Ideas for some fun, creative Halloween decorations for the home

Credit: Tom Gilliam

Credit: Tom Gilliam

Halloween is the spookiest time of year and people of all ages have embraced the fun, making it one of the biggest holidays for families.

According to the National Retail Federation, Halloween spending last year set a record with more than $12 billion in sales.

In addition to candy, adults are splurging on festive decorations, and joining the kids by dressing up in costumes that include the whole family, including pets.

So, what are some ideas for some fun, creative Halloween decorations?

Heather Rodeffer, who started with Stockslagers Greenhouse and Garden Center in 1983, said black petunias are a fun option. She also noted there are little-known plantings that can be an amusing Halloween element, such as cockscomb, a specific type of celosia that looks like a brain.

“Pepper fruit is a dark purple ornamental pepper plant has little round berries that turn orange,” Rodeffer said. “There are orange and black variety plants available as fall planters. We always do a fresh round of flowers for fall so everything is fresh and vibrant.”

Orange mums are always very popular, as well as straw bales and corn shocks for porch decorations. Squash and pumpkins-turned Jack ‘O Lanterns are another great fall- and Halloween-inspired outdoor decoration.

“Halloween was traditionally related to the harvest to begin with, so squash, gourds and pumpkins are always a great outdoor decoration,” Rodeffer said.

Apryl Dotson, the Middletown annuals supervisor for Berns Garden Center, agreed that mums are the most popular fall plant.

“They’re everywhere,” she said. “People want a mum that is fully bloomed but that will only last two weeks. We want people to know how and when to buy a mum so you can get a lot of time out of it.”

According to Dotson, ornamental cabbages and kales are also popular.

“They make a great decoration with pumpkins and mums, and they change colors in the colder weather,” she said. “It looks good no matter what you do with it. It’s a low maintenance option for decorating with plants.”

Dotson noted that dark, rich colors for fall and Halloween are common staples, and said the goth garden is a trend in horticulture decorating that has gained popularity the last few years.

“One of the hottest things is a black petunia,” Dotson said. “There are a lot of perennials in darker shades, like penstemon if you want something that will come back every year. In our annuals department we offer a fall lineup pet choas, which come in cinnamon (orange), French vanilla (cream) and caramel yellow (yellow). These three colors are only available in the fall.”

Dotson, who has been with Berns for 10 years, said fall pansies are another popular plant that is considered a tender perennial.

“If you plant them in the fall, there is a very good chance they’re going to bloom again in early spring,” she said. “They’re usually the first plant to bloom, and they like the cold weather.”

Outdoor decorations are complimented with yearly favorites and extend to costumes as well.

Nickie Haynes, a manager and balloon artist with Special Occasions Party Supply in Kettering said popular trends depend on what movie are released during the year.

“I think Beetlejuice will be big this year,” she said.

Haynes said that Mario and Pokemon never go out of style, and she noted that Marvel and DC characters always stay popular.

Halloween items are already selling fast. Haynes noted that small decorations are always popular, especially cauldrons because there are so many decorating options.

“We typically sell out of cauldrons first,” Haynes said. “The webbing for fake spider webs sells like hot cakes. Hanging decorations, skeletons, ghouls and goblins are already selling well.”

Contact this writer at writeawayk@gmail.com.


HALLOWEEN HISTORY

  • Celebrated each year on Oct. 31
  • The tradition began at the Celtic festival of Samhain, where people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts
  • Originally called All Hallows Eve
  • In the 1800s parties for children and adults were a common way to celebrate
  • Trick-or-treating is a community’s way to avoid tricks being played on families if they provide small treats
  • Highest grossing horror film is It (2017) with $702M (not adjusted for inflation)
  • Highest grossing series is Dracula with 23 films and a worldwide box-office total of $2.3B

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