It can be difficult to decide when to put up your outdoor fall decor. Do you follow the astronomical start or the meteorological start of the season? Or do you follow your own instincts as you feel the cooler air and see the leaves changing colors? And with the modern love affair of all things pumpkin, autumn seems to start in stores and popular culture earlier and earlier. Because of so much variation in weather changes, retail, and even how much fall fever you’re having, it’s common to ask when is the appropriate time to put up your outdoor fall decor.
The Best Time For Fall Decorating
The best time to put up your outdoor fall decorations is when you’re feeling seasonally festive. But officially, it’s best to wait until the end of August at the earliest. This way you’re not clashing your decor with your summer flowers and plants. It’s even better to wait until September, but sometimes our excitement for fall gets the best of us as temperatures start dropping and leaves begin changing colors.
Also, late August and early September is an ideal time to decorate your porch or patio because it gives you time to display your fall decor before you get into the Halloween and Thanksgiving seasons.
Don’t Confuse Outdoor Fall Decor with Fall Holiday Decor
Fall decorations include pumpkins, mums, and rustic foliage. They display the beauty of the cooler season without the holiday festive decor. Our Spring into Outdoor Seasonal Decor blog has tips for decorating your porch or patio for autumn.
Fall holidays include Halloween and Thanksgiving. Halloween decor generally focuses on spooky creatures and jack-o-lanterns and incorporates lots of orange and black. Our Front Porch Halloween Decor blog includes some fun ideas for your Halloween decorating.
Thanksgiving decorations are closer to fall decorations than Halloween decor. You can often use some of your fall decorations, but add more corn, turkeys, and cornucopia baskets.
Enjoy the Fall Season
Whether you start early or late with your outdoor fall decor, be sure to have fun as you decorate. And enjoy the few months where, at least in part of the United States, the weather is perfect and nature is showing off its colorful beauty.