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plate of pasta with tomato sauce on dark table, top view
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“… Just for one’s health… it is very necessary to work in the garden and to see the flowers growing.” Vincent Gogh
If you’re like me, you want pumpkins from September through Thanksgiving! But how do we keep them from rotting prematurely & preventing little critters (AKA squirrels & others) from chewing them to pieces you ask? Well there are a few ways to stop them.
I’m going to discuss both a natural & chemical way to preserve your pumpkins. You choose the path you feel most comfortable with.
Cayenne Pepper
The natural way to deter critters from gnawing away at your beautiful pumpkins is by using cayenne pepper!
Please note, if you accidently purchase a pumpkin with any cuts, scratches, deep wounds, or if the stem is broken off this alternative will not work. The cayenne pepper will simply deter insects & critters from attempting to eat them, it will not prevent rotting.
Using Cayenne pepper is a natural alternative to chemical means. It is very easy & inexpensive, however you will need to reapply the pepper after each rain.
Rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks will take one taste & quickly scurry away!
It’s cute, but it will destroy your beautiful pumpkins!
The not so natural way.
An alternative way to keep those critters at bay is to simply coat each of your pumpkins, gourds & even your Indian corn with clear acrylic spray. This is also an inexpensive way to protect them, however you do not want to toss these pumpkins into your garden as compost. I happen to live on seven acres with five of those being woods. We generally toss our corn stalks, pumpkins, Christmas trees & any other live garlands into our woods. They naturally compost, act as habitat for the wild life, and of course food for the animals as well.
Depending on how many pumpkins & gourds you have purchase 2 to 3 cans of clear acrylic spray.
Taking a damp rag or paper towel wipe down any debris and moisture on your pumpkin or gourd.
Watch my video on how to appropriately spray your pumpkin with clear acrylic spray!
How to pick the perfect pumpkins!
I wanted to share a few tips & tricks on choosing the perfect pumpkin.
First, be sure the pumpkin or gourd has a securely connected stem. If it is loose at all, or even worse broken off DON’T buy it… no matter how cute it is, no matter how perfect it is, walk away. It will rot and attract insects & critters that will be happy to chew away at it.
This pumpkin has a securely attached stem and no wounds or knicks.
The stem of this pumpkin is broken off. It will rot much more quickly as well as attract insects & critters.
Secondly, be sure there are no cuts or wounds on your pumpkins. Unfortunately even with our best attempts to be cautious, we can miss them. A perfect example is the pumpkin I used in my video. In this case the price tag was covering the large wound & I had no idea until I took it home and removed the sticker. I was so thankful I did as this allowed me to take care of it.
This is a very deep wound, so as you saw in the video I sprayed a lot of acrylic spray into it.
With this wound using cayenne pepper unfortunately would not work.
Lastly, support your local farmers & farmers markets with the purchase of your pumpkins and other holiday decorations. As we continue to spend our dollars locally, it naturally benefits our community.
“Notice that autumn is more the season of the soul than of nature.” Friedrich Nietzsche
The subjects of your design should speak of your soul.
1. When choosing seasonal décor, be sure to consider the color of your walls & furniture! When shopping for seasonal décor such as throw pillows, rugs, wall art & prints, or even holiday dishes these factors are important. My living room walls are a slate blue & my furniture is gray, so I tend to purchase things that accentuate those colors and the primary hues.
Pro Tip: For example, I often put white or light colored objects up against or on my living room walls. This draws the eye as soon as you enter the room.
3. Using real pumpkins & gourds along with natural vines brings a sense of the outdoors in. These are real pie pumpkins, but you can purchase fake ones. I used my Cricut to make the letters & then laminated them. I adhered them onto the pumpkins with a piece of tape & presto… a great mantel or centerpiece. I have bittersweet vines that grow in our woods, so I cut vines and wove them around the pumpkins.
Pro Tip: When purchasing pumpkins & gourds be sure the stem is securely attached, there are not Knicks or cuts, or any soft spots. This will help them last longer. Also, spraying your pumpkins & gourds with clear acrylic spray will give them longer life as well.
5. This photo is of my foyer. When you come into my home through the front door, this is the first thing you see. I decorate this area for each season (I have the cutest snowman tree for the holidays!!).
As you can see, I’ve taken elements from my living room and tied them into this area. My goal is to make each person who enters our home feel welcome!
Pro tip: My foyer is a light gray so I’ve used décor to match this space as opposed to my living room with it’s dark slate blue walls.
Decorating has always been a passion of mine, whether it’s indoors or outdoors. My gardens are an expression of the things I love, as is each room in my home. Today I wanted to share with you some of my autumn décor throughout my home. I can’t wait to share my Thanksgiving & Holiday designs with you… I love this time of year!
Here are a few tips I follow when decorating each room in my home.
