It’s the most wonderful time of the year…and we’re not talking about Christmas. Fall is a glorious season for all things outdoors: crisp air, knit sweaters, leaves crunching underfoot, pumpkin-spiced drinks, football.
Autumn is also a great time to spruce up your outdoor space with seasonal décor. The season’s earthy color palette and rustic textures convey the coziness we’re ready to embrace as temperatures dip.
Here are our top tips for turning your home’s outdoor spaces fall-festive:
Step out of your comfort zone.
It’s tempting to arrange some mums and pumpkins on the front porch and call it a day with your fall decorating. But autumn presents so many easy opportunities to get more creative, and you can start by looking around your own property. Branches can be artfully arranged on an outdoor patio table or in an oversized clay pot, and a bin of Birchwood can serve as a focal point on a side porch. Big bushel baskets are fun for showcasing gourds, purple kale, pumpkins, and small mums. Decorate exterior doors with grapevine wreaths adorned with fall leaves and plaid ribbon. And don’t relegate garland to Christmastime—frame your front door with a fall-inspired one made of corn husks or magnolia leaves.
Transition to a fall color palette.
Say goodbye to summer’s bright pinks and bold blues. Fall is all about warmth, and the season’s gorgeous hues—shades of red, orange, green, yellow, and brown—add welcoming curb appeal. Choose various colored mums to display in planters, on porch steps, on patios, or to plant in garden beds. Pumpkins add a burst of vibrancy to the scene but don’t get stuck on orange. White pumpkins are so pretty, while seasonal gourds come in dozens of shapes, sizes, patterns, and colors to add artful dimension to your fall décor.
Get creative with autumn’s powerhouse flower.
Chrysanthemums are synonymous with fall, adding instant seasonal flare to your outdoor space. These hearty flowers make excellent container plants, come in lots of bright colors, and bloom for weeks. Mums look great in standard planters, but look for other nooks to add them – an old wheelbarrow or wagon, atop a haystack, or popped into a hollowed-out pumpkin. Use a combination of short and tall containers to create a layered look and to keep things from looking too uniform.
Step up your front porch.
One or two pumpkins look sad on a front porch, so don’t be afraid to go big and bountiful. Mix and match real pumpkins and gourds with outdoor-friendly faux pumpkins. Keep things looking natural by laying a few sideways, a few upright, and some at an angle flowing to the next level. Porch columns can be jazzed up with inexpensive corn stalks, while adding a few wooden or copper lanterns will deliver a warm glow and safety.
Bring some indoors outside.
We’re big fans of blending your home’s interior and exterior, so take inventory of things in your house that may transition well to your outdoor space this time of year. Bring out the chalkboard sign and welcome guests with a homey “Hello Fall!” message. Those chunky knit, faux fur, or flannel blankets in your living room? Throw them over an outdoor Adirondack chair or porch swing. Darkly hued velvet or animal hide pillows are perfect for a rustic bench. Indoor lanterns can come outside to layer into your front porch display.
Need help to make the most out of your outdoor space? Our team of creative and skilled professionals can help with all your custom landscape design needs, including lighting, decks & patios, outdoor kitchens, walkways, landscaping, and more!