A Spooky Halloween Garden Tour: Skeletons, Flowers & Fall Color

Take a spooky Halloween garden tour filled with skeletons, colorful fall flowers, gorgeous hydrangeas, and a little garden witch magic.

Happy Halloween! There’s a little hocus pocus happening around the gardens this year, and I’m taking you along for a spooky stroll!

Between the skeletons hiding in my hydrangeas, hanging out in the cutting garden, and greeting visitors at the potager gate, it seems I’ve picked up a few extra gardeners this fall. And seriously? They’re not doing much to help with the cleanup!

Meanwhile, the flowers are still putting on quite a show here in my New Jersey gardens. The dahlias, gomphrena, and salvias are hanging on, the hydrangeas have turned the prettiest shades of pink and burgundy, and the fall foliage is absolutely gorgeous right now.

And since I recently traded my gardening gloves for a witch’s hat to attend a witches’ luncheon, I figured Halloween was the perfect excuse to share a little garden magic.

So grab your broomstick and come along for a spooky Halloween garden tour!

(Posts on stacyling.com may contain affiliate links. Click HERE for full disclosure.)

A winding stone path leads through a lush garden filled with colorful purple, pink, and white flowers beside a house porch.

A cozy porch swing with autumn-themed pillows and blanket, surrounded by vibrant potted flowers and greenery. The scene has a welcoming, fall harvest vibe with pumpkins and a patterned outdoor rug on a stone floor.

A cozy porch with white rocking chairs, potted flowers, dried cornstalks, and a stone path surrounded by vibrant purple and pink flowers. A welcome sign is on one chair, creating a warm, inviting atmosphere.

A Spooky Welcome to the Gardens

Let’s start at the front of the house, where the welcome garden is still looking surprisingly colorful for the end of October.

The bright pink dahlia flowers, purple salvias, and soft blue ageratum are putting on quite a show against the changing fall foliage. I love how the flowers look with the warm autumn colors of the surrounding trees.

The hostas and hardy hibiscus have already started fading into their fall colors, and a few plants are looking a little tired, but that’s all part of gardening this time of year.

A lush garden bed with vibrant pink dahlias and tall purple salvia spikes, backed by autumn trees.

A garden bed with pink and purple flowers in front of a wooden trellis, with autumn trees and a white outbuilding in the background.

A front entryway with a brown door decorated with two fall wreaths, surrounded by autumn foliage, flowers, and a stone garden bed.

And if you look toward the front porch, you’ll notice a few Halloween visitors have made themselves right at home.

I decorated my porch urns with ornamental kale, hydrangeas, branches, and little pumpkins this year. The deep purple foliage looks especially pretty with the softer pink and green hydrangea blooms.

A black pedestal planter filled with purple kale, green ornamental cabbage, light green hydrangeas, thin orange branches, and a small decorative pumpkin.

Of course, one of my skeleton friends decided the arrangement needed some tweaking!

I love decorating with things I’ve grown in the garden, especially this time of year when the hydrangeas are drying naturally and taking on those beautiful vintage colors.

To learn more about how I decorate my front porch for fall, get inspired here. And if you’d like to learn more about how I dry hydrangeas in arrangements like this, please check out my post how to dry hydrangeas here.

A skeleton wearing a straw hat stands next to a large black urn overflowing with hydrangeas, kale, and a small decorative pumpkin.

A skeleton wearing a straw hat sits behind a large planter filled with hydrangeas, purple kale, and a small pumpkin.

The Driveway Garden Is Looking a Little Suspicious

As we make our way down the driveway, the fall colors are really starting to steal the show.

The trees surrounding the property have turned beautiful shades of gold, orange, and red, and the gardens are filled with those rich autumn colors I look forward to every year.

But what’s really surprising is how many flowers are still blooming!

A curved driveway winds through a garden with autumn foliage and two orange pumpkins on a stone wall.

Pink and white zinnia flowers blooming in a garden bed bordering a stone-edged path, with a green lawn and metal archway in the background.

A decorative skeleton wearing a straw hat stands next to a wooden post in a garden filled with white and purple flowers.

The double zahara raspberry ripple zinnias along the driveway are hanging on, and their soft pink and cream flowers look so pretty against the changing landscape. I love how they were a deeper shade of pink during the summer but changed to white as the temps cooled down in the fall. (To learn more about how I grow them, please visit my complete guide on growing zinnias here.)

My Little Lime Punch hydrangeas have also been incredible this fall. Their flowers have aged into gorgeous shades of pink, rose, and burgundy, and they look beautiful with the autumn foliage behind them. The blooms have a particular texture to them that I haven’t noticed on other panicle hydrangeas before. (To learn more about how I grow them, please visit my complete guide to growing hydrangeas here).

Apparently, I’m not the only one who thinks so. One of my skeleton gardeners has taken up residence among the hydrangeas, wearing a sun hat and looking like she’s enjoying every minute of the season.

I guess even skeletons appreciate a good hydrangea too!

And farther along the driveway, the ornamental grasses are catching the light while the last of the flowers continue blooming. This is one of my favorite things about fall gardening. Even as the growing season winds down, there’s still so much beauty to enjoy.

A skeleton wearing a straw hat posed among pink hydrangea bushes.

A skeleton wearing a straw hat poses among large, pink hydrangea bushes in a garden.

A Few Uninvited Guests Along Flora Lane

Next up is Flora Lane, where the flowers and Halloween visitors seem to be getting along just fine. The hydrangeas have turned those beautiful antique shades of pink, and there’s still plenty of color tucked into the garden beds.

