Last October we transformed our porch into a spooky display complete with pumpkins, spiders, and creepy branches (read about that here). Well, this summer we sorta achieved the same thing by accident. But more in an “is this house abandoned?” way. Here’s what I mean:
Our best excuse is that caring for a newborn resulted in us neglecting the porch plantings, meaning we got dead bush…
…after dead bush…
…after so-dead-that-the-squirrels-must’ve-taken-it-and-given-it-a-proper-burial bush.
It’s embarrassing, we know. So we bucked up and finally decided to rectify the situation. Not just for ourselves, but also to earn back some of our curb appeal for the whole Project Sell This House initiative. And all it really took was a quick trip to Home Depot to grab some colorful plants (two mums, a pansy, and a hosta to be exact):
The mums were for the two big square planters on either side. So the first step was to say good riddance to the old somehow-they-turned-orange boxwoods that used to live there. Sayonara suckers.
Now here’s where I normally would’ve dug in the new plant. However, we’ve realized that plants on this porch will inevitably have an expiration date. They don’t get much sunlight nor any water thanks to the roof above (although we do our best to water them ourselves), so we agreed it’d be silly to waste our time trying to establish a permanent bush again. Hence the reason we snagged this seasonal mum in a square container (see where I’m going with this?) so that we can just plop the thing right in over the leftover dirt, planter and all…
Voila. Instant update. And it can now easily be swapped out for other planter-ready pot when the seasons change (by us if we’re still here or by the new homeowner if we’ve already moved).
Plus because it’s still in the original container, we can easily take them out and place them on the lawn in the sun every once in a while to help keep them happy since the porch is such a shady place.
So anyway, with the mums just dropped in (which took about ten seconds), I did take the time to dig in the other plants since I wasn’t going to be able to pull off the same trick in those other containers. But they were small enough that it took almost no time. And I can also place them out in the sun a few times a week to keep them looking perky (and opposed to dead).
Then we gave the porch a good sweep to freshen it up a bit. Happily our painted stripes from last spring are still going strong and showing nearly no wear and tear, which is nice since we feared that the light colors might end up looking dingy. And after sweep-fest 2010, just like that we were back in business. No more unintentionally creepy porch.
It’s amazing how under $35 in plants (the mums were $12 each, the rest were $10-ish total) freed us from our previous porch shame.
We even proudly introduced ourselves to a neighbor the other day by saying “we’re the house with the yellow flowers on the porch.” Hey, it beats “we’re the house with the dead orange bushes.”
What’s the deal with your porch – or your front entryway in general? Anyone else with curb appeal shame going on? Or do you also have mums in action in an attempt to keep things looking good?
Erin says
In case you want something Halloweeny for the porch, might I introduce you to the “mumkin”. Hollow out a pretty pumpkin, plop in a container of mums, and bam! Mumkin. It’s a simple way to show off the holiday without being all “Look at this Halloween stuff!”
Alice says
Okay, Youngsters, fess up. Are your bricks really that red or is that Photoshop that makes them that bright?
Home Depot gives out guarantees?? Darn it! I bought two plants (various flowers mixed) and they started dying the second I got them home! $28 for the two and they were 98% dead in a week. You mean I could have returned them? I may have to dig them out of the trash can (along with the receipt) if Home Depot would give me my $$$ back.
YoungHouseLove says
They really are that red! We didn’t retouch any of these photos- just resized them! And yes, HD does offer a money back plant guarantee if you keep the pot and the receipt- hope it helps!
s
Jasmine @ Eat Move Write says
I love mums. They are such happy/pretty flowers. My favorite, though, are the white mums. I used them for my first wedding years ago and then planted them in my yard. Mums are hard to kill (thankfully), so I’m sure they’ll be happy if you just put them in the sun ever so often.
Smitha says
Hey Guys! Your porch looks great. Just got yellow mums myself for the front of our house and I also just plopped them in the stone urns that were already there. Any tips on keeping the mums healthy and happy? I always seem to kill them. As always, love your blog and am a daily reader!
YoungHouseLove says
We just give them water every day with our watering can and give them sunlight (by putting them out in the yard instead of under the awning) once or twice a week for a few hours.
xo,
s
Tara @ Tara Being Tara says
We had curb appeal shame until just recently – we finally got back into the habit of daily watering and now the flowers are back in full swing!
Patti says
hey guys, just saw the living room re-do that you did for that cute couple made it to dwellinggawker.com (it’s #553)!
