As much as I hate to see summer end for the year, I am looking forward to the fall season. Besides searching for the best cider and donuts, decorating my cottage in the warm hues of autumn is one of my favorite pastimes. And the best thing is you don’t have to spend a fortune to change the appearance of your exterior and make it ‘autumn-ready’.
If you have window boxes, now is the time to switch over to more fall-type flowers. If you use silk flowers like I do, it’s easy to take out the summer blooms and replace them with stalks of colorful leaves, sunflowers, twigs and other fall blooms. Most of these are readily available at your local decorating or discount stores. I also found some cute small-scale scarecrows at the dollar store and added these.
If you have real flowers in your boxes, replace them with some colorful mums in shades of red, orange, yellow and even purple. I found a great deal at the Lapeer Walmart’s, and was able to purchase small mums in a variety of colors for just $1. I used them to add extra color among my flowerbeds, but they would be a perfect size for window boxes or planters. You can also easily add some extra decorations if you like. Try ‘floral-picks’ of pumpkins or other fall squash, apples, crows, or colorful fall leaves. Use your imagination and you’ll be delighted by what you come up with.
If you have a lamppost in your yard, decorate with corn stalks by surrounding the post with several stalks, and then tie them all securely with a colorful ribbon and bow. For a quick and simple door decoration, buy a few ears of Indian corn, wrap them together with floral wire, add a colorful bow if you like and hang.
Make your own scarecrow by taking a wicker-style broom and using the broom section as the head, dress it with children’s old clothes stuffed with plastic bags filled with newspapers. Tape a yardstick securely across the broom handle to use as the arms. Decorate the ‘face’ and then stick the end of the handle into your garden.
Another simple and fun idea might include putting window clings of falling leaves on your window or glass doors, easily found at discount stores. Also remember to replace your garden flag with something more seasonal.
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