Nothing spruces up a porch in the Fall quite like a beautiful, bright pumpkin arrangement.
Right now, heat or no heat, is usually the time we start decorating for Autumn, in and around our homes.
You can welcome in the new season with a fun pumpkin display.
Jessica Malpass and Kim Czuppon, the owners and designers of Forget Me Not Pots in Cypress, share their top tips and tricks to help us elevate our entrances for the season.
Now’s the time to start shopping for your pumpkins, but what should you be doing to keep them from spoiling in the heat and sun.
CARE TIPS:
- When buying pumpkins: Avoid buying pumpkins with deep scrapes or puncture wounds. The decay process of the pumpkin will happen much sooner if the pumpkins skin is already pierced.
- Keep Pumpkins in the shade: Living in Houston we have 100 degree days through September and October is still considered warm and sunny. If your pumpkin is out in the elements in full sun, then this can cause them to rot prematurely. To give your pumpkin the best chance of survival, put it in a shady place such as a covered porch.
- Acrylic Finish Spray or Hairspray: If you are placing your pumpkins in full sun you can spray any acrylic finish or hairspray product on your pumpkins. Remember this method is flammable, so don’t use this on your pumpkins if you plan to add a candle to your finished creation. Hairspray or an acrylic finish spray can act as a sealant to prevent mold and keep your pumpkins looking fresh. If you use an acrylic finish spray, you can get creative with different shades like black and white, gold, blue, etc.
- Floor Wax: Floor wax is also a useful solution to prevent your pumpkin from rotting in the full sun. All that is needed is a tablespoon of floor wax to a damp rag and then rub the solution all over the pumpkin. This will leave a thin layer of wax over your pumpkin and will protect your pumpkin from mold and give it a nice sheen. Floor wax can be flammable so be sure not to leave your pumpkin near any open flames.
- WD-40: You may think of WD-40 as a lubricating spray or a rust remover but did you know WD-40 can be used to repel insects from your pumpkins and keep your pumpkins fresher for longer? Using a rag, spray 5 seconds of WD-40 into the rag and apply a thin layer of the formula all over the pumpkin. The WD-40 formula is flammable so we don’t recommend using it on pumpkins that will be placed near a flame.
- Say Bye, Bye to Rodents! Sprinkle cayenne pepper around to keep pesky pumpkin-eating critters away!
DESIGN TIPS
- Find flat pumpkins to use as stackers When searching for pumpkins for your porch, Forget Me Not Pots Pumpkin Gals recommend to have flat pumpkins to stack or flip on it’s side to where the stem points to the street. It gives your porch a more elevated look with different height and placements.
- Large Sized Porch? If you have a large sized porch try finding the largest roundest pumpkin you can find and purchase it in odd numbers like one, three, five, etc. This will help match the size of your large sized home. If you only purchase small round pumpkins you will miss out on that magazine designed look by adding a large object to justify the space.
- Find a bundle of mini pumpkins and gourds to fill in holes. When you place pumpkins next to each other and you begin to stack, you’ll notice several odd holes in the design. It’s not perfect because each pumpkin is shaped differently so that is why Forget Me Not Pots likes to use mini pumpkins and gourds to fill in those deep holes and gives a fuller designed look.
- Added height to a pumpkin display. Try purchasing a hay bale or use old antique props to give your pumpkin display added height and dimension.
- Look for different textures in pumpkins to create an elevated pumpkin display. Forget Me Not Pots Pumpkin Gals prefer to use at least 5 different pumpkins to intermix in the design. Having different colors, shapes, and textures can give your front porch that magazine fall display look that you dream of having. A lot of people just choose orange jack pumpkins, but having an array of colors and textures can elevate your front porch look.
Watch the video above to see the pumpkin gals from Forget Me Not Pots in action on Houston Life.
CLICK HERE to learn more about Forget Me Not Pots.
Follow them on social media @forgetmenotpots