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(Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’)

This easy-care plant is a popular choice for fall gardens, with good reason. Its standout blooms come into their own in September, turning from pale green to rosy pink and then to deep pomegranate, just as many other summer flowers are beginning to fade. Sticking just one of these clumping perennials into a garden bed will immediately draw the eye and the attention of butterflies and other pollinators.

‘Autumn Joy’ stonecrop with fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides)

Pair it with: Ornamental grasses and fine-leaved perennials, such as artemisia or thyme. The contrast in textures between stonecrop’s succulent leaves and chunky flowers and feathery grasses or small-leaved plants makes for a standout combination.

Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 37.2 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 3 to 10; find your zone)
Water requirement: Moderate; low once established
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 1½ to 2 feet tall and wide

Black-Eyed Susan
(Rudbeckia hirta)The cheerful golden-petaled and dark-centered blooms of black-eyed Susan, also called gloriosa daisy, enliven late-summer and fall borders. The plants, native to prairies of the central United States, are much beloved by butterflies. Cultivars may be available at your local nursery, producing flowers in shades of red, bronze and orange and with bicolored petals.

Pair it with: For a fall bouquet garden, pair black-eyed Susan with other late-summer blooms that work well as cut flowers, such as shasta daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum; shown here with black-eyed Susan), annual sunflowers, chrysanthemums and coneflowers (Echinacea spp.).

Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 37.2 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 7)
Water requirement: Moderate; low once established
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 2 to 3 feet tall and 1 foot to 2 feet wide

Pair it with: The chocolate centers of sneezeweed flowers play well with plants that have brown or deep bronze hues. In this border,  sneezeweed is combined with the brown seed heads of a rush (Juncus sp.), purple-bronze leaves of ‘Grace’ smoke tree (Cotinus ‘Grace’) and dark-centered black-eyed Susans to make a stunning quartet.

Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 37.2 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 9)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 3 to 5 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, depending on variety

Purple fountain grass and lion’s ear (Leonotis leonurus) line a Southern California pathway.

Purple Fountain Grass 
(Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’)The grande dame of ornamental grasses, purple fountain grass can grow up to 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide in a single season, with arching purple leaves and fuzzy, caterpillar-like seed heads. The commonly available ‘Rubrum’ cultivar does not reseed as other Pennisetums do, making it a good variety to plant in the home garden.

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), dense blazing star (Liatris spicata) and ‘Phantom’ Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium ‘Phantom’)

Coneflower 
(Echinacea spp.)

Another fall garden favorite, coneflower is easy to grow, drought-tolerant once established and consistently in bloom from June to late August or September. Pollinators adore the blooms, which can be left to go to seed, providing a food source for birds and seeding new plants in garden beds.

New Zealand Wind Grass 
(Anemanthele lessoniana)This cool-season grass is a medium olive green for much of the year, but come fall the wiry blades turn a brilliant orange. Once the color change occurs, the grass appears to burn like a fire in planting beds —particularly when backlit. New Zealand wind grass has the added benefit of being resistant to deer and tolerant of difficult growing conditions, like rocky and windy slopes. It does, however, need excellent drainage; if you have clay soil, amend heavily before planting.

Planting Tips

For instant results, look for semimature to mature plants at the nursery. For perennials, pick plants that look vigorous and are in bud; for ornamental grasses, choose ones that look full in their containers.

As always, pay attention to the growing conditions each plant needs to thrive: Does it need full sun or partial shade? How much water? Choose the placement in your garden accordingly.

Once you bring the plants home, get them in the ground as soon as you can. More mature plants run the risk of being root-bound in their nursery containers, so it’s best to carefully loosen roots before planting and to plant your choices relatively quickly.

Bonus: While you may be planting now to refresh your late-summer garden, you’re actually getting a jump-start on next year’s spring garden as well. Perennials and ornamental grasses planted in fall make use of the cool winter months to establish their root systems. Come spring, they’ll be ready to burst into growth, giving your garden a head start.

Small Bistro Approximate size: 48 square feet (4.5 square meters) or smaller
Great for: Hanging out on your own or with one or two other people

If you’re starting with a deck, patio or balcony with a small footprint, most design challenges center on how to maximize the space. Steal a design trick from this contemporary terrace in London and stick to a light and bright color palette to visually open the space and make it feel larger than it actually is.

This cozy balcony in Stockholm makes an argument for getting the largest outdoor lounge your small patio will support. The homeowners squeezed a sectional sofa into their postage stamp-size terrace, creating enough seating to host a small group. Piles of pillows, a soft throw, a bistro table for drinks and a chevron outdoor rug make the space even more inviting.

There are a few ways to approach a small, narrow space such as a skinny rooftop terrace or a side yard patio. This rooftop deck in New York uses wall-mounted planters to save floor space and adds lounge chair seating that is long but narrow. A hammock with a floor stand may not be practical to walk around, but it sure looks like a dreamy destination for an afternoon nap.Another strategy for narrow spaces is to use furniture, screens or medium-size plants to divide the space. For example, placing a bench seat running across the shorter side of a patio can help the space feel wider and less like a corridor.

Medium-Size Outdoor Living Room Approximate size: 120 square feet (11 square meters)
Great for: Kicking back with a small group

Combinations of furniture, such as a built-in bench paired with outdoor chairs or a sofa, often work well to allow flexibility, expand seating and open up more room for planting on medium-size patios or decks.

The designer of this southwest London backyard built bench seating into the planter to save space and create a cozy nook for a couple of people. A folding table and a pair of bright Acapulco chairs can be moved in to allow seating for additional guests.