YoungHouseLove says
Sweeet! That’s so exciting!
xo,
s
Julie says
The updated plants look great! Just in case you don’t know, hostas are usually shade-lovers, so you probably won’t need to sun it. :)
Sima says
When I started reading your post I thought you were serious about the porch being deliberately creepy, then saw the new plants. You guys make me laugh. I love this time of year and buying Mums. I have one near our porch in the ground that has come back for the last two years and this year its truly a monster, its actually falling over from its own weight. Yellow is my fav color for Mums, soo cheerful.
Stacey says
I have a fern on my apartment patio that I lovingly named Vern thinking that would make him live longer lol, but he doesn’t get a whole lotta sun and I sometimes forget to water him (oops). Hes still hanging in there but hes not very lush now. I’m thinking some plant steroids, aka miracle grow, and a regular watering schedule might be what he needs to get back to his former just bought glory, but I have yet to make the purchase/attempt. :)
Ruth says
The porch is looking spiff!
I’ve got a suggestion for you, though – you’ll have the best luck on your shady porch if you look for plants that require less sun – plus you won’t have to drag them out to sunbathe. It’s easy to spot them at the store/greenhouse… since the shop actually has to keep their plants alive and looking good until they sell, it behooves them to keep shade plants in the shade, sun-loving guys in the sun, etc (I don’t know if that’s the case at home depot, and the like, but definitely at an independent plant store).
The hosta is actually a good choice for shade – and pansies are ok in shade, but impaciens and begonias are better. Ivy, coralbells, foxglove, caladiums, coleus, and bleeding hearts are all good as well. Just double check the tag to make sure the plant is appropriate for your local temperatures and the amount of sun they’ll be getting.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tips Ruth! We had a few “shade-loving” plants out there to start, but they sadly bit the dust. I guess no sun and a bit of a drought in the watering department (thanks to the new baby) didn’t do them any favors!
xo,
s
Rita says
It looks awesome but the mums are not seasonal plants, they are perennials and will come back every spring and bloom in the fall. Of course, they love sun, so maybe you can find a sunny spot in the back yard for them to do their thing.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Rita,
Maybe it’s a regional thing? Here in Richmond we’ve tried every year to plant them after the fall season and they never come back. Sadness.
xo,
s
Cordia says
Our front porch has been one thing we havent done anything with yet since we moved in 6 months ago. Although it is small, I have envisioned a chair, maybe a small planter or two and a small table there. We did decorate a little for Halloween yesterday with a homemade scarecrow sitting on a chair on the porch, some fake cobwebs and lights, and a few mini pumpkins and gourds we got for free yesterday at the organic farm where we are CSA members. Hopefully this Spring we will do something to spruce up the porch.
Handy Man, Crafty Woman says
What a nice, easy project! Looks great, for very little $$!
Ana says
I have an empty pot on my porch right now. You’ve inspired me to get something to put in it. The problem is I have hands of death when it comes to plants. I’ve even killed succulents.
Christine says
I have complete and utter curb-appeal shame. The inside of my house is great now but the outside is blah as anything (though we’ve only been here a year and I’ve been out of work for the majority of that time, so… we have an excuse). Though we have done a few good things lately – I put three mum plants outside and an autumnal wreath on the (ugly) front door, and my husband finally got rid of the huge imposing bush next to our front steps so everything looks a little more open and friendly! Next steps: getting a large barrel of mums to put in that open space, and hopefully next weekend we’re power-washing and painting the front of the house (which also means no more shutters and some new house numbers!).
My ultimate curb-appeal goal though? New front door. Ours isn’t just ugly, it also lets out all our heat in the winter. Saving our pennies for something Energy Star rated…
Diana says
We are in transition. We had huge holly bushes and cedar trees in the front when we bought the place, now they are chopped down, but we haven’t replaced them.. it’s kind of sad, and the Hollies are coming back…
You can see it here: http://lifeofa20somethingwife.blogspot.com/2010/06/i-know-place-where-grass-is-really.html
Holiday says
It’s so funny you posted this today, because just yesterday I went out and got some pretty mums for my stoop. I live in an apartment, so no porch :(. But my humble stoop is very sweet-looking now, with yellow, burgundy and rust colored mums flirting with purple and red pansies. I also snagged some teeny ornamental pumpkins @ 2/$1 – bring it on, fall! I’m ready!
