Wolcott Garden Treasures
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Thanksgiving
New England poses some interesting challenges to those of us who want to keep our outdoor spaces looking great into the late fall. Mums are beautiful in the beginning of the season, but usually don't make it through the heavy frost. The same is true of decorative cabbage and kale, so potted and hanging plants are difficult to keep out through the Thanksgiving holiday. There are, however, some things you can try after the frost claims your flowers to keep your place looking pretty and cheerful during that "in between time" before you're ready to decorate for the winter holidays.Corn that pops: especially if they're partially covered and stay relatively dry, corn stalks and Indian corn can last long into the frost. Corn stalks look fantastic tied to porch columns and stair railings and frame home entrances beautifully. Indian corn can also be fastened to the stalks to add some saturated color - thin floral wire works best, but you can also use twine or sisal rope.
Stake your Claim! Garden stakes are a great way to dress up your front yard when flowers aren't an option. We have some great fall-inspired "welcome" stakes that feature scarecrows and beautiful country colors. Choose a larger one for $12.00 or a smaller one for $3.49. We also have fantastic illuminarie stakes in the $20 range - with aged copper accents and glow-in-the-dark blown glass, they're a great addition along walkways and in plant beds when organic visual interest is hard to come by.
Star gazing: believe it or not, gazing globes can be displayed well into the cold weather months. A glass globe's worst enemy is wind, but the frost usually isn't a problem for a good quality globe (ours are from Echo Valley, and they're the best we've found in all our searches). Metal stands can usually withstand harsher weather, but if you've got a masonry stand, it really needs to come in before the snow or it might crack and chip. At any rate, a beautiful metallic or blown glass gazing globe on a stand is an excellent way to keep color and visual interest through the frost. You'll probably want to take them in before the winter really kicks off, but you should be able to keep them out right until your Thanksgiving guests head home.
Going to pot: while your hanging baskets and potted annuals have undoubtedly seen better days by the time November rolls around, you can still use your decorative baskets and pots under the right circumstances. If you have a covered porch that you hang flower baskets from, take a trip to Walmart or Michael's Crafts and grab some orange, yellow and deep red silk flowers, along with some silk ivy or other trailing plant and arrange your own autumn-inspired hanging basket. You can keep the silk stems in place using floral foam cut to fit your planter. For some real Thanksgiving flair, you can "pot up" one or two of our cornucopia woven rattan hanging planters - they're just $14.99 each and can be used in the spring and summer, too. You can also keep silk flowers out in decorative pots beside your front door under a covered porch or portico. Just remember to bring them inside before they're ruined by snow - give the stems a quick soak in warm water if they're soiled and spread them out to dry thoroughly before bagging them and putting them away for next year.
Stock photo courtesy of www.sxc.hu. Special thanks to Chris Dickson for his photo of the Indian corn.
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