Fall Decorating

Although we haven't yet had a hard frost, many of Chester's perennials are finished and the annuals are looking a little weary. To add interest to an entry-way or freshen up a window box, some gardeners are turning to a combination of fruits and berries to create an attractive display of nature's bounty. There are lots of sources of plant material that offer an alternative to the large orange gourd-like squash that we call a pumpkin.

In the photo above, Jocelyn has combined barberry boughs and apples from old fruit trees on her property to good effect in designing a fall window box. Dried flowers can also be used when the fresh varieties are hard to come by. This was a great year for growing marigolds, which air-dry well and can be used in arrangements or simply poured into a decorative clear glass container.

The dried marigolds in the photo above add a wonderful fragrance to Jocelyn's new garden shed where she plans to spend much of her time. For those who might want to attempt drying next year's crop, there's lots of time to learn and the internet offers dozens of methods. One of easiest, as demonstrated on YouTube, uses simple materials found around the home including coat hangers, dental floss, and hairspray as the fixative.