University of Vermont Extension
Department of Plant and Soil Science
Fall
News
Article
AUTUMN
DECORATIONS FROM THE GARDEN
Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension
Professor
University of Vermont
Autumn is often associated with
certain decorations, including cornucopias, straw or grapevine wreaths,
garlands, and dried flower arrangements. Although many
decorations can be
bought ready-made, making your own can be a fun family activity for a
fall
afternoon.
For the cornucopia, which signifies
a bountiful harvest with plenty to eat, you'll need the traditional
horn-shaped
basket (available at most craft or basket shops); shellac or paint;
real,
dried, or artificial fruit and vegetables; pine cones; and plant
materials. Paint or shellac the basket before you begin, allowing
plenty
of time to dry, before you fill with your choice of items. For fruits,
slice,
then dry them less than 150 degrees for at least 6 hours. You can
even add some fresh flowers, placed
in small vials of water called “florist tubes”, available
from florist
shops.
Enjoy your centerpiece, then in
December turn it into a holiday decoration by spray painting the
cornucopia
with gold or silver paint. Then stuff it with greens, berries,
and pine
cones of all sizes.
Another decoration appropriate for
the fall season is a straw or grapevine wreath. Hop vines work
great,
too! Again, supplies and ideas for decorations are available at
craft
shops. Wrap the wreath
with colorful ribbon, covering the entire surface, or loosely wrap it,
leaving sections
exposed. Then add the finishing touches--a colorful bow, a few
sprigs of
wheat, or a cluster of fruit. Or, cover the wreath with a variety of
dried
flowers and leaves. Strawflowers and other everlastings such as
globe
amaranth are ideal for this. Cut blooms and leaves into five- or
six-inch
lengths. Work with your largest flowers first, spacing them in a
random
pattern around the wreath. Then fill in with smaller flowers,
pushing the
ends in firmly. For a fuller effect, face the flowers in all
different
directions.
If you dried flowers from your home
garden this year, or have bought some, group these in bouquets with
pods,
cones, and candles for attractive table arrangements. Or buy
fresh
flowers, such as chrysanthemums, carnations, lilies, alstroemeria
(Peruvian
lily), rose, or pre-made bouquets for your table in the traditional
fall colors
of yellow, orange, bronze, and maroon. If you dried flowers, you may
want to
spray them with a preservative such as shellac.
Dried milkweed pods, with the fluffy seeds removed, can be sprayed
colors. Ornamental grasses such as the
moor, feather reed, or switch grasses add delicate, feathery fine
textures to
arrangements. If you have children or
pets you may want to avoid using berries if decorations are within
reach, as
some popular fall berries such as bittersweet and mountain ash may be
toxic.
For a festive harvest touch,
decorate your mantle or door entrance with a garland of dried roses or
other
large blooms. You will need heavy quilting thread, a tapestry
needle,
dried flowers, and beads or bows. Use a double thread and string
the
flowers together from bloom to stem. You may want to intersperse
colored
beads with the blooms, or alternate with tiny bows. Or you could
just add
a tassel or huge matching bow at the ends of the garland.
Dried
hydrangea blooms also make a nice garland. Use florist's wire to
tie them
securely to a cord, such as the type used to tie back draperies.
Add
ribbons or spray blooms lightly with your choice of
spray paint. Or wire together shafts of wheat, trimming stems so
all
pieces are about the same length. Add dried orange slices or
clusters of
dried flowers for a harvest look. This type of garland is
particularly
suited for an outdoor decoration.
For any dried materials, make sure
to keep them away from flames or sources of heat so they don’t
accidentally catch
fire. They burn much more readily, of
course, than fresh green plants. Also it
is often best to enjoy them during the season, then discard. Some
like to keep dried arrangements until
next year, only to find the plant materials shrivel and get quite
dusty. Vine wreaths (base with dried plants removed)
and treated gourds may be saved more successfully.
Of course, you could also go with
the more traditional fall decorations--pumpkins and gourds, for
example, or
bunches of colorful Indian corn tied with a bow and hung on the front
door. Pumpkins are popular for carving, but now are quite popular
painted, as are gourds. This is a great
activity for children. You can choose a
theme, such as endangered animals, a favorite movie character, a
Halloween figure
such as witch, or whatever creativity allows.
When picking gourds, wipe down
first with a household disinfectant (or quite weak bleach solution) to
kill any
surface organisms that might cause rot.
Then allow them to dry, for a few days to several weeks. Other
than painting, you have several options
with gourds. You can buff with paste wax for a shiny surface.
Painting or spraying with shellac will give a
harder surface. For a formal effect,
gild with gold or silver powder from craft stores. Simply spray
with shellac and then shake
while still moist in a bag of the powder.
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