It’s fall y’all! Well… at least according to the calendar it is. If you live in almost any part of Texas then you already know, but if you don’t, then let me introduce you to what we call “Hotaumn.” It’s an interesting phenomenon where you know it’s supposed to be fall and your heart is telling you it’s time for sweaters, crisp cool weather, and all things pumpkin spice but mother nature is flat out refusing to give up summer. Case in point, here I am still wearing shorts well into October.
Luckily though, not all things fall are completely lost. Early mornings and late evenings on the farm have started to cool down, not by much but you CAN feel it. And the tress seem to be right on schedule, flashing brilliant colors of golden oranges and bright reds. It really is the season that I find myself enjoying the most, especially since it marks the start of the holidays. And speaking of which, Halloween is upon us!
I always love learning about the different traditions that people have for each holiday. On the farm, we’ve got three that we always do for Halloween. Two of which are time honored classics. The first and probably no surprise is pumpkin carving. Every year we throw a big pumpkin carving party with our friends and family. Everyone brings their own pumpkin and just after supper before the sun is goes down, we gather outside and get to work on our jack-o-lanterns. We’ve got only one rule, no stencils allowed. Everyone must draw their design by hand and let me tell ya, we’ve seen some interesting one over the years lol. I really do love everything about carving pumpkins. The smell, the creativity, even pulling out all those gooey guts. The best part though, is when we are finished carving and the pumpkins are lined up with everyone’s creation flickering in the dark. And even though we don’t make it a competition, I’m pretty sure we are all secretly judging each other’s work. Okay maybe not secretly but it’s all in good fun. I know it may sound a little corny or cliché, but the pumpkin carving party is something that I look forward to every year and I highly recommend giving it a try.
Our second Halloween tradition is to make sure at some point on or near October 31st we sit down and watch Hocus Pocus. With a festive cocktail in hand, I always find myself laughing at the Sanderson Sisters, even though I have seen this movie a least a hundred times. I love this tradition because even though we watch this movie year after year, we always make a point to put away our phones and just enjoy the nostalgia of it. This year we plan on doing apple cider old fashions and I’ll be sure to include the recipe at the end.
And the third tradition, the newest, yet possibly my favorite is making our Halloween Bouquets. That’s right fresh flowers do have their place during spooky season. And is, in my opinion, one of Halloween’s ultimate treats. Especially when it comes to the Marigolds. Oh, how I LOVE the marigolds. The red and yellow shades are just perfect for fall and the orange ones, well, let me tell you, they SCREAM Halloween… see what I did there J.
Marigolds are not only a beautiful, durable, and long-lasting cut flower but did you know that in some cultures they are seen as a symbol of the connection between life and death. With their bright colors and unique fragrance, they are said to serve as beacons to help our loved ones find their way home. How cool is that?!? And so fitting for Halloween.
And if that’s not enough to move marigolds up on your favorite flowers list (because we all have one of those lists, right? No? Maybe it’s just me lol) someone once told me that if you swirl marigold leaves into some water and put drops of that water in your eyes, it will give you the power to see fairies. I’ve never tried it myself and for all I know it’s just another fairy tale, heck maybe we should ask the Sanderson Sisters, but either way it all sounds like pure marigold magic and who doesn’t need a little more fall magic in the air.
Here on the farm, we don’t use marigolds to see fairies, but we do love to use them in our fall and Halloween bouquets. Parings those bright orange blooms with the deep and bright purple celosia and gomphrena make for a beautifully spooky arrangement. And if spooky isn’t your cup of tea marigolds and sunflowers are the perfect recipe for your farm fresh fall bouquet. Ha! Say that three times fast… farm fresh fall bouquet, farm fresh fall bouquet, farm fresh fall bouquet.
My point here is, when it comes to holiday traditions even the non-traditional ones, like flowers on Halloween, they are worth continuing and passing down to our kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, friends, and neighbors because these are not only the memories that we will look back and remember the most but also what keeps us excited about our futures ahead.
As promised the Apple Cider Old Fashioned:
-2 oz bourbon
-1 oz apple cider
-1/2 oz maple syrup
-2 dashes bitters
-orange twist and cinnamon stick for garnish
Combine, mix well and serve over ice