And right in the middle of it all, another skeleton has settled into a large planter.

Sun hat? Check.

Surrounded by hydrangeas? Check.

Helping with the gardening? Absolutely not.

I have to admit, though, she looks pretty comfortable!

What I love most about this part of the garden right now is the combination of flowers, colorful foliage, and the natural textures that develop as everything starts winding down for the season.

The artist blue ageratum in the front of the border? Epic. Must plant more of it next year because it has bloomed it’s head off since planting it back in May without skipping a beat.

The garden looks completely different than it did in summer, but that’s what makes it so interesting to walk through this time of year.

A plastic skeleton wearing a straw hat sits inside a large flower pot in a garden.

A skeleton wearing a straw hat sits inside a large terracotta garden pot in front of a fence and hydrangeas.

Something Spooky Is Happening in the Potager and Cutting Garden

Now we’re heading into the potager and cutting garden, where things have gotten especially interesting. Apparently, the skeletons have decided this is the place to hang out!

One is greeting visitors at the garden gate, while another has made herself comfortable among the bright purple gomphrena in one of my raised beds.

And can we talk about that gomphrena for a minute?

A patio area behind a dark green gate, featuring a tiled path, a vintage-style bicycle, and fall foliage in a garden setting.

A skeleton wearing a straw sun hat leans against a green picket fence in a garden.

It’s almost November, and those little purple blooms are still going strong! They’re always such a fun addition to the cutting garden and I love how they look mixed with the dahlias and other late-season flowers. (To learn more about how I grow them, please visit my complete guide to growing gomphrena here.)

Speaking of dahlias, there are still a few beautiful blooms hanging on, which makes walking through this garden feel like one last little celebration of the growing season.

The potager is one of my favorite places to spend time, whether I’m cutting flowers, tending the raised beds, or just sitting by the fountain enjoying the garden.

Although I’m starting to think my skeleton friends have been spending more time relaxing here than I have!

And with the golden fall foliage surrounding the garden, everything looks especially pretty right now.

A skeleton wearing a straw hat sits nestled among purple globe amaranth flowers.

Three large, ruffled dahlia flowers with white petals tipped in deep purple blooming among green leaves.

A hand holds a large, spiky peach-colored dahlia flower in a garden at sunset.

A skeleton wearing a straw hat sits in a raised garden bed filled with purple globe amaranth flowers.

A Little Halloween Magic in the Chain Garden

Just outside the potager is an area I call the chain garden, named for the large wooden chain sculpture that stands among the flowers.

This spot has such a beautiful view of the surrounding trees, especially when the leaves turn golden yellow in fall.

The pink hydrangeas, purple ageratum, and last of the zinnias are still adding plenty of color around the sculpture.

And with the dark green potager fence behind them, those flowers really stand out.

I love how this garden looks in October. There’s a little bit of everything happening, from fresh blooms to fading flowers and colorful foliage.

It’s a good reminder that a garden can still be beautiful even when the growing season is coming to an end.

A vertical wooden sculpture of interlocking links stands in a garden filled with purple flowers, pink hydrangea bushes, and autumn trees.

The Garden Witch Has Arrived!

Of course, no spooky Halloween garden tour would be complete without a witch!

And this year, that would be me.

I recently attended a witches’ luncheon with a group of friends, and naturally, I couldn’t resist taking a few pictures in the cutting garden before heading out.

I even gathered a bouquet of flowers to complete the look.

With the purple gomphrena, dahlias, and other flowers blooming behind me, I think my garden made the perfect backdrop for a little Halloween fun.

And the luncheon itself?

Let’s just say there were quite a few witches gathered together that day!

We had such a fun time getting dressed up, and I loved seeing everyone’s costumes. It’s not every day you get to trade your gardening clothes for a witch’s hat and spend the afternoon with a whole coven of friends.

Although, considering how many skeletons have appeared in my gardens lately, perhaps I should have asked everyone to help me cast a little cleanup spell before winter!

A woman wearing a black witch costume and hat stands in a garden holding a bouquet of purple and pink flowers.

A group of women in various witch costumes and pointed hats posing for a photo outdoors in a wooded area.

One Last Look at the Halloween Gardens

I always have mixed feelings about this time of year. On one hand, I’m ready to slow down a little after a busy gardening season. But on the other, it’s hard to say goodbye to all these beautiful flowers.

The gardens are still filled with color, the trees are putting on an incredible fall show, and somehow we’ve made it to Halloween with plenty of blooms still hanging on.

I’m enjoying every last minute of it before the colder weather finally puts an end to the growing season. And in the meantime, I suppose I’ll let my skeleton gardeners continue enjoying the view.

They’ve certainly earned their place in the garden, even if they haven’t lifted a finger to help!

A weathered wooden table with wicker chairs sits in a garden in front of a stone fountain surrounded by flowers and trees.

Final Thoughts on My Spooky Halloween Garden Tour

I hope you enjoyed this little Halloween stroll through my gardens! Between the gorgeous fall foliage, late-season flowers, and a few unexpected visitors, it’s been a fun way to celebrate the end of October here.

And while the skeletons will eventually head back into storage, I’ll be leaving many of the hydrangea blooms and seed heads in place to enjoy their beauty through the colder months.

If you love seeing how the gardens change throughout the seasons, be sure to check out spring garden tour 2025, summer garden tour 2025 and fall garden tour 2025 for more inspiration and a peek at what’s growing around the property.

Wishing you a fun, festive, and slightly spooky Halloween! Happy gardening!

Thank you for visiting the blog today!

Enjoy your day! xo