Hope you all had a great holiday weekend. We spent time with family (more on that later this week) and are slowly regaining momentum after our big paneling project last week, but we did manage a small porch refresh. When we were house hunting last fall we took a couple of terrible photos of the porch:
On moving day we simply put the old wooden bench out (it used to sit on our first house’s porch) and left it at that. Pretty bland.
It looked pretty bleak, and we were ready for a change.
After living here for more than six months, we finally dragged our planters out of the basement and workshop. The funniest part: a hosta was still alive inside a sealed Tupperware bin we’d stashed away in December. Mr. Hosta survived in the dark — quite a resilient little plant. We hosed off the outdoor pillows and planters to remove dust and cobwebs. Most of the pots are from Home Depot; the square planters had been painted previously.
While John had the hose out he even topped off the bird feeder in the back. We teased him for looking like he was “relieving himself” — yes, sometimes we’re childish.
Next we stopped by Home Depot for a few inexpensive plants and shrubs to fill the pots we already owned. We found a colorful coleus for about $6 — one of those striking-leaf plants that remind me of my mom. We love how much personality a simple plant can add.
On the other side of the door we put Mr. Hosta back in a pot alongside a delicate, feathery shade-loving annual with small purple flowers (we didn’t keep the tag, but it was inexpensive and cheerful).
For symmetry we added two small evergreen shrubs on either side of the door. We misplaced the plant tag, but they should top out around three feet tall and about 16 inches wide — a size that should work well in the planters for several seasons. If they outgrow the pots we’ll transplant them and try something seasonal, like mums in fall or bright annuals for summer.
This isn’t a dramatic renovation, but it’s a nice pick-me-up until we tackle larger porch projects. We’re planning to remove the scalloped header above the porch, square off and bulk up the columns, and transplant the oversized bushes that crowd the walkway.
We’d also like to replace the small porch light with a larger lantern-style fixture — maybe add a matching light on the other side of the door for balance — and paint the front door, update the hardware, and possibly stain the concrete porch floor for a fresher look.
Our welcome mat from Target has held up surprisingly well. We rarely use the front door — at our last house we entered through the sunroom, and here we usually use the side door in the carport — so the mat doesn’t see heavy foot traffic.
All told, the planter clean-up and plant run took about two hours. Now we just need to remember to water them — which should be easy with our rain barrel providing free, collected water.
For longer-term curb appeal, we’d love to make the porch visible from the driveway. Right now it’s hidden behind a thicket of shrubs — admittedly our yard has a bit of a jungle vibe even after we limbed up the magnolia a while back.
Eventually we’d like to enclose the carport and create a proper garage once we finalize decisions about doors and windows. For now, this small porch refresh added welcome life and color. Has anyone else done a quick porch spruce-up recently? Do you use a different entrance than your front door? Any other hosta survival stories out there?
Psst — Clara painted us a little masterpiece that we added to our hallway frame wall. We’re so proud of our little artist.