YORK, Pa. — If you find yourself looking for an alternative to carving tricky designs into pumpkins for a fall decoration, Shear Heaven Farm has an idea for a holiday DIY for you.
This craft can be a cute and fun alternative to trying to keep a bunch of small plants alive through the cold months.
"My daughter, who is away at college, has a lot of succulents," Carey DuRand, owner of Shear Heaven Farm, said. "And to honestly avoid having to take care of so many all winter long, I'm like 'what can I do with these succulents? And we also have a lot of pumpkins,' so that's really how the idea came to be."
Because there is no carving involved with these pumpkins, your decoration can last several months as opposed to just a week or two.
Start by ripping off the stem to get a flat or concave surface on the top of the pumpkin. Use lots of hot glue or tacky spray on the pumpkin top, then start by laying down different-colored mosses for a base with lots of fun color contrast.
"That's what's going to hold the moisture to keep your succulents alive and just also makes it look pretty," DuRand said.
Next, trim the roots of the succulents so they won't show through the moss. Don't worry about killing the plant--succulents are very hardy, and the roots will often grow right back.
Tuck the succulents into the moss, using glue to keep them in place if needed.
"And the other nice thing about this is when you're done, you can replant the succulents and they'll last for years," DuRand said.
She recommends adding some fresh cut flowers flowers and other greenery from around your front yard for additional visual interest. These live pieces will need to be replaced when they start to wilt.
To keep the succulents and moss looking fresh, spritz the plants with water once a week to moisten the roots.
Those who want to make their succulent pumpkin with the experts can sign up for a class at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at the farm.
Those more interested in animals than plants can also visit the farm for tours and to meet its 35 alpacas. Shear Heaven offers farm experiences like tours and field trips. They also dress up the alpacas and take them to weddings, schools and more.
The farm can be found at 3841 Trout Run Rd. in York.