Decluttering: The Front Porch---Welcome Home---
Our decluttering assignment continues after we took a much needed break. With the wonderful weather approaching and spring in the air...it is time to work on the Front Porch! Here is the assignment I posted to our MIH Support and Encouragement Group...
I do hope you all have had a nice break from our decluttering assignment...I can say it was much needed here with everything we had going on in our home this past week. I needed to set some things aside to work on my schedule and allow the changes to work within my home.
I think that most of us, here in North America, are past or close to being past the frost dates and can safely start working on our gardens. Many of us are experiencing spring like weather already. So...outside we go!
The Front Porch
Let's take a look at your front porch or walkway into your home...the part that your guests enter upon before walking through your front door way. How is that looking? I know that many of us hear the saying...
You can't judge a book by it's cover
...but that cover can many times tell us what is going on inside too!
Assignment:
1. Take a picture of your front yard and door way.
2. Place it on your computer and take a good look at it.
If you do not have a digital camera or ability to take a picture...ask a friend or neighbor to tell you what they see. Remember you are asking them so you can't be offended by what they say. If you have a friend who is in Real Estate have them come by and give you their opinion on what they see needs to be done.
3. Make your lists out on what needs to be done and break it down into bite size pieces. Some of the things on your list will not be able to be done immediately...we are going to concentrate on the things we can do now to make our front entry way inviting.
Do you have old pots with dead plants in the front? Weeds? Old dead vines that have taken over? Trash? Cobwebs? Dirt? Porch furniture that could use a good cleaning? All these things you can address now. This is a great project to get your whole family involved in.
A great tip to keep up the maintenance in your garden is to spend 5 minutes weeding. We all can do that and you will be amazed at how nice everything begins to look when you do this.
On another note...
This morning I sat on our side porch with my Bible, coffee and little Miss Rosie (one of our dogs) and enjoyed reading while listening to the birds and watching them find their breakfast. I dug up a flower bed on the side (earlier in the month) and added a bird bath and a few plants (foxgloves, bleeding hearts, phlox, dianthus, etc.) and love to see the end result.
 
I know that many of us don't really think about our yards as being individual rooms but think about how you can make your front entry/porch a room in itself. Create something beautiful and inviting for not only your guests but your family as well and then go out and enjoy it!
xoxo Cat 
After making your list out and deciding upon what you can do now vs. later...let's get started on decluttering! Get rid of any trash that may be in your front yard and porch. I remember a visit I made a few years ago to drop off some paper work and immediately as the children and I pulled up into the driveway, my oldest said, "Mom...you're not going in there are you?!" The grass/weeds were several inches long with not only trash littered all around the yard but right at their front door was a trash can full of trash. Bees and flies were everywhere making it nearly impossible to go to the front door. Maybe that is exactly what they wanted...I don't know but it was a sure sign that visitors were not welcomed. Keep in mind that even a bare entrance can seem cold and not welcoming too.
Remove all the junk and clutter from the front and give your lawn a nice cut and trim the edges. As Blaine cuts our yard I like to help out by using a rotary blade that wedges between the grass and sidewalk and makes a nice indentation between the two. It keeps the grass from creeping over the sidewalk/walkway and just looks nice and finished. Plus...it is great exercise for me! 
Weeding...take 5 minutes per day to do this if you can. When you walk out to the mailbox weed as you go along the way. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish and how nice things will start to look in just 5 minutes. Those 5 minutes add up to 30 minutes a week (excluding Sunday). That can make a huge difference by the end of the week!
If you have any porch furniture...give it a good once over. Does it need to be repainted or will a good scrubbing get the job done? We love our front porch and love to sit out and talk. Neighbors who walk by or just stop by for a visit have room to sit with us for a nice glass of southern sweet iced tea or cup of coffee. I try to have plenty of both on hand for such occasions. Add some nice pillows and maybe some outdoor lamps or candles and you have created an outside room.
 
We have two entry ways on to our front porch which you can see in the picture above. I am in the process of making both walkways welcoming with a few extra touches here and there...
 
