Help – The Halloween Store Ate My House!

But no surprise there, it happens every year.

If you followed my blog last October, then you know Halloween is the holiday where my husband Nick takes over the decorating.  As you can see from the photo, the front of our house is very small; in fact, we joke that the kids don’t even need to come up to the door, they can just stick their bags out of the car window and we can drop the treats in from the front door.  Unfortunately this means Nick doesn’t have a lot of canvas to work with, so adding new things becomes difficult.  However, rest assured this does not stop him from shopping for new supplies each year, and adding even more  spiders, snakes and rats to the house:

 

Guess these little fellas got a bit too hungry waiting for the Halloween candy.

The Grim Reaper’s been a mainstay for several years now, although his victims have been known to change.

Bluckeys are also an important part of the scene. For those of you unfamiliar with the science of Halloween decorating, bluckeys are little plastic skeletons.  I recently learned (from Nick, of course) that the term bluckey comes from the blown plastic used to make the skeletons and the word buckey, which is what the more anatomically correct skeletons you may recall from biology 101 are called.  These three bluckeys are a repeat performance last year, still busily attempting a break in:

I like the one on the bottom, who looks like he’s annoyed by the rat on his head, but can’t currently spare a hand to get rid of it.

Last year these bluckeys were engaged in an honorable duel, but this year the one in back appears to be planning an ambush.  Our neighbor recently shared that her four year old daughter refers to the sneaky one in back as Susan and the unsuspecting one in the front as Nick.  Which of course made us ask ourselves, "just what does she think goes on around here?"

Also new this year, the addition of eyeballs to a few of the skeletons:

And apparently, plain old spiders just aren’t scary enough anymore, so Nick upped the fright factor by adding these creepy faces to the ones that hang right over the door.

As this is a garden blog, I’ll end by asking your opinion of grey skeletons as a foil for chartreuse foliage.

Comments

[VW]

What a fun Halloween house! I wish my husband would decorate for us. Our neighborhood draws carloads of kids on Halloween, thanks to lots of houses placed close together and close to the curb, plus good candy (but not from my house, I only buy non-chocolate or else I'd eat it all). Have you seen Helen's plumber-pumpkin-bum on her toronto gardens blog? Very funny as well, though the pumpkins might not fit in with your 'dead things' theme.
This is a totally gross afterthought, but my husband had a job in school preparing cadavers for the lab. It involved draining the blood and replacing it with preservative. So he could have done a really gruesome job decorating for our house then. The school probably wouldn't have appreciated it, though. Good thing your husband sticks with plastic.

Believe me, if he had the option of using real cadavers, he would not stick with plastic.

[Town Mouse]

Well, who would have thought? Such creative genius! I'm sure you get lots of visitors, I hope it's still scary at night. Luckily, I'm always invited to a friend's house for Halloween...

We do go through a lot of candy. The house is all lit up at night and is easily seen from the busier cross street, so cars actually detour in order to check out the scene.

[Roxy]

Nick has outdone himself this year. Fantastic job. Your house should be listed in the "Can't Be Missed" houses for Halloween. Hakonechloa + skull is a brilliant combination - this, I presume, is your addition. And the ambushing skeleton, well I do think it bears a strange resemblance to you. ;)>
Happy Halloween!

Bears a resemblance to me? No way! In real life I am much sneakier.

[Carol, May Dreams Gardens]

Wow, that is really something. It puts my little electric jack-0-lantern to shame.

If you saw the amount of time and effort Nick puts into his show every year, you would understand why I'm a bit envious at the thought of a nice little jack-o-lantern.

[Deborah at Kilbourne Grove]

Lots and lots of ideas for next year!

Thanks, Deborah!

[Catherine]

Wow is he creative! I love the skeletons trying to break in. He must spend a lot of time on it. We hardly get any trick or treaters on our street so hardly anyone decorates. We've got our orange lights and a few ghosts though, but nowhere near as good as your house looks.

Thanks Catherine! Nick's biggest challenge is the small space. That's the main reason he wants to move to a bigger house, LOL

[DaffodilPlanter]

Thumb (bones) up on the chartreuse foliage. Mr. Nick is certainly star designer this month, but could you contribute some black plants in containers? Where's your Irish 'Tuxedo'? I agree with the other comments--Nick's masterpiece should be widely publicized!

