Happy Fall Y’all!
(I just couldn’t resist offering a fall southern salutation.)
Yes, it is upon us. Ah… That time of year when we get a break from hot temperatures and high humidity. The leaves begin changing, the tailgating begins and the pumpkins arrive. Yellow, orange and red are popping up everywhere! It also means that it is time to spruce up your home for the change of seasons.
Where do you start?
I tend to start on the outside. I love decorating my front porch for a new season, especially fall. I move out the ferns and geraniums from the spring and summer and move in the mums and pumpkins.
Are you ready to get started?
Where can you go to get what you need to make sure your porch is ready for the new season? Well, we are lucky to have two great area businesses that can provide you with all the fall pretties you could want. Ford’s Seeds and Plants in Gastonia and Lineberger’s Farm in Dallas are two great places to start. Ford’s Seed and Plants (231 E Main Avenue in Gastonia) is a wonderful place to gather items on your fall decorating list. Ford’s has beautiful mums, great garden flags and a staff that can instruct you on what to plant, as well as when and how to plant it.
Lineberger’s Farm, just off Stanley-Dallas Highway in Dallas, has the best pumpkins around- the ordinary and also those not-so-ordinary ones. You will find pumpkins and gourds in many various shapes and colors. In addition, you can buy delicious muscadines, as well as apple and strawberry ciders.
Now you have your pumpkins, you have your flag, you have your mums and cabbage plants… What can you do with those to make your neighbors stare as they pass?
Let’s begin with something simple. Have some old, faded urns? Paint them black, apply a vinyl letter and stack your pumpkins. Placing greenery, like magnolia leaves between the pumpkins adds a great detail.
Run to the local craft store, grab some wooden letters, paint them fun, fall colors and hang with ribbon and you’ll have a whimsical, happy front door!
Finally, place your mums on a lower step or in front of your urns and you are done. How easy is that?
Okay, you want to be Martha Stewart and go a little more elaborate? Well….
This porch has that wow factor, no question. Complete with grapevine pumpkins, crows, lanterns filled with acorns and leaves scattered just so, your neighbors would probably be envious. I must admit, I really love this porch, simply because of the attention to detail. I doubt my porch will look this stunning, but if yours does, kudos to you!
Lastly, it’s time for your fall soiree, and you want your table to look just right. These are both great choices!
Have fun and enjoy!
