Joanna Gaines' Genius Method For Designing A Fall Container Garden

It's no exaggeration to say that Joanna Gaines has had a major impact on American interior design. Since launching onto the scene with her HGTV show Fixer Upper and introducing the world to her signature modern farmhouse aesthetic, Gaines has helped countless viewers and followers elevate their own indoor spaces. But we're not letting her design inspiration stop at interiors — she's also got some tips for making your outdoor spaces as incredible as your inside ones.

Recently, the design queen revealed a trick for backyard planters, and now you're never going to want to make a fall container garden without trying it. Rather than walking into the nursery and grabbing anything that looks good, Gaines loves to make a mood board that includes a color palette and photos of what she's going for. The creative process helps her stick to a theme and bring more cohesion to the fall container garden.

The process to create a landscape mood board may sound a bit intimidating if you've never used a home design vision board for your interiors. But it's a light and fun process that's easy to do. It's a chance to daydream with purpose, and there's no right or wrong way to go about it. Start by collecting inspiration whenever it strikes — you might cut a photo of a gorgeous garden display out of your favorite landscaping magazine, or screenshot a pic of a one-of-a-kind container planter you see on social media. Maybe you scribble down a few of the perennial plants to plant with your mums for a showstopping fall garden. You can make this virtual, like using a Pinterest board to keep tabs on images. Or, you could screenshot all that inspiration, and keep it in a separate album in your phone. If you love a good old-fashioned arts and crafts project, go ahead and snip out inspiration from magazines and garden catalogues, and keep a bulletin board or scrapbook-type book of clips. Don't overthink it. Not every image has to be perfect; if it strikes your fancy, include it. 

Whatever method of saving inspiration you prefer, Gaines recommends making a color palette part of the board. This is especially helpful if you don't know exactly what type of plants you want — at least knowing a general color scheme will help you make more informed decisions as you're browsing at the garden store. 

Once you're ready to shop, head to your favorite garden store with your mood board in hand (or keep it next to you if you're ordering plants online). As you browse, refer back to the board and make sure what you grab aligns with the colors, mood, and overall feel of the items you've saved. Don't be afraid to chat with a specialist and show them your board. They may be able to offer suggestions you hadn't thought of, or steer you towards some plants that would enhance your vision. 

You don't have to feel beholden to your mood board — remember that it's inspiration for a color scheme and vibe, not an exact rendering of the plants you need. It's there so that when you look into your cart, you see a cohesive variety of plants that evoke the spirit of your mood board. And keep in mind that Gaines' hack would work for any of your garden or landscaping planning, whether you're looking to create a cozy fall window box or thinking ahead to next year's blooms.