It's October now and Halloween is right around the corner.

Get in the spirit by creating a
Halloween Gothic Garden!

• Gargoyles - Very creepy to me. I personally don't get the attraction but for Halloween - I'm all for it!
  
  
• Concrete Urns - Broken and patched makes them even creepier.
  
  
• Iron Metal Ware - How about an old iron gate or a fence that resembles a cemetery.
  
  
• Old Metal Buckets - You know, the buckets that you've been keeping in the shed and your significant other is always asking you "why you're keeping them?" Well, now is the time to dig them out and use them. Add some dry ice to the buckets and you instantly have fog for your cemetery! Very spooky!!
  
  
• Snakes - Your significant other did not throw out that old garden hose you were keeping? Oh, man... recycle that hose. Cut in 3 - 4 ft. sections and painted dark green or black with yellow X's markings will definitely resembles snakes. Place them along your walkway and front door.
  Remember to use them year round in the garden to keep out garden pest. Now there's another "bang for your buck" idea.
  
  
• White Pumpkins - Makes for a totally different look or mix them with traditional orange colored pumpkins.
  
  
  This Halloween, show your support for conservation by displaying pumpkins carved with WWF nature-themed stencils!
  
  Want a jack-o-lantern this Halloween that all your neighbors will be talking about? These WWF nature-themed stencils make it easy and fun for the whole family to carve a great pumpkin... and creatively show your support of conservation!
  
  You can also win a prize for your creation by entering the photo challenge - Going Wild With Pumpkins!

  So now you have some great ideas to quickly create your own
  "Halloween Gothic Garden"
  

  Now for those Night Creeping Critters...

  
  
  When I hear the word "Gothic", I immediatley think of "Batman".
  You too?
  
  Well, as, terribly gothic looking that bats are, they're extremely important in nature. I think that they're so ugly.. they're "cute". But I'm sure there are many of you who say no way, they're just ugly and creepy.
  
  I will be adding more information on the benefits of bats and how you can help increase the bat population. Or, help you to see a different view of them.
  
  Meanwhile, you can purchase fake bats and hang them from tree branches or from your front porch to really set the gothic mood.
  
  Here are some other great Gothic looking creatures that play such a beneficial role in the garden.
  
  How about....
  
  
• Praying Mantis - Most are very familiar with the insect. I have to say, they're just as gothic as bats. Think about it, the female rips the head off the male during mating. Eeek!!
  
  They’re strictly carnivorous and will attempt to devour any bug they can catch. So if you have problems with garden pest, they will certainly do their part to eradicate the problem but they will also do a very good job of eating the good bugs too.
  
  Good case of... The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!
  
  
  
  
  
• Spiders - Check out this Giant Garden Spider. I found this guy in my garden. The body of this spiders is about 3 inches. This spider definitely was munching down on a lot of bugs in my garden. Good little spider!! Add spider webs to the corner of your front porch, that will creep out quite a few trick-or-treaters'.
  
  
  
• Toads - Did you know that having warty looking toads in your garden is considered good luck? They love to eat slugs which can be one of the worst garden pest ever! Attract toads to your garden by providing shelter. Don't throw away that broken clay pot, just flip it up-side down to give them a home.
  
  
• Dragonflies - I don't understand why so many people find them frightening. They are completely harmless to humans but deadly to mosquitos. They eat mosquito larva before they hatch so by all means start attacting them to your garden.
  
  You can help attract them by adding perches for them to rest on. Just place 4ft. stakes through-out your garden and watch for them to land. They are very gothic looking if you are blessed with the chance to get close-up and personal with them.
  
  
  

  How about adding Night Flowering and Night Fragrant Plants to your Halloween Gothic Garden.

  
  Plants that have white flowers will glow in the moonlight. Did you know that there are several varities of plants that only bloom at night or only release their fragance until the evening. Pretty bizaar..
  
  
• Moonflowers - A trumpet flowering plant that unfurl in slow motion every evening at sunset and releases a fragrant.
  
  
• Evening Primrose - Just like the name implies, the blossoms are clear white that will fade into a soft pink as the flowers mature.
  
  
• Night Phlox - During the day the flowers are closed but come dusk, they magically open displaying a little firework show while releasing a wonderful vanilla fragance.
  
  
• Evening Stock - This plant has 1 inch star shape flowers that stay closed during the day but open at dusk to releases a wonderful spicy fragance.
  
  
  Plan for next year and select your location now for you Pumpkin Patch. Grow a variety of ones... Big, small, orange, white. Make sure you grow gourds too. You can make birdhouses, feeders and lanterns out of the gourds. How cool would that be?
  
  Make sure you collect corn stalkes and bails of straw to decorate your front porch. I buy no-seed (more like low-seed) straw so I can use it for mulch. It's perfect to use under your pumpkins and gourds.
  
  So there you have it. Perfect ideas to get you started in creating a Creepy Spooky Halloween Gothic Garden.
  
  Happy Halloween!!!