The Dos and Donts of Decorating for Halloween in Your Denver Garden
Halloween is a time for spooky fun, but it's also a great opportunity to think about sustainability. As we decorate our homes and yards with ghoulish delights, let’s consider some do's and don'ts to keep our Halloween eco-friendly and fun.
In this blog, you’ll learn:
Sustainable Tips for Decorating Your Garden
Fun Ideas for Decorating with Kids
What Not to Do When Decorating
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What to do: decorating your Denver garden for Halloween
1. Get Crafty with Nature
Use natural materials like pumpkins, straw bales, corn stalks, and dried leaves. These can easily decompose after the season, reducing landfill waste.
Bonus! Grow your own or support your local farmers!
Decorating with Pumpkins for Halloween
2. Reuse and repurpose
Opt for decorations that can be reused year after year. Items like fabric pumpkins, durable lanterns, or wooden signs are better for the environment than single-use plastic decorations.
Bonus! Look for these items at your local thrift store!
Thrifted Halloween Decor for Gardens
3. DIY with Recyclables
If you like new decorations every year, make your own from materials you already have at home. Cardboard boxes can turn into haunted houses, and old clothes can become spooky scarecrows
Bonus! You’ll save money and cut down on waste.
4. Energy-Efficient Lighting
Use solar-powered or LED lights to illuminate your Halloween display. They consume less energy and last longer than traditional bulbs.
Bonus! Use lights to decorate the trellises in your kitchen garden!
What not to do: decorating your Denver garden for Halloween
1. Don’t Overbuy
It’s easy to get carried away with Halloween décor, but buying too much only leads to more waste. Plan ahead, and purchase only what you need or what can be reused next year.
2. Do Not Use Fake Spiderwebs
While they add a spooky vibe, fake spiderwebs are dangerous for wildlife, especially birds, who can get trapped in them and die. Opt for other outdoor decorations that don't pose a threat to animals.
3. Avoid Single-Use Plastics
Plastic decorations, like inflatable yard figures or plastic skeletons, are often not recyclable and can take hundreds of years to decompose. Instead, invest in quality items that will last or use biodegradable options.
4. Don’t Keep Halloween Lights on All Night
Keeping lights on overnight wastes electricity and disrupts nocturnal insects, affecting their natural patterns. Use timers or motion sensors to conserve energy and protect the ecosystem.
Compost Your Unpainted Pumpkins after Halloween
Bonus Tip!
After Halloween, compost any unpainted pumpkins in your garden (if you aren’t planning to eat them). Just cut them in half, scoop out the seeds, and place the halves face-down on the soil, then cover with leaves.
Worms love pumpkins and will quickly break them down, turning them into nutrient-rich soil for your garden!
By following these simple do's and don'ts, we can all celebrate a spooky, fun-filled Halloween while minimizing our impact on the planet! Happy haunting!
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Meet the Gardener
I’m Elisa Mack - a mom and Denverite who went from being a green-ish thumb to a kitchen garden fanatic simply by dedicating myself to the study of all things Colorado gardening.
Landscapers don’t design. And nurseries don’t make house calls.
We take a more full-service approach, from designing your dream garden to keeping it beautiful year-round.
And as your coach, I’ll help eliminate the guesswork through every season, no matter your level of knowledge.
