Fall is in full swing! Your neighborhood might not feel like autumn, though. Seriously, at Fort Bragg the forecast is in the 80’s for as far as I can see! But don’t let a toasty forecast stop you from getting in the spirit with these easy decorating tips. You can decorate no matter where in the world you are…regardless of whether you rent or own your place.

Fall is the perfect season to let your creativity shine!

Begin by deciding where you want to decorate.

Do you have summer pots that you’d like to transition with the seasons? Maybe your installation housing has an entrance begging to be spruced up. Decorating for each season is an ideal way to incorporate texture and color without making anything permanent. We all know how ugly things can get when we change a paint color…let’s just not go there!

Consider the scale of your space.

When planting for fall, choose plants and fillers that round out your planters. Unlike the spring and summer growing season, fall planters are best to fill right from the start because your plants won’t grow as much. Select larger, fuller plants while at your local nursery or garden center.

It’s time to start gathering your materials!

Some of our favorite go-to fall primary plants include:

• Mums: Buy mums with tight buds! The blooms will last longer.
• Hardy Cabbage
• Hardy Kale
• Purple Fountain Grass
• Millet
• Local perennial grasses

Fillers:

• Pansy
• Gourds: For unique options, check local farmstands
• Pumpkins: Use all colors, shapes, and sizes
• Lotus pods
• Sticks
• Artificial fall-colored leaves
• Swiss chard
• Bittersweet: Remember to stick with the American variety, as the oriental is invasive. The yellow berries pop open into a beautiful deep orange.
• Grapevines: See mini-guide below for prepping and using your home-harvested vines
• Dogwood twigs: Red or yellow will fit the theme best.
• Curly willow: Strip off the leaves to let those curls shine.
• Pussy willows
• Cattails

If you’re lucky enough to have a diverse yard, start with a scavenger hunt there. Bring your kiddos! They’ll be excited to hunt out the longest grapevine or unused pots gone by the wayside.

Maybe you don’t have a flourishing yard from which to harvest. Call up that green-thumbed friend and ask if you can scope out her garden. I have yet to meet a gardener who isn’t willing to share!

Once you have exhausted your free options, head to a local garden center for plants and other décor.

Think in color.

Remember to place your plants before digging them into the soil. Angle or tip plants a bit so that they lean out of your planter rather than planting straight up and down. Be bold! When clearing out your summer plants, consider leaving plants that have visual interest with the season. Kale and cabbage get more colorful as the weather cools.

Strawberry might seem like an unusual choice for fall decorating, but its foliage turns from green to a striking red. Its trailing habit can cascade beautifully over the edges of pots and planters.

Red strawberry foliage

Not sure you’re ready to fully embrace the warm golds, oranges, and reds of fall? Try a monochrome color scheme such as all green, orange, or white! Vary the shades of your pumpkins, gourds, plants and sticks. Swap out pots or signage for those with some copper accents to draw warmth in non-natural materials. Use a straw bales, upside-down pots, or plant stands to add height and dimension to your display.

Decorating an entryway need not be an overwhelming task. It’s a great way to stretch your creativity and have a little fun personalizing your home.

Special thanks to my sister, Amanda, for her sharing her landscaping knowledge so freely with me! She makes me brave to try new gardening and decorating adventures. Follow her beautiful tiny-farm updates on Instagram @frecklesandideas.