FALL FOR YOUR FRONT PORCH

FRONT PORCH Fall for your

PORCH BOARDS, MUMS AND MORE WILL DRESS UP YOUR SPACE FOR THE SEASON

By Diane Krieger Spivak

Summer may be over, but these new cool, crisp days usher in autumn with a beautiful blaze of color. Embrace the transition and let your front porch reflect the bright reds, oranges and golden yellows that are the earmarks of the fall season. There are so many ways to get the look, say local experts. Porch boards are a popular addition, says Penny Monkemeyer of Winding Creek Nursery and Garden Center in Millbrook. “They’re long, skinny decorative boards with sayings on them that make good accent pieces,” she says. “You can get creative by adding a planter with some fall annuals like mums and rudbeckia, flowering kale and cabbage in fall shades. If you don’t want to use real flowers, you can always use silk ones.” Of course, the old standbys — pumpkins and gourds — always make a nice display. “We have really cute fall boxes that you can put plants in with fall accents,” Monkemeyer suggests. If you don’t want to deal with the mess of a real pumpkin, choose a ceramic one that can be used year after year. Add cornstalks, straw bales, bushel baskets and broomcorn to complete the look. “You can always accent with fall-themed garden flags and really cute fall doormats,” Monkemeyer says. Lanterns with battery-operated timers create a welcoming ambiance, and they’re safer than real candles. Embrace the farmhouse look with an old wagon, galvanized bucket or watering can, then tuck in fresh bittersweet vines. Don’t forget to fancify your front door with a fall wreath, advises Richard Fetty, who co-owns Trendy Finds with his wife, Tari. “Make sure you have a wreath hanger over the door, or a heavy-duty Command hook works really well,” says Fetty. If you’re looking for something a bit different, a “drop” is an alternative to a round wreath. It’s decorated the same way but in the shape of a teardrop. Like Monkemeyer, Fetty also recommends the popular narrow porch signs, propped next to the front door. “Another thing we do really well with are cut-out gnomes made of wood for fall,” he notes of his Plano shop. “They’re really popular.” There’s no need to go overboard or spend a bundle to decorate your porch. “Some take a hay bale, two or three mums and a porch sign and they’re done,” Fetty says. Sunflowers are popular now too. “Some people like to have plants with cornstalks. We also get in millet. They’ll put that in a pot with some mums. That makes a really pretty porch pot. People do wagon wheels and wheelbarrows, too. They like to use rusty pieces. We call it repurposing found items.” Add ambiance with string lights in fall colors. “Some people use the LED lights with their fall display because they don’t use much energy,” says Fetty. Floor cloths are also trendy and can even be tossed in the washing machine. Top off your fall porch look with a tried-and-true scarecrow, created easily with an old pair of jeans, a plaid shirt and some burlap. Stuff them with newspapers or even leaves, or take Fetty’s advice and use bubble wrap to avoid any sagging. “It doesn’t hold the moisture,” he explains.