NoVA High-End Pumpkin Styling Business Prepares For Busy Fall Season

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — Fall may be two months away, but a business focused on picture-perfect pumpkin displays is preparing for its season.

The Posh Porch, a family-run business focused on high-end pumpkin porch displays in Northern Virginia and surrounding areas, is preparing to launch bookings in August for its fall packages. The concept launched last fall and has gained a notable base of clients.

Loudoun County resident and CEO Devon Szklennik told Patch the concept works for families with busy schedules.

"Maybe they have young kids, or they're working professionals, and they want this cozy period of time, but don't have the time or the tools to make it happen," said Szklennik. "So we were really born out of that, just trying to bring the joy of this incredible season to really busy families."

The Posh Porch comes at a cost for families seeking help with their outdoor pumpkin displays. The business' "Like It" and "Love It" packages start at $450 and $650 for deliveries of a mix of specialty pumpkins, but setup and end-of-season removal can be added on to that price.

The $1,500 "Gotta Have It" package includes hay bales and ornamental gourds in addition to the pumpkins plus setup.

According to Szklennik, the price of the packages is due to costs of pumpkins from partner farms, as well as paying staff to pick up and deliver pumpkins. An hourly set-up cost also supports the staff if the clients choose that service.

Clients may request add-ons like mums and hay bales with their packages. Custom packages are also offered for businesses, real estate agents and others with a specific vision for their space.

"We do a lot of businesses, so think, breweries or anything like that where it makes sense for them to have a nice fall presence visually on the outside of their business," said Szklennik. "So that tends to be a custom package, just to make sure we can meet their needs and their space. And then another thing that we love to do … as we're looking at our numbers, we'll work with local Realtors who have open houses in October, depending on the inventory we're sitting on, to come up with a smaller package than the [lowest package] for their open houses."

When The Posh Porch launched last year, Szklennik would drive around Northern Virginia looking for picturesque houses on high-visibility streets and offer pumpkin porch decorating for free. In return, the home would display signs with a QR code to market The Posh Porch.

Within a few weeks, the business was fully booked for its first season. Szklennik told Patch the business could serve 800 to 900 homes this fall and has the capacity to go up to 1,200 to 1,300. Clients come from all over the region, from Loudoun County, Great Falls and Arlington in Virginia to Rockville and Bethesda in Maryland.

"I assumed that we would grow slowly and sort of trickle over time, but the growth has been just extraordinary, especially even going into this season with the amount of people we have currently signed up for our client list," said Szklennik.

Well before residents are starting to make their fall preparations, The Posh Porch team is a step ahead. Szklennik says advertising for the fall season starts as early as April or May, then June and July is focused on connecting with warehouses where the pumpkins are shipped to. Client bookings begin on Aug. 1, although residents can join the client interest list before bookings. The business will be featured on Good Morning Washington on Aug. 25 just as the booking season wraps up.

This year, deliveries will start in late September and continue into the first week of October.

"We're considering opening up the second week in October, just because our volume is already looking so incredibly high, just to give people flexible options on when they want the pumpkins delivered," said Szklennik.

For clients requesting the end-of-season removal add-on, those services will happen in October and November.

The Posh Porch is run by Szklennik, her mother, Greta, aunt Juliana, her "chief pumpkin officer" dog Grizzly and seasonal employees doing warehouse work and deliveries. Szklennik says other relatives help out during the peak season, making it a family business in every sense.

This season is extra special for the family, as Szklennik is expecting a baby in the fall. She says it's a "joy growing both my family and this business at the same time."

"I was born and raised here, so this community truly feels like home," said Szklennik. "The Posh Porch is a family-run business that grew right here in the same place where I grew up — and where I’m now raising my own family. There’s something really special about serving neighbors I’ve known my whole life and bringing a little extra joy to the porches I pass every day."

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