2. To change or not to change, that is the question! Most of us have art work on our walls, tables, & on the floor. Adding decorative items like seasonal signs or other wall art, table trays, vases, sculptures, etc. add so much to the display. Beauty is in the details!
Pro Tip: Balance is the key, so use decorative items that compliment what you already have.
4. Switch it up from year to year! These two pictures of my fireplace show some variation however only slightly, I do like to switch things up. I’ve had different artwork and mantel décor each year. The photo of the live pumpkins with Thanks on them is what I previously did before my glass & ceramic pumpkins.
Pro tip: I shop at the end of the season and take advantage of the huge clearance sales. Then I pull out all my goodies the next year & it’s just like Christmas!
Bonus Pro tip:I keep all my holiday decorations in clear plastic toteswith an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper saying what is in it along with the year it was used or is planned for!
“Your home should tell the story of who you are, and be a collection of what you Love.” Lebo Grand
“Advice from the porch: Enjoy every season, hear the birds sing, take in the view, listen to the rainy days.”
I love to decorate my front porch in every season. Spring welcomes beautiful hanging baskets, porch pots lining my stairs & surrounding my front door. The autumn porch hosts a slew of Heirloom pumpkins & mums… and just wait until I show you my winter porch décor!! I’m so excited I could burst!
I wanted to share some tips on how to showcase your porch so it’s the nicest on the block!
My front porch décor pops with the bright orange & burgundy blooms!Mums, Heirloom pumpkins & gourds along with a mix of decorative items is well balanced.
What color is your house? The first thing to consider when choosing your baskets & planters is the color of your home. Whether it’s brick, stone, or vinyl siding you don’t want your beautiful blooms to get lost. My house is a light gray vinyl siding, so I choose bright oranges & burgundy’s to accentuate my home. The bright colors ‘pop’ because the backdrop (the house) is light colored.
Pro Tip: Always look to have a contrast when decorating. If you have a dark red or brown brick home, you’ll want to go with white or yellows in order to get the most effect!
Variety is the spice of life!
Ornamental cabbage & kale.
2. Variety is the spice of life! I love to add a variety of plants with my mums. Try ornamental cabbage & kale, annual grasses, pansies, sweet potato vine, straw flower, asters, marigolds, & beautiful ornamental peppers!
Pro Tip: Use plants that will give you height, vining, & depth to get the besteffect. Place your potted mums & other plants in cool old galvanized buckets or pails, or in old wooden crates!
3. Layering adds dimension! Adding different heights adds dimension to your porch design. When placing pots on steps, be sure they are not all the same height. As you create your design, you want to elevate items in the back to make it look tiered.
Pro Tip: Use empty plant pots, cool wooden crates, or anything else you have to elevate a pot if it is too short.
4. Accentuate your blossoms! Adding decorative items like seasonal signs, scarecrows, bales of straw & other items adds so much to the display. Beauty is in the details!
Pro Tip: Balance is the key, so use decorative items sparingly with taste.
5. Heirloom pumpkins & gourds oh my!!! Choosing different shapes, sizes, & especially colors of Heirloom pumpkins & gourds adds so much interest to your decorative porch design. Stacking & even placing in planters will add interest.
Pro Tip: Stack pumpkins to make towers next to your door or flower arrangements!
Autumn is such a beautiful time of year with the trees shifting into their majestic colors, the crisp air & those woodland scents. Apple orchards & pumpkin patches are in the horizon… & I can’t wait.
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Fall is a splendid time of year… and even though my beloved flowers are getting tired and faded, there are still many opportunities for decorating and creating a delightful entertaining space.
I love to entertain and decorate for all occasions. Each season has its special ‘natural’ elements that are readily available. We just need to be creative and utilize them!
Here are a few ideas on how to decorate with gourds and pumpkins… some of mine as well as others.
This is my table center piece. The two greenish-orange squash on either side were surprises my little boys found me yesterday behind the barn.
Using a hollowed out pumpkin to place a potted mum or aster in is a quick way to add fast ‘WOW!’ effect.
Incorporating bittersweet and other branches of fall colored leaves, like burning bush is a great accent.
What is your favorite thing about fall? Leave me a comment and let me know!
Happy Fall y’all!
Jean
***DISCLOSURE:
Here are several other photo’s of ideas that ARE NOT MINE. I did not take these photo’s and I do not own them. I found them all on Facebook and on Pinterest. I tried to give credit where it belonged. If you are the owner of any of these photo’s and would like me to remove them, please just leave me a comment with which one is yours and I will do so immediately. If you’d like me to keep it up and simply give you credit with a link, I’d be happy to do that. I have not received permission from anyone to use these. I am not trying to make any monetary gain with them. Some of these photo’s have the owner’s name on them.
For Dragonflies And Me 