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Homes & Gardens has highlighted a DIY fall porch display that uses a hollowed pumpkin as a planter for flowers such as chrysanthemums. The pumpkin can hold potting soil and plants, but it needs drainage holes; how long it will last as a planter is not specified.
Homes & Gardens has featured a DIY pumpkin planter that turns a carved pumpkin into a container for fall flowers, including chrysanthemums. The project combines seasonal porch decor with planting, but the report says gardeners should drill drainage holes to let excess water escape and reduce the risk of root rot.
The report describes hollowing out a pumpkin, adding potting soil and planting flowers inside it. Its author says the project took about 20 minutes and cost less than $5 in their experience; those figures are personal estimates, not a guaranteed price or completion time. The pumpkin needs to be large and deep enough for the selected plant and its roots.
To make the planter, cut around the pumpkin’s top at an angle, lift off the lid, and scoop out the pulp and seeds. The report recommends scraping the inside smooth, then drilling one to three holes in the bottom. Add soil, position the plants, fill around them with more soil, and water. The report’s author used red chrysanthemums; the suggested combinations also include celosia and marigolds.
The author says pumpkin flesh retains moisture, which may help keep the planting hydrated, but the report does not provide test results or a watering schedule. Drainage remains necessary: the instructions warn that soggy soil can cause root rot. The display can be arranged with other decorative pumpkins or repeated in pumpkins of different sizes. The report says the pumpkins can be composted after use, while also pointing to reusable pumpkin-shaped planters as an alternative.
A Seasonal Display That Can Be Planted
The idea offers porch decorators a way to combine fall flowers and pumpkin displays in one arrangement, rather than using a pumpkin only as decoration. For gardeners, it is a short-lived seasonal container project, not a permanent planter: the report presents composting as an end-of-season option and does not establish how long a planted pumpkin will remain usable.
Its practical appeal is the use of a familiar seasonal item as a planting vessel. At the same time, the moisture-retaining flesh makes drainage especially relevant. Readers should treat the project as a decorative DIY and monitor the soil and plant condition rather than assume rain or pumpkin moisture will meet every plant’s watering needs.
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From Carved Pumpkin to Flower Container
Pumpkins are commonly used in fall porch decorations, and the report presents this project as an alternative to a conventional carved face. It cites a TikTok video from @jeffandlaurenshow as inspiration for using a hollowed pumpkin as a plant pot, then gives its own step-by-step instructions.
The approach follows familiar container-planting principles: choose a vessel sized for the plant, use potting soil, and allow excess water to drain. The report suggests arranging taller flowers toward the back and shorter ones at the front when planting several together. It also proposes grouping planters or mixing pumpkin colors, but these are styling suggestions rather than requirements.
““This is one of the quickest and easiest DIYs I’ve done.””
— Homes & Gardens report author
Lifespan and Watering Remain Unspecified
The report does not say how long a pumpkin planter typically lasts, or how quickly its shell may soften or break down under specific weather conditions. It also does not provide controlled evidence for the claim that pumpkin flesh keeps plants hydrated, or establish whether rainfall alone is sufficient. Plant needs, local weather, pumpkin condition and drainage will vary.
The cost and time estimates reflect the author’s own project, and the report does not specify a universally applicable materials budget. It offers no detailed guidance on which plant varieties are best suited to a particular pumpkin size or climate.
Check Drainage and Plant Condition
Anyone trying the project can follow the report’s steps while checking that the pumpkin is large enough for the chosen plants and that its drainage holes remain open. Monitor the soil and flowers after watering and during rainy weather; do not rely on the pumpkin’s moisture retention as a substitute for checking plant needs. The report gives no scheduled follow-up or further confirmed development.
When the display is no longer usable, the report suggests composting the pumpkin. Those looking for a planter they can keep beyond the season may instead choose a reusable pumpkin-shaped container.
Key Questions
How do you make a pumpkin plant pot?
Cut and remove the top, scoop out the pulp and seeds, scrape the inside, and drill one to three drainage holes in the bottom. Add potting soil, position the plants, fill in around them and water.
Which flowers can go in a pumpkin planter?
The report’s author used red chrysanthemums. It also suggests celosia and marigolds, though the plant should fit the pumpkin and have adequate room for its roots.
Why does the pumpkin need drainage holes?
Holes let excess water escape. The report warns that plants sitting in soggy soil may develop root rot.
How long will a pumpkin planter last?
The report does not give a typical lifespan. It describes the pumpkin as seasonal decor and suggests composting it when the display is taken down.
Source: rss
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