Nearer My Gourd To Thee

Bringing fall inside the house

The days are getting shorter, the air is crisper, leaves are falling, and it calls for more cozy decor. With fall harvest ending, it is the perfect opportunity to bring in elements from your garden and property to add warmth to your home.

Here are a few of the items you can grow or find on your property that works perfectly for your fall decor.

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows. It’s what sunflowers do.”

—Hellen Keller

Pumpkins

Pumpkins are the obvious quintessential symbol of the fall season. Pumpkins are easy to grow and a fun addition to every porch. Besides just the popular orange pumpkin, there are varieties of green, blue, and even white pumpkins (just to name a few).

Adorning your porch with a bunch of different types of pumpkins adds a depth of color and a cheerful fall touch.

Mini pumpkins and gourds

Gourds and mini pumpkins (which are gourds, by the way) symbolize the true essence of autumn and require little care, making them easy to grow. With so many delightful varieties, shapes, colors, and sizes they will fit into any home decor style.

Adorn the centerpiece on your Thanksgiving table, or as a conversation starter, place one in the middle of each plate on your Thanksgiving tablescape. Gourds have a long life after being cut from the vine and are a favorite in most fall decors.

Apples

One of the most underrated fall decor items in our opinion are red apples. While not all of us have an apple tree ready for the picking, they are easily accessible. Alongside the pops of orange, mustard, and the green from gourds or pumpkins, apples add a delightful burst of red, echoing fall foliage splendor.

Leaves

Falling leaves bring a special magic to autumn. Just like their orange counterpart, the pumpkin, they are one of the first things most people picture when they think of this beautiful season.

Why not bring some of that magic inside as well? Explore your yard for the prettiest leaves. Once you have gathered your favorites, press them between book pages to flatten them for 24 hours. You can spread them over your table, adorn wreaths, bouquets, and centerpieces for the perfect fall flair.

Branches and dried corn stalks

Foraging in your backyard or garden is a unique way to bring in earthy elements that will compliment the bold colors of your fall decor. Taking a walk outside, especially with children or grandchildren, will not only be a fun adventure, but a great way to step out of the box with your decor.

Style branches or dried corn stalks in a large basket, a vintage crock, or across your mantlepiece for a rustic outdoor charm that will tie all of your fall decor items together.

“How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of life and color are their last days.”

-John Burroughs

Fall flowers

Sunflowers are one of the cheeriest flowers around. The burst of yellow they bring can make any room seem brighter. Although the sunflower is a fall favorite for many, it has been joined over the last few years by mums, which have been making a big splash in the decor community and we completely understand why.

Mums have a variety of colors that are fun to mix in pots on the porch or in vases to adorn your tables. Flowers always add cheer to any space and these two hardy fall flowers are just the perfect fall touch.

There are so many other plants you can use, depending on your region and what you grow. Wheat, Indian corn, pine cones, and acorns are just a few examples.

Choose one, choose all

We hope that this gives some insight and fun ways to incorporate things you have or grow on your property. Utilizing some (or all) of our tips, we know your house will have all of the fall feels.

About the author

Jessica Dilger writes from “Shoo Fly Ranch,” a homesteaded acreage in southwest Washington state where she lives with her family, 30 or so chickens, 14 cows, two calves, and two bottle-fed calves named Ben and Jerry. She also operates FM Farmhouse, a quarterly decor subscription box program.