May 15, 2016, posted by Gina – We loved our new home the moment we stepped in the door and in fact, upon our first visit told our real estate agent we finally found The One after a two year search. One of the things that we really loved was the outdoor screened-in porch. It has been wonderful for entertaining and while we wouldn’t have guessed, a great place for teenagers to hang out. Our youngest son and his friends have spent countless hours on our porch and I am so glad they like spending time out there.
While the porch was love at first sight, the backyard was another story. There was no patio and not much landscaping. So, a priority after moving and settling in was looking for landscape architects and we eventually met with three different companies. The one we choose had great ideas for our patio area that included the addition of a warm and welcoming fireplace.
That’s Emma by the way, our house proud Lab.
I had not given the porch a proper cleaning since winter so it was way past due and this weekend was the time. It felt so good to clean everything up and put out a few plants to liven things up. It’s such a comfortable, relaxing spot for us and our guests to enjoy. When I finished cleaning the porch, I moved on to the patio. Once the fireplace and pollen covered patio furniture were cleaned, I freshened up the area with a few new plants and planters.
I have an array of colorful perennials in my yard and they take turns on being the star of the show beginning with camellias as early as January and moving on to azaleas, roses, hydrangea and iris in early spring then daylilies, agapanthus and chaste lilacs appear by mid-spring.
I planted angelonia, petunia and sweet potato vine in a few planters on the porch stairs. Before long, these flowers will be so thick that I’ll have to cut the sweet potato vine from time to time. I also put some some zinnias surrounded by burlap in a wire planter in another area. This makes a perfect, simple summer floral arrangement.
I will admit that I procrastinated but am so happy that the cleaning and sprucing up the planters is done…it basically gives us two outdoor rooms to enjoy. Summer, here we come!
