Autumn decorating doesn't have to mean buying pumpkins, scented candles and a new collection of cushions. Some of the best things to bring into the house are already waiting in the garden, hedgerow or fruit bowl.
There comes a point in October when the garden starts looking rather more interesting on the ground than it does in the borders. Leaves are changing colour, seed heads have dried into peculiar shapes, and the last few apples are hanging on despite increasingly determined weather.
It's also the time of year when shops begin suggesting that our homes need an autumn makeover, usually involving an alarming quantity of orange.
But bringing autumn indoors can be much simpler than that. A few branches in an old jug, a bowl of apples on the kitchen table, or some dried seed heads rescued before the next gale can do the job rather better than a cupboard full of seasonal decorations.
And the nice thing is that none of it needs to match.
Start with what the garden is giving you
Before buying anything, have a look around outside.
Hydrangea flower heads are beginning to fade into muted pinks, greens and browns. Honesty has developed its papery seed cases. Grasses are turning golden, while rose hips and crab apples are providing some of the brightest colour left in the garden.
These are the things worth bringing inside. Take only a few stems and leave plenty of seed heads and berries for wildlife.
Hydrangeas are particularly good at this. Their fading flowers often become more interesting as the season progresses, with colours that are difficult to reproduce artificially.
Cut mature flower heads on a dry day, remove the leaves and try arranging them in a vase without water. Not every variety dries successfully, but those that do can last for months.
Honesty is another favourite for autumn arrangements. Once the outer seed-case layers have fallen or been carefully removed, the translucent inner partitions catch the light beautifully, particularly on a windowsill.
Even a few bare twigs can look good in the right container. There's no need to turn them into an elaborate floral display.
The trick is to choose things with interesting shapes rather than simply gathering as much as possible.
A bowl of apples is decoration enough
A bowl of apples on a kitchen table is one of the simplest autumn arrangements, largely because it isn't really an arrangement at all.
British apples come in colours that no homeware manufacturer needs to improve upon: deep reds, pale greens, russet browns and the occasional rather battered yellow.
Mixing different varieties looks particularly good, especially if some still have their leaves attached.
There is, of course, one small practical problem. Apples are food, and a warm kitchen isn't the best place to store them for long. Enjoy the display, eat the fruit, and keep any apples intended for longer storage somewhere suitably cool.
The same applies to pears, quinces and small winter squashes. They can be attractive in their own right without being transformed into an elaborate centrepiece.
A slightly wonky home-grown squash is often much more interesting than a decorative pumpkin that has travelled halfway around the world.
Bring in branches, not entire trees
One of the most effective ways to change the feeling of a room is to put a few autumn branches in a tall jug or vase.
Branches from your own garden, or taken with the owner’s permission, are the simplest option. Don’t cut stems from public hedgerows or woodland without permission, and follow any local restrictions on collecting. Field maple, beech and other trees can provide beautiful colour, although leaves collected after they have begun drying may curl or fall quite quickly indoors.
For something longer-lasting, look for branches with interesting structure, or use garden-grown stems carrying seed heads or berries.
Don't feel obliged to fill every corner. One generous branch on a sideboard can have far more impact than six small arrangements scattered around the house.
And remember that anything brought indoors from the garden may arrive with passengers. Give branches and seed heads a gentle shake and inspection outside first. Keep potentially toxic berries and plant material away from children and pets, and avoid using plants you cannot identify.
Make use of what you already own
Autumn is a good excuse to bring out some of the things that spend the summer at the back of cupboards.
Old stoneware jugs, earthenware bowls, wicker baskets and glass preserving jars all make useful containers for seasonal finds.
A collection of small bottles can hold individual stems. A shallow dish can display a handful of attractive fallen leaves. An old wooden tray makes a good home for apples, nuts in their shells or small squashes.
None of these things needs to have been bought specifically for autumn.
In fact, the less coordinated everything looks, the better it often works. Real homes accumulate objects over years, and there is no reason seasonal decoration should pretend otherwise.
What about conkers, acorns and pine cones?
These are the things children tend to bring home in pockets, usually accompanied by a surprising amount of soil.
Conkers have a beautiful polished finish when freshly collected, although they gradually lose their shine. Acorns and pine cones are equally appealing in small bowls or jars.
Collect modestly, from places where you have permission, and leave plenty behind. Fallen nuts and seeds are food for wildlife and part of the woodland's natural cycle.
Once home, check for insects and dampness. Spread your finds out somewhere airy before displaying them rather than putting wet woodland material straight into a sealed glass jar.
Conkers and raw acorns are not suitable snacks. Both can poison dogs if eaten and can also cause blockages, so keep them out of reach of pets and young children. If you suspect your dog has eaten either, contact your vet promptly.
There is no need to preserve every natural object indefinitely. Sometimes a few weeks on the windowsill is quite enough.
Let the season look like itself
Perhaps the biggest mistake with autumn decorating is trying too hard.
Real autumn isn't uniformly orange. It includes faded greens, grey skies, dark berries, brown seed heads, pale grasses and leaves that have gone almost purple.
It also includes things that are imperfect.
An apple with an odd shape, a slightly twisted branch or a dried flower head that has lost half its petals can be much more appealing than a perfectly symmetrical arrangement.
And unlike shop-bought decorations, these things are supposed to change. Leaves curl. Flowers fade. Apples get eaten. Eventually, suitable untreated plant material can go back to the compost heap.
That's part of the appeal.
You don't need to redecorate your home to mark the season. Sometimes it's enough to bring in a few things from outside and give them somewhere to sit.
Just perhaps check for spiders first.
More autumn reading: What to do when somebody gives you another bag of apples and What to do now in October.
Further guidance: Woodland Trust collecting guidelines, and Blue Cross advice on conkers and acorns.