Fall Foliage For Your Home Display Is On Its Way

Fall is is in the air and, if you’re like me, you may be thinking it needs to be reflected in your home as well.

Seasonal decor often looks to the environment for its cues. In the fall, designers showcase rich browns and burgundies of the leaves, the oranges that speak to pumpkins and the dark velvety colors and textures that add warmth, as the cooler weather sets in.

I admire people who are willing and able to collect and showcase seasonal items, which necessitates care and maintenance throughout the years. I have the requisite Christmas gear, but in between, I prefer to improvise, with items that are mostly natural and fresh, and don’t require all of the packing up and putting away, especially as pumpkins so quickly must turn into Santas.

To find out what’s going on with local growers, I spoke with Scott Fanning, the Manager of Ash’s Flower Farm, which is located at 135 Route 206. He noted that the recent rain may limit availability of some fall harvest items, however, he encouraqed people to exercise patience, as they anticipate fresh items from local farms in South Jersey to start hitting the shelves in around three weeks.

“Approximately 90-95 percent of what we sell comes from New Jersey farmers. The advantage over big box stores is higher quality and better customer service," he said.

Ash’s Flower Farm customers can expect to see corn stalks, pumpkins and decorative baskets in early October. Fanning noted that, “Everything from Maine Sugar Pumpkins to decorative gourds will be available. We have an onsite craftsperson, who creates beautiful homemade bows and other decor to enhance our customers’ holiday displays. We will be setting up a Halloween store, which will include small bales of hay and straw for porches. Half of one of our greenhouses will be set up to showcase our seasonal items.”

While you’re waiting for some of the fruits of the Garden State to find their way into the stores, here are a few easy decorative items you can pick up, as you’re out and about in and around Hillsborough.

ShopRite of Hillsborough
Fall Item: Mums
Deal: 3 8” pots of mums for $10
Good through: September 17
Crafty Idea: Use an existing planter from your shed or scour end-of-year clearance aisles at garden stores, Home Depot or other retailers for some large planters that can withstand the cold (keep your eye out for metallics and wood-based planters). Use multiple plants and consider mixing colors to add depth and interest.

Michaels, Bridgewater
Fall Item: Scarecrows
Deal: $4.99 for a 5’ scarecrow on a bamboo stake
Good through: September 17
Crafty Idea: You can buy the scarecrow and add your own embellishments from the house. If you’re feeling creative and want to do a project with the kids, skip the store, grab some old clothes and material for stuffing, such as rags. You can find a tutorial here.

AC Moore, Shrewsbury
Fall Item: Flowers (of the no fuss, no muss variety)
Deal: Faux fall flowers are 50% off. If you’re looking for a way to brighten your indoor decor, without watering, artificial mums are just $3.99/bunch.
Good through: September 17
Crafty Idea: Artificial flowers can be fashioned into a wreath. This page offers a step-by-step guide that can get you on your way to creating a unique harvest wreath.