There's nothing more welcoming in fall than a well-composed porch planter, and glorious ornamental peppers are the way to go in this season of plenty. These dramatic container favorites combine to spectacular effect with other seasonal plants to deliver a porch container with real wow factor.

Whether you've got a single statement container to fill, or you're planning on going all out with your fall porch display, I've got some practical and super-creative tips to help you make the most of ornamental pepper plants.

Ornamental peppers are among the best fall decor ideas, and learning just a little about their growing conditions will give you an odds-on chance of a dramatic, color-packed display for weeks, possibly months, to come. To kick things off, I'm sharing my favorite large brown Saabira textured planter from Crate & Barrel; it will set off those brilliant fiery colors to perfection.

Planting Companions For Ornamental Peppers

If you're in the market for some great container gardening ideas, ornamental peppers offer so many possibilities . When you're choosing plants to sit alongside them in a mixed planter, let yourself be guided by the foliage color of your chosen pepper varieties and, of course, the bright pops of red, yellow, orange and even purple that the peppers bring.

Consider also complementary plants that bring different heights and habits: in every top fall container recipe you'll need something tall for impact, something to bring movement and tacticle qualities (eg grasses) and something trailing to soften the edges of the pot.

Some of my favorites include chrysanthemums in toning shades of orange, red and yellow – especially this fabulous 'Matchsticks' chrysanthemum from Burpee, whose dramatic flower heads with quilled petals would make a wonderful contrast to the rounded baubles of some of the ornamental pepper varieties.

Grasses that work well with ornamental peppers include one of my top choices, 'Red Baron' Japanese blood grass, which you can buy at Nature Hills. Its blades are tipped with deep crimson, so it makes a brilliant partner to the deep red peppers. Carex 'Prairie Fire' from RHS is also another ornamental grass with suitably rich tones, with its cascade of arching orange-green foliage in fall.

Look to heucheras too, which will work brilliantly at the edges of mixed containers. They come in such a wide range of foliage colors – check out the heuchera selection at Garden Goods – that you're bound to find a heuchera variety that's just right for your planting combo.

A highly under-rated plant in my opinion is the viola, whose lovely cheery faces would look amazing alongside your ornamental peppers. Look for violas in tones of red, yellow and orange, or try dramatic black-veined 'Tiger Eyes' viola from RHS with black-foliage ornamental peppers.

How to Care For Your Containers of Ornamental Peppers

Ongoing care for your ornamental pepper porch container is fairly straightforward. But there are a few little jobs you'll need to do to get the most from your plants and keep them looking colorful and dramatic for weeks to come.

First of all, keep an eye on irrigation, as watering plants in containers can be a little trickier than it might seem. Ornamental peppers don't generally need heaps of water, but do water deeply once the top couple of inches of compost have dried out.

Every two to three weeks, feed your ornamental peppers with a balanced liquid fertiliser, to encourage fruit production over foliage growth. This means choosing something like Luiquinox from Lowes, which isn't too high in Nitrogen.

Keep an eye out for aphids and spider mites, which can colonise ornamental peppers, especially if the weather is warm and dry. Blast them away with a hose spray or use an insecticidal soap such as Smart Grower Neem oil & Peppermint Spray from Amazon.

How to Grow Ornamental Peppers in Pots

Providing the right conditions is crucial for a color-packed, plentiful display of ornamental peppers. These plants are members of the (nightshades) family, which also contains potatoes, tomatoes and, less surprisingly, edible chillies and peppers. They are natives of northern regions of South America and southwestern North America, thriving in mostly dry, sunny conditions.

To replicate those conditions in a pot on the porch, to grow ornamental peppers, you'll need to provide them with a good potting mix like Wakefiled Biochar Organic from Lowes, mixed with 20-30% vermiculite, such as Sta-Green Organic Vermiculite from Lowes, which will give ornamental peppers the decent drainage they need. Remember to plant your peppers at the same depth as they were in their nursery pots.

You'll also need to pick a spot that gets around 6-8 hours of sun per day, which means you'll likely need a south or west-facing porch, depending on what zone you're growing in. The more sun you give your ornamental peppers, the brighter your peppers will be, which is key to a dramatic fall display.

Hardy to 70°F (21°C), ornamental peppers tend to be grown as tender annuals. However, if you're in USDA Zones 9-11, you'll be able to grow them all year round. For the rest of us, we'll make the most of their upright, flame-like fruits to bring energy to our containers in a special-occasion fall and Halloween planters set piece.

In terms of container material, it's wise to go for terracotta pots, as this porous material helps to keep the soil inside from getting too soggy. Its earthen color also works brilliantly with those hot pepper tones.

Pot feet are a good idea at this time of year, as they keep containers raised off the ground where they're less likely to become waterlogged. I love these round terracotta LemonRoad feet from Amazon.

For something a little bit different, why not try a hanging basket arrangement. I adore this super modern remake, the Sphere Rust Patina from Anthropologie. Add in some complementary trailing plants (see below) and you're good to go.

Ornamental Pepper Varieties to Try

The great thing about flame-like, upward-shooting ornamental peppers – and perhaps one of the reasons why they're beginning to nudge traditional September chrysanthemums out of top spot for fall container plants – is they come in so many shapes and colors, which often shift beautifully as they mature.

The long, tapered fruits of this handsome variety extend straight up like spooky yellow and red fingers (they start off greeny yellow, developing to red but you get all stages of maturatity on the plant at once). It's a compact pepper at around 10in (25cm) tall.
You can buy Chilly Chili at Garden Goods Direct

Basket of Fire
This is an edible, compact ornamental pepper with medium heat and gorgeous fruits in red, orange, cream and yellow all at the same time. To 12 in (30cm), so brilliant for small pots or planting at the front of a larger display.
Buy Basket of Fire from Nature Hills Nursery

Nothing if not dramatic, this pepper has glossy near-black foliage and clusters of small, berry-like fruits that turn from black to bright red. It's sizeable too, at around 18in (45cm), and grows into a fabulous pyramid shape.
You can buy Black Pearl at Garden Goods Direct

A beautiful spreading, slightly trailing plant to around 12in (30cm) tall and 18in (45cm) wide with very mild fruit (useful if you're concerned about children) and stunning finger-like purple and red peppers.
Buy Sangria at Garden Goods Direct

A really fun plant with small, egg-shaped fruits that point up, in colours that mature from pale yellow-green to yellow, orange and red, all at once on the same plant. Super cute at just 6in (15cm) tall.
Buy Hot Pops at Garden Goods Direct

While many ornamental peppers are edible, they can be anything from bland to bitter or extremely hot, so it's best not to eat them, unless you know exactly what you're dealing with.

Putting together a dramatic container for fall interest is one of the joys of the season. A little planning now – and make sure you put ornamental peppers at the centre of your display – and you'll have a wow-factor porchway for weeks to come .

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