This medium-size roof deck in London’s Kensington neighborhood also uses a combination of seating options to comfortably accommodate up to seven people. The designer included four cushy ottomans instead of a second outdoor sofa. This keeps the seating arrangement flexible and views of the garden and rooftops uninterrupted. The low-lying ottomans also open up space for a row of boxwoods potted in tall planters, a pleasing design feature of the terrace.

Larger Entertaining SpotApproximate size: 168 square feet (15.6 square meters) or larger
Great for: Hosting a backyard party for six or more

One of the challenges of choosing the furniture layout and planting design for a large patio is making an expansive space feel more human-scale. For example, arranging large-scale outdoor seating in U-shaped or semicircular layouts, around a coffee table or fire pit, can make the space feel like a cozy, more inviting gathering place.

This expansive rooftop terrace in London, also shown in the previous photo, uses a U-shaped arrangement of sectional outdoor sofas to form an inviting lounge for a large group. The surrounding planters — filled with trimmed boxwood, pale pink and white geraniums, fragrant confederate jasmine and a small tree — encircle the seating area, enhancing the pleasant feeling of enclosure.

This garden in Sheffield, England, achieves a similarly intimate feeling in a large space with two semicircular sectional sofas arranged to face each other across a small table. This is a great spot to entertain guests on warm summer evenings.

Lowering the ceiling of an outdoor room can make an open area feel less exposed. In this backyard in Marin County in Northern California, a movable shade sail set on wires provides cover from the sun and makes the space feel more intimate.Other ways to lower the ceiling of your outdoor room: Build a pergola, plant trees to provide a leafy canopy or hang crisscrossing string lights overhead.

3. Overhangs. By adding a stylish overhang above your front door, not only are you adding something functional to shield you from the sun and rain, you are adding character to the front of your house. Get creative with your overhang and incorporate some architectural screens like this home in Denver.

5. Pathways. You don’t need to spend a fortune on all new landscaping. Start with an interesting walkway to your house and slowly work on the surrounding landscape to get it to where you want it to be.

6. Soft and hard landscaping. If you want to take on a bigger project, adding soft and hard landscaping is one of the most effective ways to transform the front of your home. It’s best if you work with a landscape designer to come up with a cohesive plan for your walkway, stairs, plants and flowers. This takes some planning and it can be costly, but it’s satisfying to witness the transformation.

1. Drawer DisplayDesigners: Bob Shelton (architect) and Danielle Zimmermann (interior designer), both of Shelton Design/Build
Location: Pittsburgh
Size: 230 square feet (21.3 square meters)

Homeowners’ request: A 16-by-16-foot addition with a new kitchen and mudroom.

Island storage: Cabinets painted coastal blue with a marble-looking quartz countertop. Four glass-front drawers on end with glass cup pulls. The drawers have a false back with storage behind so the homeowners can display colorful fruit, candy, pasta, cookbooks and more.

Other special features: Twelve-foot vaulted ceiling. Stainless steel apron-front sink. Dark stained bamboo wood floor. Custom pine shelves flanking the range hood, which help establish a clear end point for the backsplash tile.

“Uh-oh” moment: During construction, the clients were concerned that the windows were too small and too few. But once the light gray paint was on the walls and the white cabinets were installed, the space felt like it had ample natural light. Pendants with 8-foot-long cords help keep the light unobstructed.

Paint by Sherwin-Williams: March Wind (walls) and Pure White (trim); pendants: Elementary Schoolhouse cord-hung light, Barn Light Electric; flooring: Portfolio in Paris Black, Teragren; countertop: Cambria in Brittannica; cabinets by Medallion Cabinetry: Maple Islander with Coastal finish (base cabinets) and Maple Cottage in white finish (upper cabinets); appliances: Jenn-Air; backsplash tile: South Beach subway in Linto, 3 by 6 inches, Ken Mason Tile; faucet: Beckon single-handle electronic pull-down sprayer in polished nickel, Kohler; range hood: Euro in stainless steel, Cavaliere; island hardware: round glass cup pulls, Restoration Hardware; contractor: Shelton Building Associates; photographer: Laura Petrilla of MissLPhotography

3. Cookbook Call-OutDesigners: Hayer Builders Group and Kleen Design
Location: Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Size: 144 square feet (13.3 square meters); 16 by 9 feet (4.8 by 2.7 feet)

Island storage: A quartz-topped island features a slim built-in cookbook holder that puts front covers on display. There’s also a wine fridge on the other end of the island.

Other special features: Four-by-12-inch Carrara marble tile backsplash. Laminate flooring that looks like wood. Cutout over the sink that overlooks a downstairs living room.

Perimeter cabinets: Concrete Groovz, Woodgrain TFL collection, Prism; island cabinets: flakeboard flat-panel in Diva, TFL collection, Prism; cabinet hardware: Richelieu; faucet: Moen; flooring: Esperanza II collection in Denia, Beaulieu; pendant lights: C53701MB in matte black, Capitol Lighting Gallery

4. Deep DisplayDesigner: Leo Chester of Kerr Construction
Location: Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Homeowners’ request: A spacious renovated kitchen that would focus on surrounding mountain views.

Island storage: A 4-by-10-foot rift-cut white oak island is topped with a Caesarstone counter (with pop-up electrical outlets) and bookended by two deep display shelves.

Other special features: Blond wood cabinets. Porcelain tile backsplash.

Designer secret: “With the decision to use glulam beams, we were able to hold the structural loads as well as create a more open space,” designer Leo Chester says.

Bar stools: Scan Design; cabinetry and millwork: HF Custom Cabinets; backsplash tile: Ames Tile & Stone; fridge: Sub-Zero; range: Wolf; hood: Thermador; pendant lights: Norburn Lighting & Bath Centre