Our little online diary covers both the big projects and the small moments, so here’s a quick update that’s short and sweet. Remember the petunia-filled mailbox bed? In June it looked full and cheerful…
…by August it was still doing its thing…
…and by October it had started to fade:
Womp-womppp.
The petunias were annuals, so they weren’t meant to last forever. Heavy rain washed out much of the mulch, and the plants thinned into a scraggly vine mess. Not the most attractive sight. But the “good” part comes next.
Luckily they pulled up easily. (Some photos were taken before we removed and transplanted several bushes nearby, which explains a few differences you’ll notice in later shots.)
We happened to get a Home Depot coupon for “Buy 2 Mums, Get 1 Free” — a perk from a garden club sign-up years ago — and decided to use it here. For about $14 we planted three sunny yellow mums at the mailbox. They brought back the cheerful fall vibe instantly, and yes, Sir Squirrel claimed the center spot among them.
Although the mums are perennials, we loved how the petunias filled the space over summer, so we’ll probably reintroduce some petunias in spring and move these mums elsewhere to enjoy them longer. For now, the autumn look with bright yellow mums is a win.
One issue we weren’t thrilled about was soil washout after heavy rains. The weed-blocking fabric was exposed near the drainage grate, which looked… not great. So we put together a small solution.
To prevent future erosion we reused leftover stones from a recent patio project to build a short stacked stone wall beside the mum bed. It’s simple, effective, and uses materials we already had on hand.
We waited through two big rains to test it, and the wall held up — it kept the soil from washing away. Small victory, but a satisfying one.
The spot looks better, though the mums could stand to be a bit fuller, similar to how the petunias filled the bed. Now that the stone wall is in place we might add more plants in spring and give the wooden mailbox post a fresh coat of paint.
Did you make any quick outdoor updates for fall? Were they mum-related, stone-related, or maybe involved a ceramic squirrel?
Sherry also promised more photos of the black feather wreath some of you spotted on the door. It’s a simple, thrifted black feather wreath from JoAnn, picked up on clearance after Halloween. She hung it casually over the door knocker and called it done — effortless and charming.
Sherry meant to tuck three small black spiders into the yellow mums for a little Halloween contrast but forgot before the photos — she did add them back before trick-or-treaters arrived, and kids seemed to love the spooky touches. All in all, the mailbox and front door are looking festive and welcoming, even if the doormat could use a refresh (or a new stencil job).
Psst — we painted the front door yellow and updated the handle and doorknocker in past projects, which gave the entry a brighter, more finished look.