I love this harvest time of year—I feel a sense of relief after the hot summer months, and I’m reinvigorated to create some cozy autumn vignettes in the garden. My “garden” is a 150-square-foot balcony—so when every inch counts, I take as much advantage of vertical space as I can. This week’s project is a scrumptious pumpkin topiary, creating a stunning focal point in a very small footprint. Gather three pumpkins in graduating sizes and colors, and a variety of bagged mosses and you’re ready to make your own pumpkin topiary!

Start with a tall planter or plant stand—make sure it’s sturdy to hold the weight of the pumpkins. Place a grapevine wreath on top of the pot (I add some artificial berry sprigs to mine) and add your bottom pumpkin and top it with moss. This one is a “Fairy Tale” pumpkin; I love the vivid orange color and the deep lines in it.

Place the second, medium sized pumpkin (mine is a “Caspar” variety) on top of the bottom pumpkin. Add more moss and finish off with the top pumpkin. This project took 20 minutes, and the materials were purchased for about $30. Buy your pumpkins at a grocery store, church fundraiser or your local farmer’s market—and all the other supplies are found in the floral department of your favorite craft store.

This past weekend, I took the two top pumpkins off and brought them inside for a dinner party—they created a simple, beautiful fall centerpiece on my table, and when the party was over, I brought the back outside to rejoin the bottom part of the topiary. Get creative with your topiaries—set them on the porch by your front door, make a series of small ones for your tabletop or place them in your planters! It’s an easy, inexpensive way to add some harvest flair to your fall garden.