Tired of having to buy all the items you need to craft natural seasonal decorations? Why not take some space in your garden and grow your own selection? This small plot will provide plenty of variety and can be adapted for the particular natural items you enjoy using by substituting your favorites. Plant the pumpkins around decorative tuteurs (which can remain to add visual interest through the winter), as shown here, or fashion tepees from tall bamboo canes for support. Choose a site that gets good sun, where the soil is fertile but not overly rich. Keep the plants well watered during dry spells, to avoid unnecessarily stressing them.
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Key to Plan
1. Japanese silver grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Adagio') 1 plant; 2 to 4 feet tall and as wide; fluffy silvery flower plumes rise 2 feet above a clump of fine grasslike foliage; coppery fall color.
2. European cranberrybush (Viburnum opulus 'Compactum') 1 plant; 4 to 6 feet tall and wide; clusters of red berries in fall; white flowers in spring.
3. Dwarf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla 'Forever Pink') 1 plant; 2 to 3 feet tall and as wide; 4-inch heads of pink flowers fade and dry beautifully; rounded shrub.
4. Chinese lantern (Physalis alkekengi) 5 plants spaced 1 1⁄2 feet apart; 1 to 2 feet tall; fruits are encased in bright orange, papery "lanterns" that dry well; can become invasive.
5. Fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln') 2 plants planted singly; 18 to 24 inches tall and wide; tan or coppery foxtail-like spikes of flowers above neat clumps of slender foliage.
6. Pumpkin 'Baby Boo' 3 plants spaced equally around a 2-foot-wide tuteur or tepee base; vines will cover the structure; 3-inch ghostly white mini-pumpkins.
7. Pumpkin 'Jack Be Little' 3 plants spaced equally around 2-foot-wide tuteur or tepee base; vines will cover the structure; 3-inch bright yellow mini-pumpkins.
8. Gourd-Small Fancy Gourds Mix 3 plants spaced equally around 2-foot-wide tuteur or tepee base; mixture of green, orange, yellow and striped mini-gourds in assorted shapes and sizes.
9. Ornamental pepper (Capsicum annuum 'Fiesta') 5 plants spaced 12 inches apart; 12 to 15 inches tall and as wide; edible 2-inch-long fruits mature from green through yellow-orange to red.
Garden plans courtesy of Country Living Gardener.
Illustration by Michelle Buchard
