Welcoming Fall Harvest Entry Container Arrangements
That frosty morning “did in” the flowering annuals in my front containers. I had procrastinated and now dead leaves greeted me. Time to make fall themed containers!
The Containers You See are Quickly Made.
You can fill your fall and winter containers with branches found in your yard (or the friendly neighbor’s!). Gather the material and shape the shrubs at the same time. This time of year I shape a large rhododendron to gather material for my fall pots. I pick branches that are too close to the house or intrude on the walkway. Cutting select individual branches as close to the ground as possible shapes the broad-leaf evergreen while giving me material for my containers. Makes pruning fun.
Gather Container Material from you Plants and Shape them at the Same Time
Broad-leaf evergreens like large leaf rhododendrons, leucothe, azaleas, small leaf like PJM’s, hollies, Pieris, and laurels are great to shape and gather branches for the harvest and winter containers.
Using a loper, cut 3 or 4 select branches. Then cut them into container size pieces (around 1 1/2 to ft tall). Minutes later you can be assembling your arrangement.
Here’s How to Do It
First: cut away all the dead foliage in the container to the soil level– leaving the roots in the soil. You need the soil to support the branches. Then water the soil well (unless it’s already wet!). The branches will last longer if they go into wet soil. Also, it’s easier to push them in.
Make sure the branches are at least 6 ” into the soil. (We don’t want them blowing away and when it gets really cold we want the branch ends frozen solid in the soil. Important to keep moist until then).
Then Add the Color
High quality silk stems, in this case, orange maple leaf and orange berry stems finish the arrangements. I bought them earlier from a local garden center. Storing them from year to year works well. As a final touch I added the wooden Jack-a-Lantern sign I use every year til Halloween.
30 Minutes–from Start to Finish
If you’re inspired but don’t have the colorful silk stems yet. Cut and arrange the branches. Then, later add silk stems and Halloween items! After Halloween, I take away the Halloween sign and now the containers are ready to celebrate Thanksgiving.
Works for the Back Deck too!
These Harvest style with a touch of Halloween Containers welcome all who come to my door. Hope you enjoy making them as much as I do!
Leave a Reply