This pumpkin tower makes a grand autumn statement, and it’s fun to create. Here’s how to make it happen:

1. Choose a pot or urn that was planted this summer, and trim off all the foliage at the soil line, leaving the soil and roots intact. Do not disturb the soil—this mass will serve as an anchor for the tower.

2. Jam a length of rebar down the middle of the container, through the drainage hole, and into the ground (if possible). The length of the rebar should equal the height you’d like the pumpkins to reach, plus the height of the container, plus an extra foot for anchoring it into the ground.

3. Add straw to the top of the container as an accent and to protect the bottom pumpkin from the damp soil.

4. Collect a variety of pumpkins and squash with interesting shapes and colors.

5. Select a big, wide, flat pumpkin for the base. Push it onto the tip of the rebar and down the shaft until it’s flush with the straw.

6. Add more pumpkins and squash, alternating shapes and colors and in descending sizes, until you reach the top of the rebar. Finish with a squash that hides the tip of the metal.

7. As the weeks pass, replace any pumpkins or squash that begin to soften and rot.