Autumn. A favorite season in Maine. Loved by Mainers and tourists alike for its colorful hiking, visits to the apple orchards and sugar shacks, or sitting one last time on that camp deck drinking a cup of joe while listening to acorns fall softly from the large oak trees. As I watched the squirrels run to and fro gathering their nuts to preserve for winter, I pondered what humans could do to preserve their woodland souvenirs this autumn.

For some ideas, I reached out to the University of Maine Cooperative Extension in Lisbon. Lynne Holland, a horticultural professional and master gardener volunteer coordinator with the Extension, offered the following tips.

Foliage starts to pop Oct. 3 in Turner. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

ACORNS

Put a clear glass or jar inside a larger glass container or vase. Place a battery-operated candle inside the smaller glass and put acorns in the space between the layers of glass to create an attractive tabletop centerpiece. Have some glue handy because the little caps on the acorns fall off easily and can be glued back on, Holland said. Cranberries can also be used, she added. To prep acorns and pinecones for use indoors, a good spray of water should take care of any bugs and dirt, she said, adding that she worked as a florist for 30 years and never saw the need to burn off insects.

PINECONES

Pinecones can be used in various ways to decorate for winter and the holidays.

You can add them in an arrangement with a wire or wrap the ends of a group of pinecones together, Holland said. You can use them in garlands. They can also be cut horizontally, and you end up with something that looks like a flower shape, she said. You can put something in the center to make it look like a flower, she added.

“I have a friend who lays the pinecones on a wire wreath” and attaches them with wire. She then builds on that by hot-gluing additional layers of pinecones, she said.

Pinecones are used more for winter holiday decorating and have time to dry naturally if gathered in late fall, according to Holland. There should be no reason to have to bake off the sap, she said.

“Lemon juice is pretty good at getting sap off your hands, as well as eucalyptus,” Holland noted.

LEAVES

Leaves offer a lot of potential for preserving autumn, though they need to be handled differently, according to Holland.

“What you do to an oak leaf is different from what you would do with a maple leaf. It’s important to know what you’re working with,” Holland said. “A maple leaf falls in full color and an oak leaf only falls when it is completely dry.”

To preserve a maple leaf’s color “you can cut the stems and put the stem in glycerin. They (leaves) will absorb it, and it makes them supple. You can put it in an arrangement.” Glycerin is an oily substance. It can be found in craft stores or online. Check out this YouTube video on how to use glycerin to preserve leaves.

“An oak leaf will always be a little stiff,” Holland said, adding that the reader should look up directions from a trusted source on how to preserve specific leaves. “Birch and aspen leaves turn a pretty yellow. Ginkgo leaves are also a pretty yellow and have an unusual shape.”

DRIED FLOWERS

“Some of the things that dry naturally, like day lilies, are pretty,” Holland said, “and some of the sunflower heads, the smaller ones or just the centers of them, can be a focal point. They can be used in vases or arrangements.

“Some hydrangeas dry nice on the bush and can be added to an arrangement,” Holland continued. “The blue flowers (Endless Summer) can be cut. Put them in an inch of water. The white Annabelle takes well to spray paint, she added, with a reminder to use only craft spray paint. “You can spray paint them gold or silver for Christmas and New Year’s.”

Things that don’t add bulk, like some of the grasses, can be added to arrangements to extend the look of autumn, Holland suggested.

BRANCHES

“Plain old branches” and branches with berries, are great to decorate with, Holland said. “Just cut a bunch and hot glue them or use them as they are in a vase by themselves or in an arrangement,” Holland said. You can also spray paint these white for a different look.

PUMPKINS

“You cannot preserve the insides” of a pumpkin, Holland said, but carving a pumpkin from the bottom instead of the top can help preserve the life of your jack-o’-lanterns. “You want to seal in the moisture,” Holland said, adding that rubbing a low-odor oil or a melted soft wax like paraffin on the outside of the pumpkin might work to keep it from drying out too soon.

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

When Holland thinks of “preserving autumn” she thinks of all the things we’re harvesting now, including pumpkins, squash, apples and cranberries. Using the season’s fruits and vegetables to decorate is a way to bring the autumn colors into your home.

“You’re going to be indoors a lot more,” Holland said. Decorating with fruits and vegetables and adding them to your arrangements is a way to prolong the scents and smells of autumn. Making apple cider, putting cloves in an orange, or decorating with cabbages and kales are great ways to bring autumn indoors, she said.

Holland likes decorating with fruit. “There’s a term for using fruit in an actual arrangement,” she said, “It’s ‘della robbia.’” Putting a small piece of fruit like an orange or a pear on a long wooden skewer or long toothpick and adding it to an arrangement or vase will add fall colors, Holland said.

PLANTS

You can bring herbs such as rosemary and thyme inside, Holland said. “Rosemary doesn’t last outside” in the winter. Basil can also be brought inside, but it needs a lot of light. “Pinch it back and keep it small,” Holland said.

EXTENSION SERVICE

For questions regarding plants or insects and gardening questions, people can email the Extension at homegarden@maine.edu. Emails are sent to a team of master gardeners who will answer. The emails are reviewed twice a week, Holland said. They do not answer craft-type questions. For those questions she suggests going online.

“There are many groups out there for info on crafts,” she said. The Extension’s website (extension.umaine.edu) offers over 700 bulletins. “You can look up fall color and it will tell you why leaves change color, for example,” Holland said.

She suggested checking out the National Garden Bureau online at ngb.org for ideas on creating dark foliage gardens for winter and other gardening tips.