloom times and vertical accents that energize tired containers.

🍂 Transition to Fall Gracefully

Get ahead of the season by mixing in plants that bridge summer and fall beautifully.

  • Echinacea (Coneflower) – Drought-tolerant and deer-resistant, coneflowers provide upright color and transition nicely into autumn.

  • Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ – With its sculptural shape and changing flower color, it adds a sophisticated touch to any planter.

  • Chrysanthemums (Mums) – A classic fall favorite that pairs perfectly with summer stragglers and signals the shift in season.

🪴 Pro Tips for a Successful Refresh:

  • Replace tired plants but keep healthy ones that still look good.

  • Top off the container with fresh potting soil like SunGro mixes to support new roots.

  • Use Espoma fertilizers to give your plants a healthy boost.

  • Add a small pumpkin or decorative gourd as a sneak peek of fall.

Ready to give your containers a seasonal makeover? Stop by Lakeview Nurseries for fresh plant inspiration, or download our app for tips, plant availability, and exclusive promotions: https://apjl.app/lakeview

And don’t forget: Spend $75 on select pollinator plants and get a free $10 gift card with promo code pollinator25. New to Lakeview? Use code welcome and save $10 off your first $50 app purchase! (Discounts cannot be combined.)

Happy planting!

From Michelle and the Plant Geeks at Lakeview Nurseries
Proud to feature Proven Winners, American Beauties Native Plants, SunGro soils, Espoma fertilizers, and Jonathan Green lawn care products.

Michelle Harvey