Fall Container Garden for Full Shade in San Antonio

A gardener in San Antonio (zone 8b) wants a trailing, fall-lasting container for a concrete basket in full shade.

Critical: Drainage

Concrete baskets need drainage holes. Drill if absent.

Center/Vertical: Dwarf fountain grass (Pennisetum 'Hameln') or Carex 'Evergold'.
Trailing: Variegated Vinca major (periwinkle) – evergreen, long trails.
Color: Pansies (large-flowered) – love cool weather, bloom through fall/winter in zone 8.
Perennial accent: Small chrysanthemums (budded, not forced grocery-store mums).

Quality potting mix. Water when top inch dry. Fertilize lightly. Protect from hard freeze (move to garage).

Perennials: Gutter Drainage Under New Concrete Drive: Slope and Outlet Are Key; Designing a Drainage Trench System for a Flat 2-Acre Yard; Juniper Die-Off on a Slope: Likely Water Pooling at the Base; Sump Pump Discharge: Drywell, Not a Shallow Hole; Front Yard Swale Draining Onto a Concrete Walkway; Designing Drainage for a River Rock-and-Concrete Stream Feature in a Public Space; Creating a Curved Colored Concrete Walkway: Forming, Coloring, and Finishing Options; Caring for Pothos in Non-Draining Wall Planters; Best Shade-Tolerant Plants for Hanging Baskets in San Antonio; Soil Drainage: Testing, Types & Solutions for Healthy Gardens

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