Decorating for autumn requires a mix of inside and outside. The cool crisp temperatures beckon you outdoors, while the shorter days nudge you back inside. But fall decor is easy because there is a bounty of natural materials all around. Shop your yard for fruits, flowers, twigs, grapevine and grasses. Also, it’s amazing what you’ll find in the produce aisle at your local grocery store, where there is an exceptional selection of pumpkins, gourds, fruits and veggies.
As you’re browsing the produce, look for items in three different sizes and colors that match your home. Apples, oranges, pears and pomegranates harmonize well in a big bowl, and ornamental grasses can be dropped in a galvanized bucket and later planted in your yard.
Candles, chrysanthemums and gourds are exceptional for a fall dinner table. At this time of year, I’m completely obsessed with pumpkins, so another great idea for decorating a table is gathering various sizes and colors of pumpkins. A few can be hollowed out and used to contain a vase of flowers, or a larger one could be filled with a bowl of ice for soda bottles or to chill wine.
When you’re ready to take your decorating outdoors, there’s no easier way to spruce up your front porch than with pumpkins, also corn stalks and mums. Stacked hay bales, along with various sizes of pumpkins, gourds and chrysanthemums, also make a great choice for an outdoor vignette. If your porch is too small for hay bales, try placing them in the yard or near a path that leads to your front door.
Don’t feel as if you have to be stuck with the traditional orange or red colors for fall. A few white pumpkins could be an interesting choice, along with some dried corn and flowers. Mums come in orange, yellow, white and even purple. Try adding a few mini-pumpkins or gourds to a wreath for your front door. Spray-paint gourds white, or any color, to personalize them to yourtheme. Your color choices are limitless, and you probably have something else lying around you could add to your fall decorations, too.
Embrace your own creativity and style. Give these ideas a try and see where it takes you.
Photos: Jane Colclasure
[P. Allen Smith, host of two public television programs, is an award-winning designer and gardening expert. He is the author of several books, including his Seasonal Recipes from the Garden.]
