Halloween, a well timed distraction

Are you decorating for Halloween?  I don't usually do much, if I decorate at all.  For one thing, my neighborhood has relatively few young children.  It isn't the best venue for trick-or-treaters either: houses are widely spaced; there's no street lighting; and many homes sit atop long driveways or off steep spur roads.  My husband also isn't particularly fond of holiday decorations and, as I already push my luck at Christmas, it isn't worth throwing two holidays at him in close succession.  But this year, with daily newscasts spewing horrors of one kind or another at us on a daily basis, a diversion is welcome.

A couple of weeks ago, I visited Roger's Gardens in Corona del Mar.  My main purpose was lunch with a good friend at the Farmhouse Restaurant onsite but I took the opportunity to shop for plants too.  However, the fall planting season at the garden center was almost eclipsed by Halloween.  Halloween, and the Christmas holiday that follows on its heels, are big moneymakers for the garden center and Roger's does up decorations to the hilt.

This is the main entrance to Roger's Halloween display

Closeup of a planting bed next to the entrance

Halloween decorations for sale were offered inside.  Here's a sampling:

The theme of this year's Halloween display is "The Gathering," which apparently refers to faceless witches

These, more elegant witches, did have faces.  The face of the one on the left reminded me of my mother in her later years.  I didn't see any price tags but later found the one on the right listed online for nearly $200.

There were sinister witches like these

and what I assume were meant to be more friendly witches

There were lots of skeletons, including this one dressed up in a suit, serving spiders

but most skeletons were presented au naturel 

Body-less skulls were also plentiful

as were pumpkins of various kinds

Grim reapers on the left and green men on the right

More skulls overseen by a witch

The mirror trimmed in faux plants on the left was almost pretty.  The black widow spider tiaras and the pumpkin mugs on the right were among the most reasonably priced items I saw.

In addition to the elegant witches noted above, there were a couple of items I liked but I walked away as soon as I saw the price tags.

I knew my husband would groan if I brought home a paper mache cat given that I have my own "terrifying" gray cat at home.  As it was priced over $200 as I recall, I put the idea aside.

I liked this pumpkin-like moon too but it was twice the price of the cat - and fairly fragile.  According to Roger's website, it's since been marked down from $549 to $349.

So I didn't buy any new Halloween decorations this year.  I did buy some real pumpkins and pulled out the decorations I've collected in years past, though.

I picked up 3 pumpkins in different sizes and colors while grocery shopping this week.  I've had the arms and legs I stuck into the largest pumpkin for years, although I only recall using them once before.  I think I originally picked them up at Roger's Gardens.

I've had the plastic human-like skeleton and the small rat skeletons for years.  I used to have a cat skeleton too but it fell apart last year if I remember correctly.  The plushy black cat is another item I've had for many years.

I like the bat but the caped skull is questionable.  The battery than animated it is dead but frankly it quickly became obnoxious when it was operational so I may leave it as is.

There are very few decorations visible from the street thus far but one was fairly impressive.

The homeowners got creative this year, making a haunted house of sorts using what might have been a chicken coop

Little Meeko wasn't frightened by the Halloween decorations but she did get a scare as I was setting them up. 

This is Luna.  Her house burned down a year or so ago and she and her family moved elsewhere while repairs were underway.  Apparently, they're back.  Luna used to escape on a regular basis, coming up the canyon through our back slope.  Meeko literally threw herself at the window as Luna walked around and around the exterior of our house.  I texted her owner but it appears Luna finally found her own way home.  The house is close as the crow flies but sits at the bottom of one of our spur roads which was too steep for me to walk even when my knee was in better shape.

Hopefully, Meeko will get used to her.  Throwing herself at the window surely must get old fast.

All material © 2012-2024 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party