Do the early days of harvest season have you in wholesome pioneer-woman mode, fussing over outdoor still lifes of pumpkins and gourds and bouquets of earth-tone Indian corn? If history is a guide, that lasts for a day or so. Then temperatures dip, you revert to 2003, and the outdoor decorations are left to sag — and eventually rot — on your front porch.

This doesn't have to happen with outdoor decor. Instead of showcasing, say, pine boughs that go brown, focus on pinecones: Gather evergreen cones of various sizes before snow covers the ground. Scatter an assortment on the soil of a window box or pot, making sure to save the tiniest ones, such as those from hemlocks, to sprinkle on top. If you don't have cone-producing evergreens in your yard, many garden and craft centers, websites (www.pinecones.com), and even chain stores (Wal-Mart) sell them for wreath-making and decorating.

Come spring, inspect the cones as you dismantle the display and discard any that look weather-beaten or rotten. Save the rest for next year's decorating (and never again qualify for the sorriest-pumpkin-on-the-block award).