I dug out two small flower beds in the front walkway and added corner fencing. I didn't want anything too big because the sidewalk and road are rather close to one another and something too big would not give those walking by much room. I wanted just enough to add a nice touch. I have some gladiolus growing up between the fencing and some daylilies which I placed in front of the glads to help give them some support as they grow. The gladiolus' will be taller than the daylilies and today after a nice morning shower I planted Inca Gold Marigolds - they will be shorter and fill the space nicely. Marigolds are wonderful annuals to use in your garden because they will stay blooming throughout the spring and summer season or until the frost hits in the fall. When the bloom fades...simple pinch it off and before you know it...another bloom will takes its place. I do the same with the petunias I have planted in the hanging baskets and on the 2nd story porch/widows peak.
(Rosie...my little shadow and helper!)
I have several different types of outdoor flags I use to mark holidays, seasons and events. On or around May 1st I change our front flag for Memorial Day, Flag Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day...one flag can be used from May until September.
 
 
I also have a small garden flag (matching the one used in the front) that I used to use on our mailbox when we lived in Florida...now it goes into a garden area in our back but can still be seen as people pull into our driveway...
I have pansies growing on one side of this wonderfully old Maple tree we call "Bruce." On the other side, facing the early morning sun I have planted some Moss Roses. This area is a bit drier and receives more sun...a good spot for these dry loving plants.
On the side entry way to our porch...I have planted some Canna Lilies along the walk way because the area along the walkway tends to stay very soggy after we have a rain. The Cannas will help soak up the excess water and not only look pretty but will love having it's feet wet. You can use all sorts of things to make the entry towards your front door welcoming...
 
We have a fence between our yard and the church...right on the edge I planted two Stella d'Oro Daylilies...I thought this would be so nice to see as you pull up into our driveway...
They are small now but will grow taller and fuller. It has several buds on it now and are so pretty. Most of the plants I choose to have outside are the low maintenance kind. Right now our lives stay pretty busy and I need plants that do not require a lot of time and care but yet will look nice too. This is my time and season right now and I'm all for making things a bit more simpler.
Plantings can make an area that looks bland...pop with color. Corners that seem sharp can be softened by using different heights and fullness...just like we do in our homes...the same can be done on the outside too! For areas that are ones you wish to cover...
...add plants and or a trellis or two to cover up the not so pretty but very useful things we need around our homes. Here I have planted clematis to grow up along the trellis...now to have patience while they grow and fill in! That is the hard part for me...knowing how pretty things will look and waiting for them. We have air conditioning units on the side of our home that will soon be covered with Lilac bushes...one of which has the most fragrant purple blossoms on them right now! I know that when that those bushes get bigger...the scent from the bushes will drift into the opened windows or over to us as we sit on the porch.
I like to think about what a person sees and the fragrances they smell as they walk up to our home. I hope our home says "Welcome! Please come in and join us for a visit!" and not one that shows that no one cares and really does not wish to have any company.
If you haven't a clue as to what to do...take a drive or walk around different neighborhoods and see what others have done. Read through garden magazines and books (at your local library). As you go through local gardening centers, look to see what type of plants they have available...these are going to be ones you can use and grown in and around your home. Talk to one of the nursery staff and ask questions.
I would pick one area to work on...find out what type of sun it gets and how long. Is the area dry or soggy. What kinds of weeds are growing around the area? Dandelions are a sign that the soil needs lime...so plants that don't require lime would be a good thing to grow here. If the soil is acidic...acid loving plants like hydrangeas, azaleas and cherry/apple or dogwood trees would love to be planted in or around this spot.
Maybe gardening is not your cup of tea? Try using containers or pots. You can buy these pre-planted in many of your local garden supply stores. Just make sure you plant them in the right kind of sun for their type and...be sure to water them regularly. Container/pots soil not only gets dry quickly but will also need to be fertilized from time to time.
And the final piece to any front door way?
My Love To You All,
Catherine
(Our evening coffee on the front porch with Rusty and Rosie...)
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