Thanksgiving celebrates the best of qualities in a holiday: family, festivities and great food. This holiday season, take time to decorate your home using a little of nature’s own harvest bounty. There are many fun and simple ways to embellish your home using autumn’s rich and natural palette.
Take a fresh look at your outdoor urns and favourite planters. Remove all summer foliage from your planters and till the earth. I like to use the existing soil from my summer planters. If your urns have started to freeze, simply add hot water and allow the soil to partially thaw.
Start with the centre of your urn. Select a focal such as red osier dogwood or curly willow to give maximum height to your planter. Secure the branches deep into the soil so they won’t move on a windy day.
I like to intersperse permanent botanicals with natural leaves, evergreens, berries and grains to give a more natural look while keeping the design looking full and abundant after the natural elements have blown away. Incorporate interest into your design by using seasonal fruit such as pomegranates or gourds.
Welcome guests to your home by hanging a harvest wreath at your entrance. Wind a grapevine base to start. Take a stroll outdoors in search of autumn-coloured berries and foliage.
Once again, I prefer to use a combination of natural and artificial berries, foliage and grasses in the fall pallet of browns, russet, burnt reds and olive greens. Hang your wreath on your door with a bright fall-toned ribbon.
Inside your home, look for areas where you can add a splash of autumn colour. One of my favourite places to decorate, for any gathering, is the dining room table. This is a perfect place where you can be completely creative.
Set your table well in advance so you have time to enjoy the finishing touches. Start with a runner of autumn fruits and foliages down the centre of your table. This is one place where I enjoy having a centrepiece of fresh fruit and flowers that includes my favourite varieties of hydrangea, Leonardis and red roses, hypericum berries and seeded eucalyptus.
Dress your mantle to reflect the fall season. Begin with a simple garland of autumn foliage and berries. Add a combination of your favourite fall family photos, candlesticks and fall-coloured fruit such as pears, pomegranates and pumpkins. If you have a large mirror over your fireplace, consider hanging a large fall wreath overtop.
Shari Morash is a gardening enthusiast and an accredited designer. Contact her at [email protected].
