10 Reasons to Fall In Love with Fall

Gone are the sweltering days of summer, the sweaters are out, pumpkins are picked, and you’ve already had your first spiced latte of the season. It must be autumn.

There are lists of things you can love about the autumn from leaf-peeping and pumpkin carving to fall hikes and porch decorating.

If you are feeling a little uninspired this fall or are just looking for some ideas on how to celebrate this special season, check out this cozy collection of OGP articles that will get you feeling festive for fall in no time.

1. Autumn Crafts

Decorating for festivals and holidays is so much fun. When a new season rolls around, it’s also exciting to celebrate it with some festive adornments for your porch, doorway, or dining table. What is great is that you don’t need to spend too much money to make a really big statement. Lots of materials that would otherwise be sent to recycling can be jazzed up into a classy or kooky decoration. There are also lots of things that you can forage for, such as colored leaves, pinecones, and acorns, that make gorgeous, free, and very environmentally friendly decorations. Check out these 4 Autumn Crafts Made From Natural and Recycled Materials.

2. Fall Chrysanthemums

Just when you think the pretty flower gardens have gone to sleep for the winter, out pop the chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum and morifolium) blooms. Many might be familiar with these ‘mums’. Come the end of summer, they flood supermarket and hardware store stoops and porches with their rusty autumnal colors. These potted fall-colored chrysanthemums are usually bought and treated as annuals for the season. They are paired with pumpkins and other autumnal attire to decorate porches and balconies. Check out How to Grow Fall Chrysanthemums for Your Autumnal Garden.

3. Pumpkin Decorations

It’s so much fun to decorate for fall. Autumn leaves, acorns, pinecones, haybales, and pumpkins all appear on porches, tables, and stoops this time of year. One thing that is hard to deal with, however, especially in an age of food shortages and food waste, is to see those perfectly delicious pumpkins rotting away on doorsteps and windowsills. So, let’s keep in mind that those cute pumpkins we enjoy decorating with can also make a delicious meal. Take a look at these  7 Fun Ways to Decorate with Pumpkins this Autumn Without Waste.

4. Autumn Garlands

Using predominantly natural or recycled materials is a fun way to spruce the place up. It keeps things cheap, cheerful, and practically waste-free. At the end of the season, you can either recycle or even compost your out-of-date ornament. If you are fortunate enough to live near a wooded space, foraging for decorative items such as fall-colored leaves, acorns, and pinecones add an extra adventure to the project. However, craft stores and online suppliers can keep you well-stocked in autumn-inspired accouterments. Check out these fun Fall-Inspired Garlands Made from Natural or Upcycled Materials to adorn your fall-themed porch, mantle, or staircase.

5. Autumnal Tea

It’s the season for snuggling up with a hot drink and watching the chilly world outside go by.  Often an indulgent cup of hot chocolate is on the cards or a spiced latte, but sometimes all you need is a comforting cup of tea. Almost all of the spices and flavors of the season, such as clove, cinnamon, apple, and ginger work beautifully in herbal teas that you can easily make at home.  Many of these spices are excellent for warming our insides and helping to increase circulation on cold days. Enjoy one or all of these 5 Comforting Autumnal Tea Recipes Made From Scratch.

6. Fall Leaves

This time of year, if you have a yard with trees, it can feel like no matter how often you rake, there is always a layer of leaves covering your lawn within a blink of an eye.  The leaves can look stunning and give you a sense of nostalgia and coziness, but still, the one-going chore of raking them up becomes a reality. Then comes the question of what to do with all of these leaves.  Well, there are several ways you can make the most of this wonderful resource. Take a look at these 5 Ways to Make All Those Autumn Leaves Work for Your Garden.

7. Fall-Scented Home

For sure, certain aromas are associated with the fall season and bring about warmth, nostalgia, and cozy smiles.  A home filled with the scents of cinnamon, pine, apples, cloves, and nutmeg can help to make you feel warm, comforted, and even a little festive. There are a few ways that you can achieve an autumn-scented home without much fuss, cost, or the use of questionable chemical store-bought air fresheners. Here are a few ideas for you to play with this fall season and make your house smell like an autumn hug. Here are 5 DIY Ways to Make Your Home Smell Like Autumn.

8. Fall Foraging

As autumn draws in and nature prepares for its winter dormancy, it’s easy to feel as though all foraging opportunities are gone.  But, just as the busy squirrels show us, there is still an abundance out there that can be foraged away for winter if you know where to look. This time of year offers us nuts, roots, needles, and fruits for foraging fun.  Check out this list of Fun Foods to Forage in Fall all ripe for the picking.

9. Autumnal Equinox

Fall Equinox, or Mabon, is the second day of the year when the earth isn’t tilted on its axis such that day and night are the same length. This time, however, the planet is beginning to settle in for its winter nap. It’s generally on September 21^st, marking the beginning of autumn and the days becoming shorter than nights. This is a time of great gratitude and a celebration of the harvests coming in from the summer gardens. Here is How to Celebrate the Solstices and Equinox for a Better Connection with Our Planet.

10. Autumn Acorns

Oak trees are a common piece of the forest puzzle in many parts of the United States, and where there are big, beautiful oak trees, beneath lies a bounty of food: acorns. All oak acorns are edible, and they are a tremendous source of healthy fats and quality protein. They were once used as a food staple, but they are largely overlooked these days. Read on to learn All About Foraging and Feeding on Acorns.

Related Content:

• How to Grow Fall Chrysanthemums for Your Autumnal Garden
• 10 Plants to Grow for Flowers in Winter
• 5 of the Best Flowers to Grow in Your Veggie Garden
• Seeds to Sow in August for a Fall Crop
• Great Flowers to Plant for Your Winter Garden

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