Who else loves decorating for fall? The anticipation of the upcoming holidays and the changing of the seasons all add to the excitement surrounding fall. As the trees begin to change color, here are some easy decorating tips for your fall outdoor decor/garden.
đMix up Pumpkins, Gourds & Squashes on Your Porch
Oh wait! Actually pumpkins, gourds and squashes are actually all subspecies of the same family (Cucurbitaceae). Don't worry, you don't really need to know this but I can't help it, I am a plant person. đ So for reference, pumpkins are actually also squashes and squashes are well...squashes. Basically all squashes are edible. Whereas gourds are considered not edible and for decorative purposes only (they actually are edible but it would take a lot of work to try to cook them and then they wouldn't be too flavorful).
With so many varieties of squashes and gourds, you can easy add different textures and colors to your porch. From "Prizewinner", "New Moon", "Goosebumps" to "Cinderella", the list of pumpkins choices goes on and on. Some of my favorite squash varieties include "Acorn", "Butternut" and "Spaghetti". All so tasty and you can often find these in your local grocery store in the produce section! For inedible gourds, I love "Apple", "Extra Long Handle Dipper", "Turk's Turban" and "Speckled Swan". All these inedible gourds can be found at your local pumpkin patch and really add a unique touch to your fall porch decor.
In regards to all of these, after you have used them for decorating you can always put them in your garden beds to decompose over winter. This is what we do and we get surprised in the fall with the various gourds that come up and you can even share them with your neighbors.
đAdd Fall Wreaths to Your Front Door
Adding a quick festive wreath is so easy to do and yet adds so much to an entryway. You can find fresh varieties at places like your local farmer's market or even a food delivery service like "Farm Fresh to You". Or you can try your hand at making your own. If you are not up for making your own, check out Etsy for some truly special creations. Etsy has fresh varieties but also some unique re-usable wreaths that are made of a myriad of materials. I am endlessly impressed by the creativity of handicraft people. Of course, you can also buy some fake plastic wreaths at the big retailers, HomeGoods or places like Overstock just make sure when buying these that you plan to reuse them year after year so they don't end up in the landfill.
đColorful Mums Add a POP of Color
The best part of chrysanthemums (mums for short) is that they are perennial plants. Meaning that these fantastically fall feeling plants will come back year after year. You can add them to a colorful bed and when Fall comes these showstoppers will be adding some festive colors in your garden. They come in numerous colors but to really get the Fall effect, I suggest have you opt for ones in Fall colors like burgundy, orange and yellow. If you buy some to add to your front porch planters, then when you are done with them, add them to your garden bed to have them come back the following year.
đMix Flowering Kale & Cabbage For a Fun Textural Touch
These are other plants that are found in every garden center during fall. Flowering kale and cabbage are the same as the ones you eat in a salad but are just made for their look as opposed to their taste. Fortunately not only do these plants look good but you can also eat them.
Adding flowering kale and cabbage to entryway pots is so easy. To make a great impact, you can bunch these together since they are slow growers so their roots won't get intertwined too quickly. The great part about these plants is that you can also add these into your winter garden when you are done with them in your entryway pots. Adding these into your raised bed planters will give you some easy edibles over winter. Flowering kale and cabbage don't like too hot of weather nor too cold of weather (below 20 degrees) so make sure to plant them in your raised beds after the heat of fall.
đFor Dainty Color, Violas & Pansies Are Oh So Pretty
OK semantics again. All pansies are violas but not all violas are pansies. Pansies were made by the hybridization of violas so all pansies are from violas.
The difference between pansies and violas are that pansies have larger flowers than violas. Also pansies usually have only a few flowers whereas violas can have many blooms. Violas are also referred to as Johnny jump-ups because they self-seed and spread in your garden. Although these flowers are all perennial plants oftentimes they die in the summer heat. So if you can get them to over-summer then they will come back year after year.
Regardless of how you use these flowers, they have become associated with Fall in that these are usually the first flowers you see when you walk into a garden center. My son calls these flowers "Angry Faces" and they are his favorite flower. I think it is because they make him smile every time he sees these flowers displayed in a sea of flowers in the nursery. Imagining a sea of cute, nonthreatening "angry faces" staring at you as you walk into a garden center for sure would make anyone chuckle. đ
đChange Up Your Front Door Mat
Another quick change up is to add a new festive front mat or layer in a small rug accent under your mat. So easy and so quick. The best part is that when the season is over, you can easily store it away with your other holiday decor.
đContainer Succulents & Little Pumpkins Create a Colorful Tablescape
This is frankly my favorite tablescape in Fall. Succulents in pretty pots surrounded by little pumpkins (gourds since these small varieties are considered inedible). The textures from the succulents really complement the smooth pumpkins. Mix in some candles and a festive table runner and you have an inviting tablescape to host any get together.
đHappy Fall đ
