Follow These 4 Fall Planter Tips from Joanna Gaines for the Perfect Porch Display

The fall 2025 issue of Magnolia Journal is finally here, and in it, Joanna Gaines explains how she styled her seasonal planters this year (and how you can do the same). Her beautiful, color-coordinated plants are fit for fall with shades of deep purples, greens, and soft reds, all encompassed in terra-cotta pots and wooden outdoor planters. 

If you’re inspired to transform your own porch or patio into a fall planter paradise, turn to Gaines' expert advice.

1. Leave Room for Spontaneity

It all starts at your local nursery, where you’ll be able to look at plants that thrive during fall in your area. Gaines reminds fall gardeners to have an idea of what they’re looking for while plant shopping, but to still keep an open mind.

“When you go to the nursery, leave room for spontaneity," Gaines said in the Magnolia Journal fall 2025 issue. "Going in with a plan is helpful so you don’t feel totally lost, but a variety that catches your eye in the moment may be worth trying, and that’s part of the fun. Before going to the nursery, I’ll create a mood board with photos of what I’m going for, including a color palette. I’ll choose one or more colors to highlight in each planter so the grouping feels cohesive.”

Make sure you have an idea of your budget and know where you want to plant before you go to your nursery. From there, you can dream up a color palette or ideas of specific plants you want prior to heading in, or you can leave it up to fate by walking around, finding what plants speak to you, and chatting with nursery staff to see what ideas they might have.

Thrillers, Fillers, and Spillers

Always make sure you have a good balance of plants that will help you style your planter like a pro. Gaines has a rule she follows when arranging her planters: use thrillers, fillers, and spillers. Thrillers are the eye-catching plants; they’ll likely be tall and draw the eye in right away. Fillers are the background of the planter; think of them as your planter’s ground cover, to fill in the gaps and provide fullness. Spillers are the trailing plants that will add dimension and life outside of your planter’s borders.

2. Don't Be Afraid to Cluster Plants

You should also keep in mind that a planter can never really be too full. “When it’s time to style the plants, if you’re going for a full, lush look, plant two or three of each variety per planter—don’t be afraid to cram them in there,” Gaines said. “This will help you see which plants overtake each other so you can decide what you’d like to try next year.” 

3. Make a Statement

Gaines also recommends styling multiple planters to stand together, rather than displaying a single planter on its own. She says that groups of three to six planters can create a balanced focal point, whether you choose to display your planters on your porch, patio, or in your backyard. Try utilizing planters of varying heights, sizes, and shapes to create even more dimension.

This is also a good time to play around with the color and texture of your planters, too. If you’re not interested in grabbing a matching set, you could choose complementary colors and vary the texture of each planter to add more visual intrigue.

4. Embrace the Process

Above all, Gaines leaves a reminder that gardening is all about experimentation—and maybe a little bit of failure, too.

“When things don’t go as planned, embrace the process,” she said. “Gardening is one big experiment where failures lead to helpful discoveries. Even if your favorite varieties don’t take off like you hope, their one burst of beauty is worth it.”

Planters are a wonderful time to experiment with new plants and ideas you haven’t tried yet. After all, your arrangement will be completely contained in its own pot, and it’s easy to pull plants out and try again later. Even if it takes a season or two to make the planter of your dreams, it really is all about the fun of gardening—not just the gorgeous end result.

You can now purchase your own fall 2025 issue of Magnolia Journal at Magazines.com. You can also read the full excerpt on fall planting via the Magnolia blog.