It’s hard to believe that it’s taken this long to think of Swiss chard as an ornamental—with such striking foliage it seems like a no-brainer. Big, glossy dark green leaves are crinkly, supplying an abundance of texture. Brightly-colored stalks add plenty of vertical interest to the autumn landscape and seasonal containers.

We grow ‘Bright Yellow’ for its glowing yellow stems and veins—they look intense against the dark green foliage. With such bold presence, it’s a vegetable that actually looks great in the front yard. Sure, you can eat it—but you’ll want to grow it for the color alone.

It’s that time of year…pretty soon farmers will be lugging their giant pumpkins to the annual weigh-in: a true sight to behold. On the other end of the spectrum, and equally interesting, in our opinion, is the ornamental ‘Pumpkin Pepper’. In classic Halloween fashion, the fruits on this unique pepper plant are disguised as mini pumpkins.

It’s late in the season but there’s still plenty of time to add color and form to the landscape and containers with ipomoea, or sweet potato vine. This foliage accent is a fast grower and comes in colors that are just right for harvest décor and Halloween themes. It’s often thought of as the go-to background plant among container gardeners and rightly so—as a vigorous climber with heart-shaped or tapered, pointy leaves, it brings another dimension of interest to a design.

Ornamental grasses are indispensible tools for designers and landscapers. They add form to a garden, as well as color and texture. Grasses can be used to hide or soften hard elements like buildings or pipes, to define edges or different areas of the border, or even as a hedge. Some people choose ornamental grasses simply to cut down on mowing—that’s ok, too. Remember that they’re foliage plants so they provide multiple seasons of interest, which is always a plus in our book, and they sway in the breeze, adding movement to the landscape as well. We have a variety of colors that will complement autumn décor nicely.