Sadly, all the halloween-appropriate plants are lurking in the back yard or in client's gardens. But a good reason to add more plants next year...

[rebecca sweet]

I want to go trick-or-tweeting at your house!! Your husband does an awesome job!! I love it!

Well put on your best princess costume and come on by!

[Pam/Digging]

Good heavens, Susan, you guys really go all out. So creative, it kind of freaks me out! Just kidding. I love Halloween too. I bet your house is the fave of the neighborhood.

People certain stop and stare, but whether in admiration or confusion, I'm not always sure. No question Nick has a lot of fun with it.

[Kari Lønning]

There is a house in town that every year puts up a spectacular display. I don't know what it would be like to live there, but all the kids from everywhere (and many of the grownups) make a point to visit it. When everything is so much about crime and politics and "neat+tidy" yards, a yard like yours and the one in town are a welcome and appreciated respite.

I know what you mean - sometimes it seems like neighborhoods are a thing of the past, and now folks just live in a collection of houses. We're a popular neighborhood for trick-or-treating because the houses are so close together, a speedy kid can really score an impressive haul!

[Lynn]

Nick sounds like a hoot. Gotta' love a guy with a sense of play. Great decorations but, truth be told, I couldn't help but look beyond them at your gorgeous home and gardens. They are both so elegant. I would have had a hard time giving both over to Nick's "decor," but alas, you are a better person than I, a real trooper. Happy Halloween to you and your fun husband. Enjoy! Lynn

You're so sweet! But it's actually the other way around. Whenever I talk about changing the landscape, Nick's first questions is "How will this affect my Halloween decorations?" He was thrilled I added new stuff this year - that means nice empty mulch for him to play in!

[Plantanista]

Well, I was hoping for a SM theme this year... (That's social media, get your mind out of the gutter!) You know...twuckies and bleeps and all that...

Must say the Hakoenchloa (sp?) biker chick is first rate, and the poor blucky being sneaked up upon reminds me of the Wall Street Bailout, but I do miss the teamwork this year. If there were ever a time for bluckies to unite, it's now.

Obviously my mind IS in the gutter because I did not think social media when you wrote sm!

Your trenchant social commentary is much appreciated - now that Nick knows the symbolic potential of bluckeys, I predict some new situations next year.

[Michelle D.]

That is just fantastic !
My home becomes the of candles on Halloween.
All the lights go dark inside and out and I set out dozen and dozens of candles in various arrangements.
Works great when the weather is cooperative, in the rain, not so much.

Big thumbs up to you and your husband for a fantastic undertaking.

Sounds lovely and sophisticated to me. Around here, subtly is not our strong suit.

[Sarah from Toronto Gardens]

That's so hilarious that your husband guards the landscaping for his Halloween decor.
Those spiders with skull faces are too awful. I would have a hard time walking up to your door. Really.

And the grim reaper in the corner is also giving me the willies.

Most of the kids really enjoy the decorations, but last year one little boy had to look sideways and hide his face with his hand when he came to the door for candy. His mom kept saying "but we walk by this house every day and you love it!" Apparently, nighttime makes a big difference in the scare factor.

[Jayme]

I love it Susan, you were my neighbor. Your yard rocks!!!

Oh no, with your DYI approach, if you were my neighbor, I can tell you would just egg Nick on to even more extreme levels of decorating!

[Rob(ourfrenchgarden)]

Nothing over the top there then.

Do you go for it at Christmas too?
I bet I could see the glow from the lights across the ocean.

Those eyes are the real deal.

Nick saves up all his creative energy for this one holiday, then spends the next 11 months recovering. Except for a few outdoor lights, Christmas decorating is strictly an inside event, and as I am in charge, charmingly tasteful and understated! :-)

[Steve]

Good Lord, you guys are Mega Scary! The skeletons are probably over the top but they have some serious - huh? - hilarity. Very funny stuff. Well done!

Thanks Steve! Not sure if decorating for Halloween counts as an appropriate post for a design blog, but we have a good time with it.

[wayne]

hey, I am still about this world even if I disappeared from the garden blog scene. Glad to see your husband went all out. We have a zillion cherubs come to our porch each Halloween. always a hoot.