Not that long ago what we consider fall decorations today were merely a by-product of the homesteading lifestyle. Pumpkins and squash stacked up on the porch, corn stalks drying in the field, hay being baled and dried corn filling up the crib. All of these served a purpose on the homestead beyond merely setting the fall mood. As an added bonus, these biodegradable and edible fall “decorations” required no closet or attic storage space year-round as they were consumed by the family or the animals by spring.
The historic autumn homestead didn’t need to artificially set an idyllic fall scene. Below I’ll touch on the historical roots of these common decor items and how to incorporate them into your modern-day house, cottage, or homestead of your own. But first a note on some 21st century concerns.
These classic fall decorations are by default eco-friendly and minimalist. The great thing about biodegradable and edible fall decorations is that after being enjoyed and admired all season, they can be consumed or decompose in the compost bin. And minimalists that love seasonal decor can rejoice that no storage space is required to keep the decorations for the other 9 months of the year. Definitely no need for plastic and styrofoam decor to dress up the front porch!
Pumpkins and Squash
Both pumpkins and squash require a curing period to thicken up their skin for the winter storage. In our garage right now we have a pile of various squash and pumpkins of various shapes sizes and colors. Curing is best done out of direct sunlight, so in years gone by pumpkins and squash arrayed on porches meant a bountiful harvest was curing for the cellar.
We grow a few different types of squash and pumpkins each year. This year’s favorite is Yuxi Jiang Bing Gua–a mouthful, but a seriously prolific pumpkin-like squash! We picked out a few of our prettiest to set around the house as fall decor…then we get to eat them for dinner in a month or two later for a farm-fresh meal in the middle of the winter.
If you plan to eat your pumpkins and squash later, you will want to make sure they are kept out of the rain and from direct sunlight as both will cause them to rot sooner. If they start getting a little past human edibleness, your backyard chickens will love the treat. The seeds are even a natural worm preventative!
Corn Stalks
Historically, corn was tied up in shocks to allow it to dry in the fields before bringing into the barn for processing. This was especially important in cooler climates where a winter cover crop such as rye needed to be planted before the weather turned. The shocks of corn freed up space to jumpstart the cover crops while the stalks and cobs fully dried in the field.
After the corn was brought to the barn, the cobs were shucked and placed in the corn crib to stay dry until use. The stalks were chopped into smaller pieces to be used as supplemental fodder for livestock. At the moment, we do not have large livestock yet and don’t have concerns about a winter cover crop, so we tie up a shock or two solely for nostalgia. After we enjoy the harvest season decorations, we allow the stalks to decompose into our compost pile.
Indian Corn
Indian corn, maize, corn or whatever you want to call it was a super important storage crop homesteads of old. It still is a big commodity crop here in the United States. Ground into cornmeal, grits, polenta, hominy, popcorn, and even distilled, this grain was important sustenance to our ancestors. While we no longer so heavily rely on corn for our food, it however does come in a variety of beautiful and colorful cultivars beyond the common yellow! Perfect for decorations around the house.
We personally grow only one type of dry corn–popcorn. You could say we have a bit of an addiction to the stuff. The last few years we have seed saved to create a gorgeous and unique rainbow popcorn that we can use as fall decor and then shell and pop for a movie night or a bedtime snack. The same would be true with flint or dent corn that you plan to grind later.
Hay or Straw
The livestock you weren’t butchering in the fall, you’d have to feed through the winter. As a result, folk would be harvesting hay to put up in the barn for winter feed in the last days of summer and early fall. After being cut and left to dry in the field, it was baled and stacked high in the barn.
Like I mentioned before, we don’t have cattle or livestock, so our single annual bale of hay is used as nesting box material for our laying flock and is also spread in the garden to mulch around some of our tenderer crops in the winter. Hay also makes a great addition to the compost pile. The extra brown matter keeps the manure and rotting vegetable stench down.
Hope this inspires you to embrace biodegradable and edible fall decorations with agricultural heritage as you dress up your house for fall.
What other fall decorations do you love?
