When neighbors walk past Deb West’s patio home in the Meeder neighborhood in Cranberry Township, her front porch catches their attention.

Filled with colorful seasonal flowers, decorative containers, multicolored pumpkins and whimsical touches, the small space shows that a large yard is not necessary to create an eye-catching fall display.

One neighbor regularly stops with her toddler to admire it.

“Your garden makes me so happy. I like to just stand there,” she told West.

That reaction is part of what West enjoys about gardening on her front porch and back patio.

“Gardening gives me a sense of peace,” she said. “I love to have my coffee every morning, look at my flowers and read a book.”

West’s approach shows homeowners how to extend the gardening season from summer into fall, using plants, pumpkins, containers and seasonal decorations to add color and interest as summer flowers begin to fade.

Horticulture experts say fall also is a good time to consider not only what looks appealing now, but what plants can contribute to the landscape throughout the year.

“It is best to look for plants that have multi-seasons of interest,” said Jim Sellmer, who recently retired after 28 years at Penn State as a professor of ornamental horticulture.

Rather than buying a plant only for an immediate splash of fall color, Sellmer suggests thinking about what it can contribute over time, whether through flowers, fruit or foliage.

Fall also can be an especially good time to add plants without spending a lot of money.

“Fall is a great time to plant,” Sellmer said. “Most garden centers, nurseries and greenhouses do not want to overwinter plants, so bargains are available.”

Instead of searching for one plant, Sellmer recommends visiting local garden centers to see what is on sale and choosing plants that fit the homeowner’s color preferences, interests and landscape.

Pansies, Japanese anemone, goldenrod, black-eyed Susans and “Autumn Joy” sedum can add color to the fall landscape, Sellmer said. Shrubs can extend the show with foliage and berries. Red chokeberry offers red foliage, Virginia sweetspire turns maroon and spicebush adds yellow, while beautyberry produces purple berries that can persist into early winter.

Where those plants are placed can be just as important as what is planted. Splashes of color can brighten foundation plantings and islands in the front yard, while a back patio or deck offers another place to add seasonal interest where family and guests can enjoy it.

Tall, colorful zinnias can continue blooming well into fall, until a hard frost, and their flowers can be cut and brought indoors for vases.

Containers offer another option, particularly around porches and entryways. Sellmer suggested pansies, snapdragons, mums, coleus, ornamental peppers and black-eyed Susans. Squash and ornamental kale can add another seasonal touch.

Containers also can “soften the hard surfaces of porches, sidewalks and building sides,” Sellmer said.

Plants are not the only way to bring fall color and interest to a porch or yard.

At Mussig’s Nursery in Zelienople, shoppers can find mums alongside seasonal decorations for outdoor displays. Mums, pumpkins, cornstalks and hay bales are among the most popular choices, an employee said.

The nursery also offers decorations for homeowners who, like West, want to add a little whimsy to a porch, patio or entryway.

While seasonal decorations can provide an immediate touch of fall, thoughtful planting can keep a landscape interesting long after the pumpkins and other accents have been put away.

Rita Mack, a former co-president of the Southern Butler County Garden Club and a Butler County Penn State Extension Master Gardener, has years of experience volunteering on community gardening projects, including Grant Park in Cranberry Township.

At Grant Park, the club began planting bulbs in fall 2017, followed by perennial beds the next spring. The gardens have continued to grow over the years.

Mack pointed to prominent, colorful plants such as “Autumn Joy” sedum, whose clusters of flowers change color as the season progresses and attract bees and other pollinators.

Mack’s own landscape at home also demonstrates how a garden can provide interest beyond its peak flowering season. Native and pollinator-friendly varieties have a place there, while berries, interesting foliage and changing colors help extend the garden’s appeal into fall.

A garden that offers something from season to season is not only about flowers.

At Grant Park, a whimsical gnome garden adds another point of interest, showing how a little imagination can bring personality to a landscape even as blooms begin to fade.

Gardeners also can think differently about what happens when leaves begin to fall.

Mack said Garden Club members practice “leaving the leaves,” allowing fallen leaves to remain where they drop over winter as habitat for insects.

Fall is also a time for gardeners to pay attention to plants they may not want in their landscapes.

Sellmer pointed to Oriental bittersweet, an invasive vine with colorful berries that may look attractive in fall but can spread aggressively and overwhelm other vegetation.

Gardening does not have to be complicated or perfect, Mack said. A willingness to learn — and to notice a garden’s changing beauty through the seasons — can be enough to get started.

“With a little passion,” Mack said, “anybody who wants to have a garden can do it.”