|
Season 2 • Episode 17 - September 14, 2023
Fall is here and it is time to start
decorating for the season. Welcoming people (or
trick-or-treaters) to your home during the fall is a
great way to signal the change of the season. We dropped
by
Al's Garden & Home in Wilsonville (503-855-3527) to
talk with Peter about some ideas on how to do that.
Peter was joined by Annie from the Al’s design team to
show us different types of decorations for our front
porch. She worked as Peter talked about the placement of
the fall container as part of an overall design for your
front patio or porch. He mentioned the rule of
triangles. The eye is drawn to triangles, whether
triangles of color or height, and her decorative
elements were used to create that shape. Pumpkins were
stacked to create a triangle. Tall corn stalks were
combined with the millet in the containers and then down
to smaller pots of mums to create the desired shape. The
shades also worked well together to create a wonderful
and visually stimulating triangle of color.
We then moved to creating seasonal plants to create
large living containers to decorate for the season. At
this time of year, those summer annuals are looking a
little tired and they can use some freshening up. Some
of the plants he recommended go perfectly with the
colors of fall. It starts with large plants to create a
focal point and then spills down to filler plants and
then ends with seasonal spiller plants. In the past we
have built containers with a Cyprus, Osmanthus, Heuchera,
pansies and cyclamens. These plants can handle the cold
and will do well through the next few months. To add
some seasonal flavor for the upcoming holidays, we can
add mini-lights, holly branches, and other holiday color
décor to brighten things up. They can then be removed
for the winter, and you still have a wonderful container
on your patio. When spring comes you can remove some of
the tired older plants and use spring annuals for a new
color pop! A benefit with winter containers is that you
don’t have to worry as much about sun or shade plants.
With the shortened daylight hours, there is not a huge
amount of sun. The final touch for your container is the
addition of spring flowering bulbs. Plant these before
you get your planter filled and they will surprise you
in a few months when they pop up between those winter
perennials. Some other tips to follow; look for buds
instead of flowers, especially on mums. The buds mean
that more flowers are coming so your plant and container
will look better longer. We also noticed that tiny
decorative squash also added to the autumn feel in a
container.
If you are looking for ideas on changing your fall décor
be sure to stop by any of the four Al’s Garden and Home
locations in the Portland Metro area. They also have a
full slate of classes happening through the fall to get
you in the mood for the season. Plus they are also
holding their Biggest Sale of the Year through October
18th.
PODCASTS
2022
• Return to Current Year Podcast List
|
