Photo by J. Taylor - Florist Mum makes the Thanksgiving table yummy 

Thanksgiving is right around the corner; so why not decorate naturally this year? Nature provides a wonderful assortment of ornamental plant materials that can be used for fall decorating indoors and decorating outside. Create a Thanksgiving table centerpiece using a favorite basket along with colorful fall leaves, twigs, berries, especially cranberries; seed pods, gourds, pumpkins, Indian corn, and florist mums. Using any or all of these combinations will supply fall color indoors and outdoors, naturally.  Combine those plant materials along with a bale of hay, a few corn stalks, and some perennials mums, and the outdoor fall masterpiece by the front door or mailbox is complete as well. Decorating a mantle  to  making an autumn wreath are easy to create with these materials as well.

Photo by J. Taylor - Gourds can be used in the centerpiece or in the outdoor fall arrangment

To clear up any confusion regarding chrysanthemum; there are two varieties of mums; florist mums are for indoor use and cutting and hardy or garden mums, are perennial mums used for outdoor growing.  Floral mums come in a variety of two-toned and bold colors. Although both varieties of chrysanthemum come from the same original perennial mum grown in China; the floral mum is grown in a greenhouse and need temperatures above 60 degrees. This enables many colorful and exotic color combinations. The perennial mum can live outside and won’t die until after few hard frosts. So if you need a splash of color indoors, purchase florist mums. If you are decorating outdoors, use hardy garden mums.

Photo by J. Taylor - Combine plant materials indoors and out 

Next year, you can grow all of your own fall decorations. All of the materials listed are easy and fun to grow. But for now, take a walk on the wild side and take a stroll in the woods, around your neighborhood, or even in your own backyard, and have a field day collecting nature’s goodies. The autumn season celebrates the harvest of the Earth; so bring some of the harvest indoors for the holidays this year, and decorate naturally. Click on the links below to get more information about all of these natural plant materials:

THANKSGIVING: A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE HOLIDAY MEAL:  http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-27475-Nature--Spirituality-Examiner~y2009m11d9-Thanksgiving-The-only-holiday-for-giving-thanks