There is something rather beautiful about a garden at the end of the season. Flowers that were once bright and full are beginning to fade, petals have fallen away and seed heads have taken their place, but rather than looking finished, many plants take on an entirely different character.
Don’t believe me? Just ask Martha Stewart, who has made a point of turning the slightly weathered and faded beauty of late-season flowers into an atmospheric Halloween display.
Honestly, if you love the season of the witch, it’s a brilliant way to add your own unique twist to your Halloween decorations. Because, sure, pumpkins might be traditional, but there are more fall décor options to be found around your garden (and no, we’re not just talking about your spooky porch plants).
Martha Stewart’s Halloween Flower Trick
A long way from the usual pumpkins, plastic spiders and orange decorations, Martha Stewart’s Halloween display uses the things a garden naturally gives us at this time of year: think dried flowers, dark seed heads, wispy grasses and stems that have been allowed to age in place.
Set against deep, muted colors and a few carefully chosen spooky details, the result feels more like an autumn still life than traditional Halloween décor. Or, you know, something that Morticia Addams would proudly display on her dining room table.
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If you want to recreate Martha Stewart’s Halloween display for yourself, then you may already have much of what you need growing in your garden. (Although if you want that skeletal effect, you can get a very similar Halloween Skull Planter from Amazon).
Scabiosa, for example, develops delicate seed heads, while coneflowers (true to their name!) leave behind sturdy cones that can remain attractive well into fall. Alliums somehow become even more magnificent once their flowers have dried, and ornamental grasses take on an airy quality that works particularly well in an autumn arrangement.
Even flowers that might look a little past their prime can have their place; faded hydrangeas develop wonderfully muted shades of green, mauve and brown, while spent dahlias and roses can add the darker texture that makes a Halloween display feel atmospheric rather than overly polished.
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Martha Stewart has long embraced this kind of seasonal material in her Halloween decorating, recommending everything from dried pods to rose hips for arrangements. The idea is less about finding a perfect black flower and more about bringing together unusual shapes and textures.
It’s particularly appealing as it doesn’t require you to grow anything specifically for Halloween; if you’ve been growing flowers throughout summer, take another look at them before you clear the garden for winter, choose a handful of the most interesting shapes and bring them indoors.
For a more Halloween-inspired look, work with deep reds, burgundies, browns and muted greens rather than relying entirely on orange and black. A black taper candle (available as a pack of four from Leor & Lair)can provide the final touch without overwhelming the plants themselves. And there’s nothing stopping you from adding a skull or a pair of skeletal hands, as Martha’s display does.
While some plants benefit from being deadheaded, there are good reasons to leave other seed heads standing for a little longer. They can provide food and shelter for wildlife, add winter structure to borders and, as this display demonstrates, provide beautiful material for seasonal decorating.
So before you cut everything back and tidy away the last remains of summer, take a leaf from Martha Stewart’s book. After all, those faded flowers may not be finished just yet; they might simply be waiting to give their best performance as particularly pretty members of the undead!
