Outdoor decor for Fall?

[Snowwark]

Autumn is almost upon us. The cooler nights and fewer hours of sun, more noticeable everyday.

Have you started a Fall theme in your garden? Do you decorate your outdoors with pumpkins and gourds, cornstalks and bales of hay? Maybe pots full of chrysanthemums are more to your liking.

I'd love to hear how you change your garden look, with the changing season.

No, this pic is not my house....wish it was!!

 

[amid chaos]

I don't do much except for a few pumpkins, which become jack o lanterns by halloween. I may put out a few mums too.

 

[Nuts4Disney]

Great thread! Fall is my favorite season & one of my favorite times to decorate besides Christmas! [Sorry my enthusiasm for Fall has made me very *chatty* & a long post]

I've been thinking along the same lines. My other flowers [daylillies, marigolds...] are still in bloom, but I love mums & was wondering if I should start planting them now. I've planted mums every year for the last 4 years since we moved here & they've never come back! The one's I planted at my DMom's house ages ago still come back.

I like a traditional look...want lots of yellow mums...maybe splashes of other colors too. I'm thinking of just doing large & small pots since they haven't been coming back & planting in my garden is a real hassle w/lots of those little decorative rocks, tree roots, etc.

I also like the pumpkins, haystacks, & cornstalks. My DPartner doesn't want me to do pumpkins...afraid of rotting pumpkins & drawing "critters"...we're basically *cityfolk adjusting to country/suburban life.* I may do the pumpkins anyway...has anyone had a problem with the pumpkins?

I don't like to do any seasonal lights except for Christmas time, 'cause to me, having the lights only once/yr at Christmas time is part of what makes it look so special.

 

[Nuts4Disney]

BTW...just being nosey, but who's house is that? Mickey & Minnie's? LOL

 

[soccerchick]

I love fall too. I plant pansies and mums in containers on my front porch. I'll get a small hay square to place pumpkins and gourds on and I'll tie a cornstalk to my outdoor light. I also hollow out a pumpkin to use as a container for a mum.

 

[Snowwark]

Welcome to the Flower & Garden board, Nuts4Disney. It's great to see you back too, Soccerchick!

Great idea to put the Mums in the hollowed out pumpkin, Soccerchick! What colour looks best, maybe a deep red?

We love chatty posts, N4D, the more the merrier! I don't have any Chrysanthemums in my garden, I replace the tired old arrangements in my containers with them. My Mom has some in her garden though, they're doing great, and she plunked them in there in the early summer.

Nuts4Disney, if you should decided to try them again in your garden, you might be interested in reading the following link.

Marvelous Mums!

No, it's not Mickey and Minnie's house....lol...just one I found cruising the net. The display appealed to me, as long as you didn't need to use those doors!

 

[amid chaos]

Nuts for disney..the only critters who eat my pumpkins are squirrels..a pain, but no harm done, actually they can be quite entertaining to watch.

 

[gina2000]

We put out pumpkins and mums. Decorate the whole house with Halloween stuff.....one wooden ghost named "Boo" is my DS's favorite.

This year we'll be doing renovations....so no decorations....

And the squirrels eat my pumpkins also.

 

[DebºoºS]

That house is fabulous. I guess they kick the pumpkins out of the way to get in
Fall is a so much fun to decorate for. I put out a bale of hay, corn stalks, scarecrow and pumpkins, mums everywhere. I might skip the corn stalks this year since we didn't grow it and I might even skip the hay because it's very messy and the deer have enough to eat in this neighborhood. DH is growing gourds and great pumpkins again but they aren't as great as years gone by so I may have to go pumpkin picking. Yippee The gourds look interesting. Yes, squirrels have fun with the pumpkins. They like to hide the seeds in the strangest places. That's why I have sunflowers growing in my deck and pumpkins in my lillies. My mums come back in the gardens but I still buy them and put them up in baskets. If we have a party when the leaves change I pick colorful ones and tape them to the glass doors. Also, write names or messages on them with a gold pen for placecards. I could go on and on.
All the decorating will have to wait for the hurricane to pass.

 

[Nuts4Disney]

Debºoº,

You're decorating sounds like alot of fun! I also like the idea of writing on w/the gold pen, etc... I think it's pretty neat that you grow your own gourds.

We were afraid of encouraging the squirrels...we have one who seems to think he owns my attic.

I noticed your in NJ...we are too...but our Mums won't come back. They always came back in NY. I've heard every excuse why they won't come back...the NJ soil, the variety, NJ's zone, the squirrels eat the bulbs [but they're not bulbs!]. Do you buy a specific variety or have any other secrets to make the Mums return?


HAPPY PLANTING!
HAPPY DECORATING!

 

[DebºoºS]

We lived on LI in NY and they came back every year there too. Here in NJ they come back bigger and better each year. I do a severe cut back during the summer to maintain their shape.
I usually buy " Hampton Garden". The darker colors last longer only because they don't show the fade as much.
You might try large planters and over winter them in the garage. It could be that you're in a very windy/cold spot or it might be them thar varmints Squirrels, deer, rabbits, groundhogs and who knows what else is out there. They do nibble on my gourds and pumpkins but there's enough to go around.

 

[soccerchick]

Thanks for the welcome back Snowwark! I haven't been online much since the arrival of baby #2, a DS, on August 6. Today we're sitting around waiting for Hurricane Isabel to arrive. Schools are canceled and most of the local governments are closed as well. I'm getting my computer time while the baby sleeps and we still have power.

After not putting much effort into my yard this summer due to pregnancy, I am excited to get everything looking nice for fall!

Here's another fall idea:
A neighbor just showed me a magazine picture of a pumpkin totem pole. There were three pumpkins on a stake with leaves speared/glued in between each layer. The stake was then placed down in a large container with some small gourds around the bottom pumpkin. It was very cute! You could also use a larger stake and place it in a hay bale. I think the magazine was a Lowe's idea/decorating magazine.

 

[Nuts4Disney]

Thanks for the tips, DebºoºS! I'm taking notes.

soccerchick,

The pumpkin totem pole sounds very cute. I love looking at those magazines, too. I can't wait to see what folks come up with.

BTW, Congrats on your DS!
I hope you're all OK down there. From the news, Isabel looks like she's doing her thing. Please keep safe.

 

[Snowwark]

Congratulations Soccerchick!! How wonderful for you, and a Leo too...smart baby!

The pumpkin totem pole idea sounds great!!

I like the leaf placecard idea, Deb! Do you think it's too fancy for pizza night? Why am I not surprised that you're very creative!

Try and keep dry everyone!

 

[Willowwind]

Look! I'm still; alive August and September were rotten months for us, deaths, car accidents, injury and a fibromyalgia diagnosis. It just sucked. But now Fall has come and soon it will be a new year. I'm very happy about that!

With our new house I've *finally* gotten to decorate for the harvest season. We went and got some straw bales, corn stalks, pumpkins and gourds! I was so excited, I think my kids thought I was nuts. I've always wanted to be able to do this, but never have been able to before. I think today I'm going to get some stuff to make a giant spider web on the car port.

The firewood guy came and stacked a cord, I don't think that it's going to last very long though.

 

[Snowwark]

Oh Kristen, it sounds like you've had a terrible time. I'm very sorry to hear that. I hope things improve for you soon. In the meantime, I'm sending you lots of soothing good thoughts.


Getting into the spirit of decorating seems to have helped lift your spirits!

It's nice to have you back.