It’s the time of year when we indulge our dark sides, and celebrate all things grisly and macabre. But it’s also great fun for the entire family. For some, Halloween is a highlight of the year: a chance to be creative in a whole range of ways – from spooky costumes to food and drink.
The garden space is a great outlet for your Halloween decorations. But exactly what might we include in a Halloween garden?
Pumpkins
Communal pumpkin carving is one of the most widely practised Halloween traditions. Pumpkin designs come in many different sorts. You might pay tribute to your favourite football team, television show, or emoticon. In fact, even if you stick with the spooky face, you and the kids can experiment with the arrangement of those sinister features and the way that they’re lit from within.
Pumpkins are a classic way to inject a dose of Halloween energy into your garden, and for this reason, they should be considered more or less obligatory.
Spider webs
You’re wandering around an abandoned mansion in the dark or an ominous-looking crypt, or your front room – what could be more terrifying than the sight of a big, scary cobweb? You can make cobwebs out of cotton wool or string, without spending a lot of money. Spread them around the front garden to create that distinctive ‘haunted house’ look.
You can spread your cobwebs around your other decorations, too – and even throw in a big, scary spider or two. If you can find a way to make them move when people approach, then you’re sure to provide a few (or more) scares.
Lighting
Lighting is something that can make just about any diorama look that little bit spookier. You can animate your lights to generate strobe and flicker effects. Or you might go as far as to project a ghost (i.e., shimmering footage of a real person, posing menacingly) onto the building. Get it right, and the result can be genuinely unsettling.
Of course, lighting can also help you get the best from your other Halloween décor. Just light everything from beneath and you’ll make those shadows nice and deep, and make everything look a little bit more morbid. You can find Halloween-themed garden lights that will do the job nicely, or you can make them yourself.
The front door
Arguably, the front door should be the centrepiece of all your Halloween efforts – especially if you’re going to be inviting people over to celebrate the occasion. You can hang a wreath on the door, or suspend a mannequin there. Toilet paper will give you an effective and inexpensive mummy.