It feels like fall! We’re so excited to have a reason to drink pumpkin spice-flavored anything, to put on a sweater, and decorate our homes for the season. Of course, while everyone loves decorative gourd season, I feel like it’s tough to strike just the right balance between pumpkins and seasonal foliage without going overboard.
Lucky us, Harold Leidner of his eponymous landscape firm offers some great tips on how to celebrate fall with your own display of decorative pumpkins and gourds.
“Who doesn’t like a spectacular fall display?” Leidner asked. “We’ve heard through the grapevine that, between commentating and running the Corona hotline, Tony Romo takes his kids by one of our houses every year, just to see the pumpkins!”
Want something dramatic without the work? Contact Harold Leidner Landscape Architects for your custom fall display!
Daltxrealestate.com: What are some colorful ways to incorporate decorative gourds and pumpkins in your landscape?
Harold Leidner: When it comes to pumpkins and gourds, there are seemingly endless options. Most people do not realize how diverse they are. So many of our clients do fall displays that it affords us the ability to buy in very large quantities. In turn, this ensures we get a great mix to pick from. I wouldn’t say one type is better than the other, as the visual interest comes form the overall mix, but the one that always steals the show is the ‘Big Mac.’ These ornamental pumpkins can weigh in excess of 150 lbs! Another important fact — not all pumpkins are edible!
CD: How do you keep pumpkins looking fresh for the whole month?
HL: We typically change out the ones that start to go bad with new ones to keep things fresh. I have heard that you can prolong the life of them by diluting water and bleach, giving them a bath and letting them air dry. This is time consuming, so more often than not, replacement is easier and more cost effective.
CD: What are some great fall plants that work well with fall pumpkin displays?
HL: Crotons, mums, and ornamental peppers!
CD: Not everyone likes a carved Jack-O-Lantern. What are other ways of dressing up pumpkins for outdoor displays?
HL: Hay bails, seasonal fall plants, and corn stalks can be used to provide another level of detail. White pumpkins are ‘in’ now as well.
CD: When the season ends, what’s the best thing to do with your decorative gourds?
HL: Most people opt to dispose of them because there may quite literally be a ton! If you hate seeing it all go to waste, sugar pumpkins are perfect for soups. Cinderella pumpkins are great for baking.
