Anyone else obsessed with fall? I am one of the people that feels a rush of excitement when places like Kroger and Hobby Lobby start loading their pumpkin decorations in late July. Football, cooler weather, pumpkin spice coffee, mums — oh my! I love it all! One of my favorite things to do once mid September hits? Decorate my gardens and home with fall decor. I buy an embarrassing amount of real pumpkins and strategically place them in by our flower gardens, along the front steps, on our fireplace mantles and patio tables. A few years ago I learned a trick that I use every year to help keep my pumpkins fresh and rot-free all season long.
One of my favorite places to buy pumpkins is the farmers market or Cheekwood. Have you visited Cheekwood and their pumpkin house? I swear, that will be my home in heaven. I don’t discriminate when it comes to pumpkins. All shapes, all colors, all textures. JUST COME TO MOMMA. Turn the pumpkins over and make sure there aren’t any cuts, bruises, or rotted spots. Load those puppies up and place them somewhere in the car that they won’t roll around and get all banged up. Car seats work well. When I drive home, I always send up a silent prayer to my guardian angel that my husband won’t be home to see just how many pumpkins I’ve purchased.
When you get your pumpkins home, clean them off with a damp rag. Line them all up on newspaper. Polyurethene spray paint each of your beauties. You can buy cans of this at any home supply store—or even on Amazon. This keeps them from going bad. I do this every year, and I’m able to keep my pumpkins out until Thanksgiving each year. You can even get fancy and spray paint them different colors like black, polka dot or whatever your heart desires. Just finish with the poly. That’s it! Now you won’t feel so guilty spending so much money on pumpkins only to have them rot away under the sun a week later.
Happy Fall and happy decorating!
