Tag: front porch

A Small Garden Victory, a Formal Plan

I have a boxwood update for you. They bounced back! Two years ago, the hedges flanking the front walkway were overgrown and encroaching upon the sidewalk. I pruned them back, hard. Last year, they looked better. This year, they’re fully filled in!

So now that I’ve had a little success in the boxwood department, maybe I’m ready to go all-in? I’m in planning mode, wanting to work on the front garden this year. I was out there all day every day last spring and summer, cleaning things up, moving and planting. There are two distinct sides to our front yard, since we have an asymmetrical house on an asymmetrical lot. The smaller side has a blue gazing ball on a small fluted column with a ring of flagstone around it. Near the gate, there is a dwarf lilac, a rose bush, and clematis that climbs and covers the fence. It was never very clear what was supposed to be going on in the middle portion, and I let things grow last year to see what they were. Guess what grew? Weeds! There are also some scraggly bushes near the house that I’m not a fan of, and I’m thinking it’s a good time to go at it with an overall plan.

I’ve been reading up on various styles, researching period Victorian gardens, and I’m drawn to formal layouts. Do a quick search of “parterre” on Pinterest, and there are tons of inspiring images.

The layout is really the key though, not necessarily the hedging. Here’s another example with just a few boxwood balls.

I can’t think of any other formal front gardens in the area, but maybe that’s not a big deal? Our house, with our next door neighbor’s, are the only ones with a front fence too, and it’s not like there’s all that much cohesiveness on my street as it is now anyway. I love the idea of a centering a flowering tree.

Images: Formal Front Garden Parterre — Brocaatje Landelijk Brocante Wonen • Garden Design Dublin

April 10, 2017
Swing!

Last summer, I was thinking about adding a porch swing out front. I searched out my favorites and was getting ready to make a purchase, but added expenses with our second floor remodel put decorating on hold. It got pushed back a year, but we’ve got a swing chair now, and it is wonderful.

There was a new model out this year that I preferred the look of, but the one I chose was more comfortable. The seat is deeper, and there are cup holders and pockets along the sides for magazines.

When I was pregnant, I would imagine how nice it would be to swing gently on the porch, baby in my arms. The reality surpasses the expectation.

We could have found a stud in the porch ceiling, but with the added height, the swing would have had room to bang into the house or the railing. The kids and their friends spend a lot of time playing on our front porch, and that seemed like an inevitable cause of injury, damage to the house, or both! I bought the matching stand so that the pivot point would be lowered, and the swing didn’t have as far to move. It gives us added flexibility too, so if we want to rearrange the porch or move the swing somewhere else (like the backyard), we could.

July 17, 2015
Giving a Little Attention to the Front Porch

I’m hosting a Garden Party with The Home Depot on May 10, as part of their #SpringMadeSimple events. There’s going to be a chef with garden-to-table ideas, an expert gardener to answer questions, and we’ll get some ideas and help with a few gardening projects.

Since I’ve been in kind of an outdoor mindset, I figured it was time to give a little attention to the front porch. It was so pretty when we first saw this house last summer! The garden was green and lush, and there were roses arching over the entry. It was kind of ridiculous how pretty it was.

Nothing is in bloom out front yet though, and it’s pretty apparent that the porch is lacking when not surrounded by greenery. It curves around the side of the house, but then stops short of actually being a wraparound, so the layout is a little funny. Right now, it’s furnished with two Adirondack chairs that were left by the previous owners, and an empty black planter. That’s it.

It will be much nicer when the trees leaf out, but man, how I wish I had these crazy benches right now. Or an insane peacock chair or two to go out there. Really though, those Adirondack chairs aren’t what I would pick but they’re fine. I think a couple of pillows, plants, and a new doormat could go far, plus we have some stuff from the last house that might work.

I’m going to go pick up some plants tomorrow so the house will look nice for Eleanor’s birthday party this weekend, and I’ll spruce up the front porch a bit. I’ll share the space again next week, after it’s done! And then next weekend, I’ll be at the Chicago store on Lincoln & McCormick from 1-4. You can find out more and RSVP. It’s going to be fun, and I hope to see some of you there!

Sponsored by The Home Depot

May 1, 2014
A Few Updates for the Front Porch
The nice weather kind of happened all at once here, and now I’m realizing that the front porch needs a little sprucing up. New pillows, a few new planters, and a wire bunny I’ve had for a while will do the trick. I’m going to spend the day out there cleaning, and also tending to some landscaping out front.
May 16, 2013
Woodpecker Door Knocker

I hung up our new woodpecker door knocker yesterday.

Brandon’s response: “I don’t hate it.”

Score!

November 9, 2010
Spooky Halloween Front Porch for BHG
My fourth and final project for Better Homes & Gardens can finally be revealed! I decorated our front porch for Halloween with 2D and 3D spooky crows on twisted branches. My porch is up against the other three bloggers’ projects, so please vote for your favorite at bhg.com.

In addition to the crows, several rats can also be found cavorting about. Even Bernard the monkey (I picked him up on clearance over the summer at Z Gallerie) has found a small furry friend.

The project was pretty straightforward, but here’s how I did it…

Supplies
- black construction paper or poster board
- scissors
- pencil
- transparent tape
- large branches (the gnarlier, the better)
- black spray paint (optional)
- fake crows
- wire (if your crows do not have it already)
- planters and bricks/rocks for bases
Instructions
- Sketch a barren tree and a couple of crows onto your black paper.
- Cut out your shapes and affix them to your door or window with transparent tape.
- If you need to darken your branches, spray them with a bit of black paint and let them dry.
- Fill your planters with rocks or bricks and insert your branches.
- Perch your birds in the branches and secure them with wire (my birds’ feet had wire built-in for this purpose).
I also took off our screen door (it was blocking the view of the silhouetted birds), and I made new curtains for the front door and window.

Remember, you can vote every day until Halloween for your favorite project at bhg.com. Now I can’t wait to answer the door for the neighborhood trick-or-treaters on Sunday…
October 26, 2010