As someone who loves using the garden’s bounty in creative ways, I fell head over heels for this breathtaking pumpkin house. It’s pure magic!
Created by renowned landscape designer P. Allen Smith (who is simply amazing), the house is constructed especially for October each year.
For more fall gardening inspiration, find out which Fall Annuals to Plant Today.
The seasonal structure is covered with pumpkin “siding” made even more interesting with vines strategically placed around the gourds and doorways.
Using a metal frame covered in burlap as the primary structure, the house is then outfitted with a series of metal hoops. The hoops slide into slots in the framing and are used to hold the pumpkins.
Up top, the plywood roof is covered in sheet moss held in place with chicken wire. The organic texture is perfect.
Smith and team place vines across the burlap walls and on the roof before adding the pumpkins.
Hundreds of pumpkins, squashes, and gourds are then used to fill the metal hoops. When that is finished, any gaps are filled with smaller pumpkins and more vines until it’s full and lush.
Sometimes Smith will add window boxes full of mums, just as you might do for your “real” house. Inside, he hangs a chandelier outfitted with LED lights for extra charm.
I love the way longer gourds, like butternut squash or this Cushaw green striped pumpkin (yep, it’s a pumpkin), are used for doorway framing. Their vertical shape is perfect.
The incredible array of pumpkins adds color, texture, and tons of visual interest. What a creative way to make a fall statement and show off all the wonderful varieties of these gorgeous gourds!
Our place also got the pumpkin treatment this year, with a fall display on our front steps and porches. It’s not nearly to the scale of Smith’s pumpkin house, but cheerful nonetheless!
And don’t forget to use your pumpkins for cooking and baking this season. There are so many wonderful ways to incorporate them into a variety of dishes. This month, we’re featuring several recipes. I hope you get to give them a try!
For even more insight into this gourdeous house, watch the video!