I have lots of pumpkins rattling around the house from Halloween decorating and wanted to repurpose one for the Thanksgiving table. Check out my post on Pumpkin Eye Candy to see how many amazing pumpkin heirlooms there are available in the local markets.
 I love the grey green color of the heirloom pumpkin Jarrahdale, but didn’t want to cut into it, so I built the flower arrangement on top. Jarrahdale is also a wide low pumpkin that is a great centerpiece height.
Jarrahdale pumpkins have a nice concave top and it was easy to cut my wet oasis, cover it with chicken wire, and nestle it into the top of the pumpkin. The chicken wire keeps the oasis from breaking up from too many large stems being inserted. Stick a few picks into the oasis pinning it to the pumpkin so the oasis doesn’t slide around.
Components
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1 Jarrahdale Pumpkin
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Oasis with chicken wire and 2 picks
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Eucalyptus pods and green seeded Eucalyptus
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Yellow Pom Poms
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Green Spider Mums
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Blackberry Lily Seed Heads
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Hypericum Berries
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Nandina Berries
Start greening your oasis with short stems of foliage of eucalyptus. Here I used seeded eucalyptus and add some color with yellow pom poms. I picked these up at a local florist. But you could use cut greens from your yard and berries from the fields to cut your costs.
Continue adding the yellow pom poms, hypericum berries or any other red berry, blackberry lily seed heads, and Eucalyptus pods. Top off with your larger flowers- the green spider mums, and spritz the botanicals to fully hydrate everything so it keeps until Thanksgiving.
 Keep the pumpkin in a cool dark place until ready to use and Give Thanks!!
For decorating pumpkins with succulents, go to Pumpkin Treats-Decorating with Succulents.
For a Christmas pumpkin, go to Decorated Pumpkins with Berries, Pods, and Drieds.
Thank you Clare. The arrangement is stunning!
Thanks Neta!
Your post & ideas are great. Love it ! Thanks for sharing. Next you will be on TV. From the White House to QVC !!! 🙂 🙂 You are talented ! I will be looking for your dog BO, arrangement !!! 🙂 🙂 🙂  Glenda Eichelberger — Country Garden Club
Beautiful!
Very beautiful. We don’t have Thanksgiving Day here though we do have harvest/thanksgiving celebrations at various times over the autumn season.
I keep forgetting that! It is a huge holiday here.
Beautiful ideas! I love them! They are wonderful not only for thanksgiving but for any occasion! Thanks!
Thanks so much for reading!
Just lovely! I need to go in search of heirloom pumpkins at farmers markets or maybe the Amish..?
Since I dried small hydrangea blossoms, I’m going to try dried flowers, grasses, interesting branches from tortured willow and berries and nuts to try to make one so I don’t have to worry about keeping it looking fresh. I need to have a party!
Sure, I use drieds also. Am working on a post on drying flowers, because lots of people have asked about this.
Great! Looking forward to it! Your blog is wonderful and so full of good information!
Does all the rain we’ve had in the mid-Atlantic, the eastern seaboard really, make drying difficult? Just answer when you post about drying flowers…Thanks!