Capturing the Beauty of Fall

           

With plantings now mature and heading toward completion, the color opportunities are almost endless. It really comes down to where you want to decorate.

           

One of the most common areas is the front entry of the home. Whether it is a simple front door with a couple of steps into the house or a more expansive front porch, the colors of fall can be utilized to decorate this area. If there is enough depth, you can place a bundle of cornstalks tied together by bailing twine in the corner to the side of the door and surround the stalks with a simple but colorful arrangement of squash, pumpkins and other gourds, making for a very warming and welcoming entry.

           

Over the years, my wife and I have enjoyed opportunity to design a variety of fall outdoor decorations, all based on where we were living at the time and the theme that we wanted to present. Our last two homes have included a front entry wide enough to design a pretty elaborate seasonal decoration display. Both had recessed entries of up to eight feet in width with another six feet in depth. This gave us ample area to decorate.

           

Along the top just beneath the entryway ceiling, we took grape vine and ran it along both sides and above the entry door. We then intertwined lights throughout the grape vine and then connected to a timer set so the lights automatically came on at sundown and stayed on for approximately three hours. In the fall, the lights were a soft orange color. With a three-foot space on each side of the front door, we placed a bundle of cornstalks in each corner. On the one side, we then placed a small seating bench at an angle in front of the corn. On the other side, around the corn bundle, we put a mixture of pumpkins and a variety of squash and other gourds. A few ears of Indian corn completed that corner. At the front of the entrance, we placed an antique copper boiler. We filled this with a mixture of red-twigged dogwood branches (void of leaves) interspersed with pine tree greenery.

           

Other people are more into displaying fall colors through plants. When I think of fall flowers, I always think of mums: white, yellow, orange, red, burgundy…what an array of colors. Of course, gardens are great places to display these flowers, because they will come back year after year. If you aren’t the gardener-type, planting the mums in flower pots and placing them on the front steps or the porch will create a living mural of fall colors.

           

How about bringing fall decorating and colors to your patio furniture? The centerpiece for the patio table can be a display of gourds. Or how about a series of terracotta pots planted with zinnias, chrysanthemums and ornamental grasses?

           

People with acreages and a lane to their home will often decorate a corner of their yard close to the road. Again, cornstalks provide the height, but in this case, you might take four bundles and make a t-pee shape of bundles similar to those farmers would erect for livestock fodder in the 1950s. In front of this, place a straw bale or bales with a mixture of pumpkins, squash and other gourds. Here, again, add a pot or two of mums for additional color. You could also add a scarecrow seated on the bale, leaning against the cornstalks. 

           

If you are a true gardener, have the space for this and like to plant theme gardens, then planting a fall-themed garden might be just up your alley. Planting the garden will ensure a yard of beauty come fall and for years to come. Here are some suggestions I received from one of our local garden centers. These fall-themed gardens can be as small or as large as the lot or acreage allows. A complete fall-themed garden would include shrubs, taller flowers, carpet or low growing flowers and ornamental grasses. The size and expanse is totally the owner’s choice. 

           

First off, we’re looking for plants that will come back each year, so we are looking for perennials that bloom in the fall. Since we live in northern Iowa, we always make sure that we pick plantings that are safe in zones 3-4. Obviously, there are all kinds of choices in wide range of heights and an array of colors. One of the prettiest low growing, carpet flowers is the plumbago with blue flowers and leaves that turn russet red in the fall. Two of the most common flowers with a wide choice of colors are the hardy mum and the aster. Their blossoms start popping out in mid to late August and continue until frost.

           

The blanket flower (gailiardia) with its yellow petals around a burgundy center blooms between 3-4 months. Some gardeners jokingly say they are daisies on caffeine!

           

Sedum works perfectly as a full sun garden border. The Autumn Fire is slightly smaller (24”x18”) than the Autumn Joy and stays upright better. They both flower August through September. 

           

If you are looking for a really tall (5-6’) and a native flower that can spread if not kept in check, Joe Pye Weed is a great choice. It blooms well into fall and attracts both butterflies and bees.

           

Matching the brilliant colors of shrubs with these fall flowers will create a true kaleidoscope of colors. These shrubs will grow about 5-6 feet tall and will spread out 4-5 feet. They will grow larger, but can easily be pruned and shaped to the size desired. Tops on the list include the chokeberry, which has an intense red/purple colored leaf in the fall, the gold flame spirea and the arrowwood viburnum. 

           

The third part to this fall beauty is the ornamental grasses. They can be grouped in clusters or planted singly. What they do is add texture and form to the garden. Choices include Karl Foerster, Shenandoah and Silver Feather Grass.

           

The decorating options are seemingly endless, limited only by the end of our creativity. If you are having trouble, head to your nearby craft store or garden center, and they’ll be able to help you create the look you are seeking.