The crisp air and stunning landscapes of autumn in Maine draw me outdoors again and again. I know that soon, nights will fall sooner, trees will be bare and eye-watering cold winds will blow in off the sea. So I take advantage of every burnished golden day before winter moves our lives to the hearthside—and that means decking my home in the bounty of the season.
Window boxes can start to struggle, especially after first frost. Many homeowners mulch and cover their window boxes after the last blooms of summer have faded. I think of window boxes as year-round opportunities to delight children and family, entice guests and give your home additional curbside appeal. Be adventurous! While stunning jewel-toned mums can be found at every greenhouse in Maine this time of year, don’t stop with flowers. Let your imagination bloom.
This autumn, I chose to showcase the many varieties of decorative and edible pumpkins and gourds I saw at my local Whole Foods and at the weekend Farmer’s Market. There has been a resurgence of interest in growing local heirloom varieties of pumpkins, squash and gourds that are prized as more than jack o’lanterns. As I fill my shopping basket with the most intriguing examples I don’t always have a recipe or project in mind—often I’m just in love with the dappled creams, browns, greens and oranges, or the ornamental and unusual forms and shapes.
One of my most successful windows used miniature pumpkins available at almost any supermarket. The color of sunshine with perfect chunky stems, I made easy, artful piles of pumpkins in iron window boxes lined with burlap and filled with a bed of raffia. I added spikes of dried Japanese Lantern flowers to add drama, and I love the result. You might try straw or hay as your foundation materials, and do an arrangement of acorn squash and bittersweet. Think local—what flowers, grasses and foods say autumn to you?
Keep the fall theme going with an autumn wreath woven with some of the same materials from your window boxes. I chose bittersweet, dried leaves and Indian corn, but the possibilities are limitless. Just play with the colors and textures of the view outside your window (this year, mine included a family of pheasants!) and celebrate the harvest season.
