It's almost October and you know what that means! Besides pumpkin spice everything, we're talking about pumpkins on the porch. Making them absolutely Gourd-geous (get it?). This should be a fun one.

Most pumpkins don't make it to Halloween looking good. They get soft spots, then mold, then somebody has to scrape one off the steps. The fix costs almost nothing, and the order matters more than the ingredients.

Wash first. Use plain water or a mild detergent to get the dirt off. Bleach gets used up on a dirty surface, so skipping this step means the next one does nothing. gardenprofessors

Then sanitize. Mix 1 tablespoon of plain household bleach into a gallon of water, spray the whole pumpkin, and let it air dry. Don't wipe it. Diluted this way, it isn't a risk to wildlife or people. gardenprofessors

Then place it well. Keep pumpkins in the shade, lift them off the ground so air can move underneath, and carry them by the bottom, not the stem. Bring them inside before a hard freeze, since freezing can make them collapse. ahomeisannounced

Here's the honest truth. Getting a porch to look like a magazine cover takes sourcing, prepping, hauling, and styling, and most of us have a Saturday for about one of those.

That's where this week's featured pro comes in.

The Porch Studio is a local, woman-owned seasonal styling service bringing beautifully styled fall porches to homes throughout Fairfield County.

Founded by local mom and decorator Jen, The Porch Studio takes the work out of creating a beautiful fall welcome. Each porch is thoughtfully styled with hand-selected heirloom pumpkins, natural textures and seasonal details, with every display designed to complement the home and feel collected rather than simply decorated.

The process is easy: choose your Stack, select your Palette and pick your preferred installation date. From there, The Porch Studio handles the rest, from sourcing and selecting the pumpkins to prepping, delivering and styling every last detail right at your front door.

With four Stack sizes ranging from the charming and compact Mini Stack to the abundant Grand Stack, there's an option for everything from a small front step to a full porch transformation. Want a little more? Add seasonal extras like mums, doormats or spooky styling to complete the look.

Pretty pumpkins. Professionally styled.

You can find her on our contractor directory!

Fall porch styling is now booking at theporchstudio.co and on Instagram @theporchstudioco.

Our contractor directory is free to browse: fairfieldtownandtrade.com/fairfield-contractor-directory

These are neighbors and recommendations, not a paid lead service. Nobody bids for your call. We do ask that you verify licensing and insurance yourself, same as you would with anyone.

Contractors: first three months are free and we don't ask for a card. fairfieldtownandtrade.com/get-listed