Hello GPODers and Happy Halloween!

This day celebrating all things ghosts and ghouls may seem like a surprising one to celebrate in the garden outside of plastic skeletons and carved pumpkins, but it’s actually very easy to find plants that are a little creepy and crawly. I’ve been able to start a collection of out-of-this-world cacti and succulents, but you don’t need to fill your home with plants or be in a desert climate to grow something ooky-spooky. There are a wealth of black plants, spiky plants, and hair-raising specimens that will bring the spooky season right into your beds and borders.

I was reminded of all the dark and slightly odd-looking plants that steal the show in fall, when I visited Yankee Candle Village in South Deerfield, Massachusetts last week. While the indoor holiday displays and hundreds of candles are so fun to explore, I might have spent just as much time enjoying the plantings outside. There were lots of colorful mums (Chrysanthemum cvs.) and classic ornamental grasses, but also plenty of plants that screamed Halloween.

Purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’, Zones 8–11) is a fall garden classic that can bring a bit of moodiness to any landscape. It will look just as good in a gothic garden as it does surrounded by pink and yellow flowers, here.

All things spiky and pokey can have a subtle spooky touch in the fall garden. Sidekick™ Heart Bronze sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas ‘Sidekick Bronze’, annual) and small ornamental grasses that match look lovely next to a blood-red mum.

Plant some black cats—I mean say cattails in your garden with ‘Purple Baron’ millet (Pennisetum glaucum ‘Purple Baron’, Zones 8–11 or as an annual). If you have the room, you can try the larger version, ‘Purple Majesty’.

This ‘Black Magic’ elephant’s ear (Pennisetum glaucum ‘Purple Barron’, Zones 8–10 or as an annual) was looking a little worse for wear in the late season, but one large leaf was still standing strong. ‘Black Magic’ isn’t so bad when it’s laying down though, the underside of those big leaves has a gorgeous chalky-looking bloom that makes them look a little ghostly.

Speaking of ghostly, a plant doesn’t need to be dark to be in the Halloween spirit. This Makana™ Silver artemisia (Artemisia mauiensis ‘Makana Silver’, Zones 9–11 or as an annual) could easily be mistaken for an apparition floating into the blue salvia behind.

There was a lovely variety of ornamental cabbage and kale in the beds at Yankee Candle Village, but I couldn’t keep my eyes of this ‘Pigeon White’ ornamental kale (Brassica oleracea ‘Pigeon White’, annual). If you look at it long enough, you might start thinking it’s looking back at you!  👁

The star of this show was down right kooky. Giant pumpkins are always an impressive growing feat, but simultaneously always comical creations. Their outrageous shapes and unique forms lend to the hilarious faces people often carve into them.

This beauty was grown by an employee of a local landscaping company, and it weighed in at a total of  1,853 pounds! It was 103 days old at the time of harvest, growing 56 pounds a day at its peak.

I can show every angle, but photos never do these incredible wonders of nature justice. If you’re in the area, I would highly suggest going to check out this pumpkin before it’s gone.

Hope you all enjoyed these spooky-season plants and have a happy Halloween! If you’re going out with kids to trick-or-treat, I hope you have a fun and safe night. And if you have any creepy or kooky plants of your own, share them with GPOD! Follow the directions below to submit your photos.

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Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!

To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.

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