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Fall Garden Must-Haves: 10 Plants That Love the Cold

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Cooler temperatures don’t have to mean the end of color and beauty in your garden. Many ornamental plants not only tolerate the cold but also thrive, adding vibrant hues and textures to your landscape even as the weather cools. Here are ten ornamental plants that flourish in cooler temperatures.

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Pansies

A vibrant display of multicolored primroses in full bloom, featuring red, pink, purple, yellow, and blue flowers with green leaves.
Image Credit: @montana / Depositphotos

Pansies bring bright color to any garden with their vibrant blooms. These hardy flowers can withstand cooler weather, making them ideal for fall and early spring gardens.

Purchase them here.

Snapdragons

A vibrant garden features clusters of snapdragon flowers in various colors, including pink, yellow, red, and orange, blooming among green foliage.
Image Credit: @tanyki88 / Depositphotos

Snapdragons are cold-tolerant flowers that bloom in rich, bold colors. Their tall, spiky stems add vertical interest to garden beds, and they thrive in mild fall weather.

Click here to buy them for your garden.

Heather

Person in gloves planting pink flowers in a garden, kneeling beside a tree, with a watering can and gardening tools nearby.
Image Credit: @iMarzi / Depositphotos

Heather is a low-growing shrub that produces delicate, colorful flowers late in the season. Its evergreen foliage keeps the garden looking lively, even during colder months.

Purchase it for your landscape here.

Wintergreen

Close-up of bright red berries clustered among green leaves on a plant.
Image Credit: @nahhan / Depositphotos

Wintergreen is an evergreen ground cover that remains vibrant throughout the year. Its small red berries and glossy leaves add color and texture to winter gardens.

Buy plants here.

Ornamental Cabbage

Close-up of ornamental cabbage with vibrant pink and green leaves.
Image Credit: @tuelekza / Depositphotos

With its striking, colorful leaves, ornamental cabbage is a popular choice for fall gardens. It thrives in cooler weather and can survive light frosts, adding visual interest throughout autumn.

Click here to purchase ornamental cabbage plants.

Hellebores

Two pink and white hellebore flowers with yellow stamens are in focus, surrounded by green leaves and other out-of-focus blooms in the background.
Image Credit: @LuaAr / Depositphotos

Hellebores are one of the earliest bloomers, often flowering in late winter or early spring. Their cup-shaped flowers are resistant to cold and bring beauty to the garden when most other plants are dormant.

Get plants here.

Sedum (Autumn Joy)

A leafy green plant with clusters of small white flowers grows surrounded by wood mulch and grass.
Image Credit: @lenanet / Depositphotos

Sedum, particularly the ‘Autumn Joy’ variety, provides a burst of color late in the growing season. Its blooms transition from pink to deep red as the weather cools, making it a standout in fall gardens.

Buy plants here.

Dusty Miller

Close-up of dense foliage with large, silvery-green leaves, featuring a textured surface and slightly scalloped edges.
Image Credit: @khairil77 / Depositphotos

Dusty Miller is known for its silvery foliage, which adds a soft, cool contrast to fall garden beds. This plant is highly tolerant of cold weather and pairs well with other late-blooming flowers.

Click here to purchase Dusty Miller.

Violas

Close-up of a group of viola flowers with purple and white petals, and yellow centers, surrounded by green leaves.
Image Credit: @stetsik / Depositphotos

Violas are smaller cousins of pansies and share the same cold tolerance, blooming cheerfully in cooler temperatures. They make great fillers for garden borders or containers.

Buy seeds here.

Chrysanthemums

A vibrant display of blooming chrysanthemums in various colors, including orange, red, pink, and yellow. The flowers are densely packed, creating a visually striking pattern.
Image Credit: @Angel_a / Depositphotos

Chrysanthemums, or “mums,” are classic fall flowers known for their vibrant blooms in various colors. They thrive in cooler weather, adding bursts of color to gardens and planters throughout the autumn season.

Purchase them here.

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