Oh my gourd, pumpkins are here! That means it’s time to get decorating for fall! To get you inspired, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite ways to use pumpkins inside and out this season.

Traditional Carving

Okay, we can’t have an article about decorating with pumpkins without mentioning pumpkin carving. Carving is a classic fall activity, but if you want to mix things up, try using one of our unique pumpkins for something with extra personality.

Add Height By Stacking

We love pumpkin towers! If you’re short on time or don’t want to carve, this is the perfect solution for decorating your front stoop. Add a stack to either side of your door, and combine with a potted mum for instant fall charm.

Floral Pumpkins

This easy fall DIY combines two of our favorite things: flowers and pumpkins. Simply drill holes into the pumpkin and add some of your favorite flowers from around the yard.

Botanical Pumpkins

These decoupaged pumpkins feature leaves and flowers pulled right from your garden or yard. This activity is great for the whole family (especially if you’re looking for a knife-free alternative to carving). Pro tip: When choosing a pumpkin and plants look for smoother pumpkins, and thinner, pliable plant material (ferns work really well). Try to avoid stiff, waxy leaves.

Tablescaping with Pumpkins

Get creative with fall decorating by including pumpkins and gourds as part of your table setting. You can create a centerpiece in the center of the table, or even write place settings directly on smaller Jack-Be-Littles. Mix and match with plants and other natural elements for a beautiful sophisticated setting. The sky’s the limit!

Layer With Other Fall Favorites

To have your front stoop be the envy of the neighborhood, create a layered look with your pumpkins by combining them with hay bales, corn stalks, mums, pansies, and all of your favorite fall decorations. Mix heights, colors, and textures for a space that really pops.

Repurpose Urns and Pots

Are your summer containers looking a little sad? Rather than put those planters away for the season, use them to elevate a pumpkin stack for extra drama.

Pumpkin Succulents

Give your pumpkins a classy look by combining your pumpkins with succulents. This option makes great centerpieces, and is sure to stand out!

Pumpkin Man

For something a little different and slightly more ambitious, stake together several pumpkins and gourds to create a whimsical fall pumpkin man! Have fun and try adding in a straw hat or other accessories.

Think Outside the Box

With fall decorating there are no rules! We love that you can repurpose items found around your home and use them in a new way. Here we’ve repurposed a small planter, added in some Jack-Be-Littles, and snipped off a branch from a nearby hydrangea for a unique fall look. Sometimes all you need to do is look around your house or yard to be inspired. So get out there, and enjoy decorating this fall!

We’re just a couple of days away from the official start of fall which has us looking forward to Autumn colors, decorating our front porches with pumpkins, cornstalks, and mums, and all of the fun fairs and activities that the new season has to offer.

With everything going on, it can be easy to forget about your garden, but good news! We have an updated, easy fall checklist you can reference throughout the season to make sure your yard is in its best shape before winter hits.

Be sure to stop by Van Wilgen’s for all the plants and supplies you need. We’re here to help!

Everyone knows chrysanthemums as the classic autumn annual, but people often wonder just how long they will last, and when all those buds are going to open. The answers to these questions depend heavily on temperature and the intensity and duration of sun exposure. However, we can narrow down a window where you can expect to have a nice display of beautiful fall color from your mums!

Chrysanthemums do best in a full day’s worth of direct sun but will tolerate down to a part shade setting, and they prefer cooler days.

When chrysanthemums have more buds than flowers, it takes cooler nights and sunny days to help their blooms fully open. How long that takes depends on how nice Mother Nature is to us.

When in color, under optimum conditions, you can expect your mums to bloom for about 4-6 weeks. We have early, mid, and late-season bloomers; if timed correctly, your early blooming mums will provide color from August to September, the mid-season bloomers from September to mid-October, and the late-season bloomers will finish the season off from mid-October to the first frost.