Red or purple fountain grass -- Pennisetum setaceum -- has become increasingly popular in landscape design in the past six years or so. It's especially attractive in the fall, when the flowers (those feather/plume things) are in bloom. Here, fountain grass stands like a fountain in the center, surrounded by exotic white pumpkins.
These two main design elements -- the fountain grass and white pumpkins -- can be the foundation or achors of your fall porch or entryway display from September until late November. In October, depending on how anxious you are to decorate for Halloween, you can add props like fake spiders, skeletons, crows, etc. In November, change-out the spiders for colorful fall flowers and other grasses or succulents in containers. Closer to Thanksgiving, introduce cornucopia-type vegetables and fruits like squash, gourds and whatever else looks colorful and holds up for at least a couple of weeks.
