Are You Looking Forward to Carved Pumpkins?

Will you be placing a carved pumpkin on your porch this fall, something that will make ghoulish connoisseurs howl with approval come Halloween time? Carved pumpkins are one of my favorite decorations for the harvest season. My article on carved pumpkins serves as a basic guide on the subject, from the best way to cut out the lid to making sure your fall fun with carved pumpkins isn't marred by careless accidents.

But why wait until Halloween to decorate your porch with a carved pumpkin? Sure, by October, you'll need to replace it with a fresh carved pumpkin. But you can use a different design later if you wish, to inject some variety. Here's how you can keep your yard spruced up throughout the fall:

1. Display carved pumpkins and mums in September.
2. Work in your full complement of Halloween decorations in October.
3. In November, weed out overtly Halloween themes, while maintaining harvest-oriented decor, such as garden scarecrows.