It is pumpkin time again and I am so excited! My favourite season is fall, my favorite colour is orange and pumpkin pie is up there for a favourite dessert!
There are few vegetables that we use every fall for decorations; pumpkins have such a happy exterior, there is just no other way to describe it. Everyone gets so excited when the huge boxes of the glossy orange gourds are sitting outside the grocery store and who doesn’t have an emotional reaction to the teeny pumpkins you can pick up in the produce section? Maybe that is just me squealing at the tiny little things, I should be embarrassed!
Carving aside, pumpkins grace so many decorative items and the smell of pumpkin spiced candles are almost as irresistible as the lattes that bear the same title. The circular and sometimes quirky shape of these fall beauties draw me to buy more than I usually require, especially when I have found the perfect pumpkin pattern and start digging for that shape which will show it off faultlessly.
Now we can’t give all the credit to the pumpkin for it is usually just a vessel for yummier and spicier things. Where would pumpkin be without cinnamon or nutmeg or even ginger? These are the real stars of pumpkins fame yet the round jolly vegetable is displayed on our dining room tables and lit up with candles on our front porch. Imagine decorating with a ginger root, they really aren’t pretty.
Pumpkin is one of those rare veggies that can present as both sweet and savory and do each course justice. Last year I was treated to pumpkin ravioli and curried pumpkin soup only to turn around and enjoy pumpkin pie and pumpkin crème brulee; each course was fantastic. With its versatility and beauty is it any wonder we love the pumpkin? It has the adaptability to spread through fall, Thanksgiving then make a shining finale at Halloween – truly amazing!
Pumpkins are just delightful; eating, decorating, colouring or aromatizing your home are all possible with pumpkins. Simply buying a few and setting them on your front steps tells the neighbourhood that you are into fall and it will cheer people passing by your home.
Infuse your home with the sights and smells of fall, the beautiful colours of fall are available in every imaginable decorative item and it is a delicious combination with chocolate brown, dusky navy and of course greens and ochre. Fill your home with your favourite spicy fragrance and enjoy the golden tones of an outdoor fire (complete with pumpkin spice tea or a latte). The rich glow of fall is fleeting and soon we will have the cold to look forward to, now is the time to make the most of pumpkin season.
Kim Lewis is an interior designer in Red Deer with Carpet Colour Centre. Contact her at 403-343-7711 ext 227 or email her at klewis@carpetcolourcentre.com.
