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Note from Sweet Greens: The following post on green fence decorations for Autumn was submitted by Jakob Berry. Jakob Barry is a home improvement journalist for Networx.com. He blogs about green topics for pros across the U.S. like Houston, TX, fence contractors.

When fall arrives it marks the transition back indoors after a long and wonderful spring and summer. Soon the leaves will be falling, vegetation on the ground will be withering, and in most parts of the country the skies will be more gray than blue.

With less color all around adding some decorations across a home’s exterior can make a difference and the fence, if you have one, is a perfect place to start raising the spirit.

At the same time, we always have to keep in mind the environment around us and that nothing we use should compromise our ecological surroundings.

That’s why when decorating the fence do it with an eco-friendly-minded sense of creativity. In other words, with things that can biodegrade when they get lost in the wind or carried away by some animal; with things that won’t harm people or animals and that are generally safe. Here are 5 of my favorites:

#1: Corn
Corn adds the perfect flavor to a setting at this time of year and since husks, cobs, and kernels come in a range of sizes and colors corn is a great decorative medium to work with. More importantly it doesn’t have to be sweet corn to make or break the yard décor!

How can corn be used to decorate a fence? One idea is to make wreaths out of corn and stalks by attaching them along the fence either directly or by hanging the wreaths across a string or rope.

Another is to bunch a few ears of corn together making an ornament like those often seen on front doors. Then place a few sets of these along the fence.

Either way corn is a great decoration because it won’t damage easily from weather and when it’s time to take it down it can be tossed into the compost heap.

#2: Scarecrows
I’m a big fan of scarecrows because they always seemed to me a very creative way to ward off crows and other animals seeking to invade crops. With the seasons about to change they may not be needed as decoys anymore but a few extra scarecrows could provide a little buzz around a property.

Placing them in various poses near a perimeter fence now makes them a spectacle, especially if there’s a few keeping each other company.

Environmentally, they only need a few articles of clothing and some good stuffing but should be harmless.

#3: Plants
Something else which looks great along a perimeter fence are plants and if you don’t have any now might be the time to add them. Just keep in mind, though, that what you pick needs to withstand the elements because winter is on the way.

One option is evergreens which will stay green and don’t require a lot care. Another is herbs like lavender, rosemary, and thyme which add a lot of character to a setting brightening up a property tremendously when they flower. Herbs will also give you a daily source of some out of this world scents and can also be cut and used.

#4: Beach debris
Finally, if you live near a beach then you know there’s a lot of cool stuff that can be found there. Some of it like old buoys, stray pieces of wood ‘carved’ by the sea, and the occasional dried up star fish make excellent pieces to decorate both sides of the fence.

Some items may take a little effort and ingenuity to display but the beach theme sits well in many neighborhoods.

Furthermore, searching for things along the beach is an opportunity to help clean up the shore by reusing many of the objects found there.

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