“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”
F Scott Fitzgerald
When I lived in Canada, the air would turn crisp starting on August mornings. In Pennsylvania, we’re still enduring sweltering heat. It’s just too early for mums and cute pumpkins. There’s still plenty of porch-sitting weather to enjoy. In fact, some of the best porch weather is yet to come. With a front porch that is styled in blue and green, I wanted to give it some fall flair but didn’t want to go all pumpkin orange on it yet. Enter transitional fall decor that ties in with the porch colors where late summer and early fall combine. Here’s how to bring in some fall decorating without the classic mums and pumpkins, yet!t
1- Add an autumn wreath to the front door in porch colors:
This wreath basket has fall apples, fall foliage in green and cream tones, complimentary ribbons and our monogram, all from Michaels. It definitely says fall yet coordinates with the porch. I love lotus seed pods for texture and added a few in the basket to tie in with several more on the porch. See how I made it here.
2- Add a fall welcome rug:
An oversised textured sisal from TJ Maxx ties in nicely with the door basket. There are cute choices in stores right now. Of course I had to take the picture after a deluge and the rug is still wet!
3- Dress your summer planters for fall:
My summer planters were going strong and worked with the porch furniture and drapes color-wise so I just gave them some fall updates by adding more lotus seed pods, tucking in some fall dried foliage to tie in with the door basket, adding a couple of dried artichokes and tucking in some whimsical bottle brush animals that I have peeking out from around the plants. Under the planter, a giant oak tree acorn sculpture replaces the summer watering can for another subtle nod to autumn. 
For all this decor, I shopped my house. Those adorable bottle brush animals were bought in a Paris market 10 years ago but I’ve seen similar ones around here for sale. Anthropologie sells some. They often show up at the holidays as ornaments for nature-themed tree decor. I’ve used them in my very first ever blog post, a French garden lunch, in a window box with an Eiffel Tower. Oh la la, you can see it here.
A nearby second planter got some fall updating with some more dried lotus pods, artichokes and a bronze ceramic pumpkin I got years ago at Tuesday Morning. 
To read how I sweet talked and baked my way to those great lotus pods, visit this post and get a fabulous recipe for a spiced chocolate fall cookie!
4- Add a few fall items here and there to tie it all together:
I added a trio of twig spheres and some more foliage on the porch, another bronze pumpkin, fall reading material and a throw to cozy under in cooler weather.
My favorite part of transitional autumnal decor is that in a month or so I can decorate all over again with mums and pumpkins! Now all we need is for the temperature to drop a little more so we can break out the sweaters and the hot chocolate!
To take a stroll through the garden in fall, you can join me here. To get more ideas on transitioning summer planters into fall, read this.
French Gardener Dishes 