Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany, have a fall entrance that’s just perfect inspiration for the season. Brittany, a former soccer player and co-owner of the Kansas City Current, shared a series of charming family snaps of their Halloween display on Instagram (see below). It suits the season without going over the top, looking like an extension of the landscape rather than decorations thrown together at the last minute.
Chrysanthemums, pumpkins, and integrated lighting make the entryway feel warm and inviting – exactly what you want if you’re welcoming trick-or-treaters or simply hoping to boost curb appeal in the fall.
The secret is to build on the garden you already have. Add the right plants, complementary colors, and strategically placed lighting for an autumn display that lasts until the frosts set in. Here are my five simple steps to help you recreate the look.
1. Choose Mums That Last
Mums – or chrysanthemums – are really the star of Brittany and Patrick Mahomes’ entryway, and they’re a classic choice for autumn containers. However, believe it or not, you can actually choose the wrong ones. You’ll want to choose hardy ones that last much longer and are suited to your climate rather than florist varieties intended for short-term indoor displays.
Choose plants with plenty of unopened buds for a longer succession of flowers than ones that are already in full bloom. Choose two or three complementary shades, like bronze, burgundy, cream, and golden yellow, and repeat these throughout your entryway.
Timing matters, too. Wait until nighttime temperatures begin to cool before adding chrysanthemums, and let pumpkins and gourds form the foundation of the display first.
Get the Look
The Plants
The Planters
The Decor
2. Use Plants That Transition Into Autumn
Rather than spending a lot of money on replacing all the planting you did in summer, look for porch plants that add interest throughout the whole year. Ornamental grasses, heucheras, and sedums add some texture and color, even as summer flowers are fading, while shrubs and small trees with fall foliage can give the entrance a more established look.
Keep some of your existing summer plants if they still look healthy. A summer perennial can bloom early and then leave behind attractive foliage or seed heads that carry the garden into autumn.
Additionally, a trailing plant spilling over a container or a few late-flowering perennials can help bridge that between-season gap.
3. Use Pumpkins as Part of the Landscape
Pumpkins and gourds can look just as at home in a garden border as they do on a porch. The trick is to treat (did you like that pun?) them as part of the planting design rather than scattering them randomly around the entrance.
Interior designer Preeti Shah, founder of Spotlight Style, recommends grouping pumpkins in odd numbers at different heights, anchored by one or two large containers. Place larger pumpkins toward the back or at the base of a display, then use smaller varieties to lead the eye toward the front door. “The difference between planned and decorated is restraint,” Shah says. “Pick two or three colors from your house, repeat them, and use natural materials.”
Look for colors already found in your brickwork, front door, or foliage to really help the display feel like part of your landscape.
4. Make Landscape Lighting Part of the Design
Lighting can bring out the texture of ornamental grasses, highlight colorful chrysanthemums, and create a welcoming glow after dark. Rather than illuminating every part of the entrance equally, focus on a few key plants or architectural features.
Jarald Patterson of Christmas Light Supplier recommends aiming low uplights or small spotlights into the planting, rather than making the path edge the main attraction. He also suggests choosing warm-white lighting around 2,700K to complement autumn shades.
“Pools of light with dark gaps between them look intentional; even, bright coverage looks like a parking lot,” Patterson says. Where practical, hide fixtures behind containers or within planting beds, and ensure cables are safely installed and rated for outdoor use.
5. Build the Display in Stages
The most convincing autumn entrances develop gradually; it’s all in the phases. Begin with existing plants and containers in late summer, introduce pumpkins as autumn approaches, and add chrysanthemums when temperatures cool. Ornamental grasses, seed heads, and evergreen foliage can help maintain the structure as flowers start to die.
As Shah advises, “Add a few pieces each week, and the entrance keeps changing all season without a big redo.” That’s a relief for those of us who don’t have time for a big, sweeping redo of the entryway for every holiday and season.
By working with the garden instead of starting from scratch, you can create an autumn entrance that feels cohesive, seasonal, and inviting long after Halloween has passed.
