It's The Most Whimsical Time of the Year
Pumpkins, Flowers & a Little Halloween Magic for the Young-at-Heart
October arrives with a personality all its own. The air turns crisp, the sunlight gets lower in the sky, and suddenly perfectly sensible adults find themselves buying spooky decorations by the armful.
There is something about this season that gives us permission to be a little more playful. Pumpkins appear on porches. Candy mysteriously ends up in shopping carts. Skeletons take up residence in front yards. For one glorious month, a little bit of nonsense feels perfectly reasonable.
Whether you're planning a front porch worthy of a slow drive-by or simply looking for a fun afternoon project, October offers plenty of ways to get creative.
The Pumpkin: A Blank Canvas
Pumpkin decorating has come a long way since the classic two triangle eyes and jagged smile. These days, pumpkins can be spooky, glamorous, goofy, or downright fabulous. Intricate stenciled designs, personalized carvings, and creative no-carve ideas have transformed the humble pumpkin into a genuine art form.
Wrap one in strips of white gauze and add a pair of googly eyes for an instant mummy. Pull a black fishnet stocking over another to create a textured look that is equal parts spooky and sassy and takes almost no effort at all. Break out the metallic paint and a few sparkly embellishments if you're feeling fancy, or skip the paint altogether and pile pumpkins among mums, gourds, and some dried leaves, branches or string lights.
One of our favorite ideas is also wonderfully simple: Turn a pumpkin into a vase. Hollow out the center, place a vase inside and fill it with flowers. Tones of orange, burgundy and purple create a color palette with plenty of Halloween personality. For the front doorstep, tuck a hardy mum into a hollowed-out pumpkin and call it done. No complicated crafting skills required.
Flowers That Understand the Assignment
October flowers do not have to be delicate and demure. This is their chance to be dramatic.
Think orange Asiatic lilies, red sunflowers, purple mini calla lilies and safflower in rich, autumnal shades. Kangaroo paw brings a wonderfully unusual shape to an arrangement, while Chinese lanterns with their bright little orange pods look like they were invented specifically for October.
Add ornamental grasses, wheat or dramatic broomcorn, and suddenly you have something that looks as though it belongs in an enchanted field or at the very least, on a kitchen table surrounded by a few strategically placed pumpkins.
A fresh fall bouquet can completely change the mood of a room. Add a pumpkin or two, some candles or string lights and you have yourself an instant October moment.
A Little Something for Everyone
Halloween is not traditionally known as a flower-giving holiday, which may be exactly why it is such a fun time to surprise someone.
Think about the neighbor whose Halloween decorations can probably be seen from space. The friend who starts planning a costume in August. The teacher who could use a cheerful surprise. Even a child might get a kick out of receiving flowers like the grown-ups do.
A small seasonal bouquet paired with chocolates or a favorite treat makes for an unexpected little October surprise. It doesn't need a big occasion or an elaborate explanation. Sometimes it is just fun to send someone something because you know it will make them smile.
Go All In
October is not the month for restraint. Decorate the pumpkins. Put up the skeleton. Arrange the flowers. Buy the fancy candy you secretly hope no trick-or-treaters will ask for. Make the porch festive. Wear the ridiculous costume. Put googly eyes on something that absolutely did not need googly eyes.
The whole point of October is to have a little fun with it. After all, November will be here soon enough, and your decorative pumpkins will be asking themselves what happened to the good old days.
