As the leaves begin to turn and a crisp autumn breeze fills the air, it’s the perfect time to refresh your front porch for the holiday season. Creating a warm and welcoming entrance sets the stage for family gatherings and adds stunning curb appeal to your home in Howard County and the surrounding areas. While our team at Absolute Landscapes specializes in creating beautiful, lasting landscape designs, we also love sharing simple ways you can add a personal touch to your outdoor space.
Be creative, don’t be afraid to use elements from your tool shed or natural elements from the yard, and your home will be seasonally stunning in no time. Here are three fun and easy do-it-yourself fall decoration ideas to get you started.
1. Create a Harvest Garden Scene
A wheelbarrow makes a perfect prop for fall decorating—if you have one, use it! To make a harvest gardening scene for your lawn or porch, you’ll need some hay bales, pumpkins, gourds, branches, and other natural accents.
Build Your Base
Using hay bales as a base, stack these in whatever way pleases you best. A variety of colors and sizes always looks great and adds visual interest.
Add Color and Texture
Using dried corn is an easy way to bring a pop of color to your scene. Simply tie a few cobs together and hang them on your door or railing. Cornstalks are an easy way to add height and texture. Bunch together 10-20 stalks with a piece of twine and place them behind your wheelbarrow or hay bales.
Continue the harvest theme by adding a fall wreath to the front door. Whether store-bought or homemade, you can’t go wrong with motifs of leaves and branches, root vegetables, and squashes, or simply orange foliage. Add lettered signs for a personal touch.
2. Update Your Outdoor Planters
Mums, fall flowers, gourds, and pumpkins all come in a variety of colors and can enhance any outdoor decor.
Refresh and Replant
First, remove all dead or dying summer plants and add new potting soil. To avoid a cluttered look, select no more than two or three complementary colors for your planters. Planting ivy or other low-growing greenery along the edges of the planter will add depth and lush color. In general, it’s a good rule of thumb to have a few varying heights of plants to create different layers in the design.
Go Beyond Flowers
If you are looking to avoid planting flowers, try stacking several styles and sizes of pumpkins. Clean out planters of dead plants and pack soil into the top to create a solid surface. Add three to four pumpkins on top of one another, stacking the largest pumpkin on the bottom and working upward to the smallest on top. Gather additional pumpkins and gourds around the base of the planters and water any live plants as required. For more inspiration, check out these fall planter ideas from Better Homes & Gardens.
3. Design a Whimsical Scarecrow
You do not need a lot of material to make a charming scarecrow for your outdoor decorations. Using a rake as the backbone, pack hay into an old pair of overalls, a long-sleeve shirt, and a hat. The rake will also serve as a stabilizing pole if you want to stake the scarecrow to a railing or fence.
Paint a face on a small pumpkin and drill a hole in the bottom. Place the pumpkin on top of the rake and incorporate the scarecrow into a yard scene or sit it on a patio chair. This can go scary or cute—whatever fall flavor your garden has is up to you!
With a little out-of-the-box thinking and a DIY attitude, you will have the most festive home on the block. For more ideas, check out our project gallery!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best flowers for fall planters in Maryland? Beyond classic mums, consider planting asters, pansies, and ornamental kale. These varieties are hardy, offer beautiful fall colors, and can withstand cooler temperatures, keeping your planters vibrant throughout the season.
How can I make my DIY fall decorations last longer? To preserve your pumpkins and gourds, clean their surfaces with a diluted bleach solution to kill bacteria and prevent rot. For wreaths and arrangements with natural elements, a light coat of hairspray can help prevent them from becoming brittle.
When is the best time to put up fall decorations? In Howard County and the surrounding areas, most homeowners begin decorating for fall in mid-to-late September. This timing allows you to enjoy your display through Halloween and Thanksgiving.
Ready for a More Permanent Transformation?
While these DIY tips are perfect for seasonal charm, a professionally designed landscape provides year-round beauty and value. If you’re ready to elevate your outdoor living space with stunning hardscaping or a comprehensive landscape design, the experts at Absolute Landscapes are here to help.
Contact our design team today for a consultation!