Fall Porch Decorating From The Garden

Using simple, natural elements from the garden makes fall porch decorating quick and easy. Grow them yourself or buy from a market, it’s all good!

I really enjoy the change of seasons – and the excuse to change up our decor a bit, especially on the front porch.

For me that usually involves using garden and natural items: winter means pinecones and branches (oh, and Christmas decor, of course!), spring is colorful with bulbs and pansies, summer brings on all.the.flowers and fall means pumpkins, hydrangeas, and mums.

It’s a fun way to celebrate the shifts from season to season and enjoy the beauty of our surroundings.

It’s also another way to use the bounty from our gardens (or the farmer’s market!). Here are some of the things I like to grow in my garden and vegetable beds, or pick up, to decorate with in the fall:

• Pumpkins (of course!) – I prefer white (‘Lumina’) and green (‘Jarrahdale’) pumpkins, though I know most people think orange is the way to go. Whatever you like – there are more and more fun varieties of pumpkins and gourds to grow now, so have fun.
• Mini pumpkins White ‘Baby Boo’ is my favorite. I’ve also seen pretty cream-and-green-striped small pumpkins, and of course these are available in orange, too.
• Corn stalks Grow them for the corn and then enjoy the fun decor the stalks provide.
• Hydrangeas While I know we all enjoy these flowers the entire season, fall is when hydrangeas come into their glory, color-wise, turning dark purple, burgundy, and greens. Love.

It’s a short list, really, but these items go a long way to making any space shout fall – or just whisper it, it’s up to you!

To illustrate, I thought I’d share our front porch though the years so you can see how using these garden elements can look fresh each season with just a few changes. Find four years of ideas below to inspire you to add a few seasonal things to your porch, no matter how big or small.

Garden Fall Porch Decorating Ideas

2012 Fall Porch Decorating

Green-Blue hydrangeas were the dominant theme of our 2012 porch, spilling out of containers, baskets, and adding interest to a store-bought wreath. This was the last year I grew a few pumpkins for my daughter (she wasn’t interested in carving them after this) and so the last time you’ll see orange here.

Non-garden additions:
A DIY Wooden Tag added to a thrifted basket coordinates with the black pot (a thrift-store transformation) and “welcome” sign on the other side of the door (The number 9? For the month of September!).

2013 Fall Porch

This year I took a cue from the pink impatiens and begonias that were still blooming and added pink-tinged mums along with the white pumpkins.

To pick up the green I chose corn stalks that weren’t all dried (who says they have to be?). And there has to be hydrangeas, but I moved them a bit to the side since they weren’t pink.

Non-garden additions:
The same chalkboard thrifted pot makes an appearance again, just in a different spot, with garage sale galvanized items and a thrifted wool blanket with pink stripes rounding out the decor.

2014 Fall Porch

The ‘Baby Boo’ pumpkins produced a huge amount this year, so they took center stage and this was the first year I grew ‘Jarrahdale’ pumpkins, which I love for their gorgeous color and fun shape. A few mums update some containers, but summer begonias are still going strong, too.

Non-garden additions:
Have you noticed the same store-bought wreath for 3 years in a row? This year I left it plain though it shows how adding a bit of dried flowers can transform a basic wreath from year to year.

I didn’t have a lot of time, either, so you can see I just grouped our regular porch things with some pumpkins and called it good. And it was!

Take only the time you need that will help you to enjoy your porch more.

2015 Fall Porch Decorating

The Jarrahdale pumpkins produced a lot this year so they became the stars along with green ‘Little Lime’ hydrangeas. Oh, and lots of white pumpkins of course. A few mums and dried corn stalks round out the garden decor.

Non-garden additions:
My favorite new find was the large galvanized bucket with 106 stenciled on the front – it was a $5 thrift find and I think it looked fantastic with the white mum (though it looked pretty good here, too, for summer).

We moved our Adirondack chairs from the back yard to the porch (we should’ve done it earlier – they’re a lot more fun to use here!) and I added simple pillows made from $3 placemats and a plaid throw.

Do you have favorite garden items that you use to decorate outside for the seasons, too? What would you add to this list?

Note: this article was originally published in 2012 and has been updated.