About five months after we first shared the exterior of our Florida house, our outdoor areas feel settled and much more lived-in. You’ve already seen our second-story deck come together, and today we’re sharing updates to the front porch, the covered side porch, and the new landscaping that ties everything together.
We focused on practical improvements, aesthetic touches, and a few projects still in progress. Here’s a look at how the front porch is shaping up:
Back in May the porch was basically furniture out of the moving pod and a few store-bought ferns. It felt functional, but sparse:
Now the porch feels connected to the lush surroundings—partly because we added large potted plants. Yes, the title promised “big plants,” and we delivered. Grouping oversized pots and several smaller planters helped the porch blend into the yard and created a welcoming, shaded seating nook.
Our outdoor spaces—front porch, side porch, and the upstairs deck—function like separate rooms. The big deck upstairs is our dining and larger-gathering space (it has room for an eight-person table and a conversation area), while the front porch is intentionally cozier: ideal for a morning podcast, a cup of tea, or watching the dog patrol the yard.
We purposely kept seating minimal—three chairs in total—so the porch remains intimate and useful without feeling cluttered. One woven egg chair has quickly become our favorite spot (and Burger’s go-to perch every morning).
Many of the pots now hold citrus—three Ponderosa lemon trees that neighbors say should ripen soon—and a thriving tree philodendron that’s grown dramatically since we planted it. Sherry slowly expanded our collection over the summer, sourcing most plants and planters from local nurseries and home improvement stores, and the results are already impressive.
Note: We blurred our house number in these photos for privacy.
We also planted privacy greenery along the property line to create a natural screen from the road. Here’s a wider view showing the new plantings and how they define the front yard:
Our front yard is shallow, so creating that green buffer between the house and the street was a priority. We also installed a simple paver path using 20 x 20″ white pavers to make a softer, curving line against the house’s straight edges. They’re easy to reposition now, and we’ll set them flush in a more permanent way later.
We extended a secondary path to the side yard where the kids’ beloved tree swing hangs. That swing gets heavy use for reading, snacks, spinning, and general lounging—definitely one of the best additions for family fun.
We’ve enjoyed a low-maintenance, naturalized yard—pine straw (local “pine needles”) is easy to replenish and fits the neighborhood’s Old Florida vibe. Many neighbors favor native plantings that thrive without irrigation, and we’re following that example so our landscape mostly sustains itself.
We also added a rain chain that funnels water into a planter with a drainage hole, keeping standing water—and mosquitoes—at bay. In the future we may use the drainage to water a small garden with a drip hose.
Now, the covered side porch. We painted the metal roof underside a soft blue (Sherwin Williams “Waterscape”) and primed first to tame the raw metal look. A ceiling fan was a priority—moving air deters mosquitoes and makes this uncovered-but-covered area comfortable even at dusk.
Painting improved the look, though the ceiling still reads as the underside of a metal roof. We’ll likely add beadboard or wood planks later to make it feel more finished and lean into the exposed-beam aesthetic.
We’re also planning a DIY hanging daybed for this covered spot—perfect for lazy afternoons—once the materials arrive. Reasons this spot works: a strong overhead beam for secure hanging, the ceiling fan for airflow, protection from rain, and privacy from nearby landscaping.
Opposite the chairs we placed an oversized woven storage box. It’s practical—stashing beach chairs, umbrellas, helmets, pool toys—and it visually conceals the electrical panels installed on the front of the house. The meter reader can still access everything easily, and we’ll share the next steps for hiding the newer generator panels soon.
One final area: our outdoor shower. After pressure-washing and a few updates, we added hanging planters that have thrived in the humid, sheltered spot. The outdoor shower is now a household favorite and a beautiful, plant-filled retreat.
We’ve come a long way in five months—especially our plants. Thanks for following along as our porches, paths, and plantings continue to grow into comfortable, low-maintenance outdoor rooms.
More Plant Guides
If you want to learn more about some of the plants we love and how to care for them, check out these guides:
- Fiddle Leaf Fig Care Guide
- Tree Philodendron Care Guide
- How to Build an Easy Plant Shelf
- Protecting Outdoor Plants in a Deep Freeze
- Getting Started with Houseplants, An Expert Interview
- My Favorite Faux Plants
- Easy Houseplants to Keep Alive
- 10 Houseplants for Better Indoor Air Quality
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