The Season of the Pumpkin
Pumpkins are a big part of fall and the end-of-the-year holidays, from jack-o’-lanterns to pumpkin pies. All around town this time of year, you can find pumpkin-flavored coffee, pumpkin ice cream, and all sorts of pumpkin treats. You see them stacked by scarecrows and hay bales on lawns. Spice up your fall with these five cool ideas for using pumpkins in fall decorating.
1. A Pumpkin Planter
Make a pumpkin planter for your fall flowers such as pansies, violas, mums, and ornamental kale and cabbages. Hollow out a large pumpkin just as you would for making a jack-o-lantern. Drill a few holes in the bottom for drainage. Fill with a good potting soil mixture and plant your fall plants.
Now you can enjoy your chilly weather-loving plants on the patio table or your doorstep throughout the season. Then, depending on the growing zone you live in, plant the whole thing in the winter container garden or elsewhere. The pumpkin will then decompose, making rich soil.
Directions for Making a Pumpkin Planter
- Decide what plants to use.
- Cut the top off the pumpkin, a little wider than for a jack-o-lantern
- Scrape the insides out thoroughly.
- Drill a few holes in the bottom for drainage.
- Fill it about three-quarters full with a good soil mix.
- Arrange plants and plant them.
- Fill in around them with more soil.
- Water sparingly.
You can personalize your pumpkin planter by choosing white or green pumpkins. Use a combination of plants or simply plant a pot of mums in a large pumpkin.
Tip: If you want your pumpkin planter to last longer, scrape it out very thoroughly and coat the inside of it with petroleum jelly. Break up some charcoal briquettes and add an inch to the bottom. This way, the pumpkin will last a couple of weeks.
2. A Pumpkin Vase
Use a hollowed-out pumpkin as a vase for a pretty, rustic arrangement. I used oak leaf hydrangeas and other dried foliage. Check your fields and forests for interesting specimens, or fill it with water and fall flowers like mums and asters. It will make a lovely centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table.
Check the Fields and Forests for Interesting Specimens
3. Chalky Paint Vintage Pumpkins
I love the vintage look chalky paint gives anything from jars to furniture. Purelykatie shares her idea for chalky paint pumpkins. She used small artificial floral pumpkins, chalk paint in rustic colors, and placed them in a fall arrangement with acorns and succulents.
4. Succulent Pumpkin Planter
If you like growing succulents, you’ll love this idea from midwesternliving.com. Sphagnum moss is sprayed with spray adhesive and attached to a shallow planter. Succulent cuttings are attached to the sphagnum moss with a dab of clear craft glue. The cuttings will grow roots into the sphagnum moss.
5. A Nighttime Porch Display
This simple idea from womansday.com uses only pumpkins and strings of lights to create a vibrant porch display for fall nights. The varying stringing patterns give it a stunning visual effect.
