Harvest Time

When the weather turns cooler, we look for the changes of colors and textures in nature to signal the beginning of fall. Landscape designer Chris Olsen with Botanica Gardens in Little Rock created an inviting harvest scene on his front porch to illustrate how a few simple techniques and choice supplies can make a beautiful autumn entrance way.

For inspiration, Olsen suggests beginning with what you already have. “I started with the door,” he says. “It's a dark olive green and has an elegant style. The vine growing along the front of the house is Virginia creeper. It's a native plant, and it leaves turn a fiery red in late fall. This all led me to imagine a harvest look.” He then chose the slate-colored planters and positioned them on either side of the door. “The planters keep the space from becoming too traditional,” he says. “They are big and bold, and since the porch is not very wide, they add a vertical emphasis on the door.” To increase the vertical lines, he potted agave plants in the planters, and their thin leaves and yellow and green hues accentuate the space.

Olsen chose yellow mums for fresh pops of color. “Yellow is one of the first colors your eyes notice,” Olsen says. “I love the bold hue of the mums, and I suggest replacing them every two to three weeks. The key to a great scene is to keep everything looking fresh.” Olsen filled in with gourds of every shape, color and size. “The pumpkins are perfect for fall, and they offer great texture and shape,” he says. “People often want to put out their pumpkins too early in September, including myself. That's okay, but they have to understand they will lose several to rot before the cooler nights of early October reduce the heat stress.” 

Amongst the pumpkins, Olsen placed straw pumpkins and terra cotta pots and saucers. “I don't like to use too much of the same thing,” he says. “I spray the straw pumpkins with a water seal, and this helps them last a long time outside. The clay pots add a collective feel, and I enjoy stacking them around. When I think of harvest time, I think of a collection, and pots and baskets unify the feeling. What's great about this setup is that I can reuse a lot of these items for winter and Christmas decorating. I'll paint the pumpkins and pots and incorporate them into another setting. We don't like to waste anything.”