This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

A Porch Full of Fall

Pumpkins in all shapes and varieties can make great fall decor at the front door. Many can be found in Laguna Niguel stores.

Every year at the end of September my dear neighbor Pam Howland, a long time Laguna Niguel resident, gives me a little heads up on where the best pumpkins are.

Not only must they be interesting, but she is a shopper--so price matters. This year her picks are Trader Joes for unusual varieties, Wal-Mart for small to medium sized regular orange varieties as well as bags of gourds and minis and Longs Drugs in Marina Hills for some larger orange ones.

Pam is a proponent of the more the merrier and this year my granddaughter counted at least nineteen piled in gay abandon around her front porch. The great thing I have learned from Pam besides her shopping hints is that rather than carve her pumpkins, she makes more of a fall display, so they look perfect right up to Thanksgiving.

Find out what's happening in Laguna Niguel-Dana Pointwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

This year I even spotted some edible varieties which will no doubt find their way into a delicious fall soup. Our recent hot spell has delayed the fall chrysanthemums she usually adds. Now that the weather is cooling, her fall display is just as we all love to see it: a glorious welcome to the holiday season.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?