rhiannon says
Why not buy shade plants that could tolerate the low light on your porch? If you can’t water the ones you have, who’s to say you’ll pull the new ones out in the yard for sun? Just a thought. But I like the bright pops of yellow!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Rhiannon,
Now that our babe is a bit older and easier (and we’re better adjusted to the whirlwind that is parenthood) we’ve happily found the time to pop out onto the porch and water them once a day and give them some sun from time to time. Especially since our house is now on the market and it’s a priority! We did have shade plants out there before, but because the deck doesn’t get any sun (as opposed to partial sun which is what most shade plants require) they still had trouble even when we remembered to water them. Since the two larger bushes weren’t in removable planters they couldn’t be popped out on the lawn for sun from time to time like our new mums (since moving those giant planters was nearly impossible). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jen {Savvy Homegirl} says
This time of year, I always resort to mums if I’m in porch-hell. I’ve managed to mulch mine really well though, so they’ve come back two years in a row and it’s insta-colour when they start to bloom. My bf also brought me home a few pumpkins a few weeks ago, so they’ve dressed my porch up nice!!
Sabbath says
Have you ever looked into those patio plant watering kits? Does all the work for you. My porch is…well embarrassing as well. Being a first year nursing student has it’s definite pitfalls.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sabbath,
Haven’t looked into those yet- just trying to remember to pop out with the watering can once a day. So far so good…
xo,
s
Mary says
We have some square planters on our porch too. They have some green plants cascading over the edges, and some daisies that died. I wanted to put our pumpkin out front, so I just plopped them on top of the dead daisies. It looks liked of cool, and I figure when the green stuff dies, it will look even more fall like.
Gayle says
Have to say I’m good about watering and tending the pots on the front porch…because I love my plants. I’m NOT good about keeping the front porch swept up. Friends, family, and I use the back porch/door for the primary entry. I get out to sweep the front when it gets embarrassing and twigs/pine cones/junk create potential trip hazards. It’s such a shame. Gotta change my ways.
Rosemary says
This has nothing to do with the porch, though it looks great and reminds me I need some mums; I just wanted to share a link for you guys. I followed a link from another blog to this website, and it had a page full of white ceramic and china animals and other whimsical things. Maybe you’ve seen it already, but I wanted to share: http://www.curiosityshoppeonline.com/livingroom.html
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh love it! Thanks for the link!
xo
s
CampDallas says
Hahaa! My planters looked very similar a couple weeks ago. I told my husband that it was a part of the ‘harvest’ look. However, when I described my house to someone as the “grey ranch with white shutters and the dead plants on the front porch”, I decided enough was enough, and now CampDallas is all decorated for fall!
Taylor @ thehouseonpennylane says
I also did some sprucing up of my entry landscaping over the weekend. it involved every YHL readers’ favorite mode: work-with-what-ya-got. It’s still a work in progress, but I plan to write about it in my blog just as soon as I can take some pictures.
Stacie says
Your poor, dead plants make me feel better. :) I’m glad I’m not the only one who neglects to water at times.
Jen H. says
I’ve got big-time curb appeal shame. Much of the problem stems from the fact that our porch is practically falling down and needs to be completely replaced, so I don’t much bother.
Right now we have two mums (one of which I just popped into our urn, which is a pretty permanent fixture out there) and a cool collection of pumpkins (one giant orange one, a big white one, and a dark orange and bumpy one). So things aren’t all bad out there right now.
However, since we moved into this house five years ago, we’ve been meaning to change the hideous homemade mailbox with tole-painted address surrounded by pink flowers (barf). We even brought our nice Restoration Hardware box with us from our last house with the intention of swapping them out. But it still hasn’t happened. Sad, eh?? Part of the problem there is that we’d have to put new screws into the (heritage) brick, which stresses me out. Any tips for hanging screws on brick?? I’ve heard people say you should sink the screws into the grout, which is easily repaired, rather than ruin a brick.
Jennifer says
Why are the simplest ideas the last thing to be thought of? It never occurred to me to stick an annual/seasonal in its pot into a bigger pot! We just moved back to Australia after spending 2 1/2 years in the States. We’ve had tenants in our house whilst we were gone and our yard looks completely ghetto, no joke. The big plants that flanked the front door are dead (and gone) and I told my husband we were going to put in fake plants (we’re not good on the hand watering either). But now I’m thinking seasonal pots…. LOVE IT!
ashlee says
for the love of all things holy, sherry, you must help me! i’ve been reading your blog for quite some time now. you guys are awesome. i just bought a new house…and inherited wood window sills throughout. it’s sort of a knotty pine or cedar or something…i have NO idea how to plan my house around these window casings. i plan to renovate my kitchen and update flooring..but i’m not sure how to work it so i don’t have a billion different colours of wood going on! any advice?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Ashlee,
Just take things slow and decorate in stages. Bring in all of your existing furniture and slowly amass new things that look good with those sills. And remember you can always paint wood trim if you don’t like it or can’t work around it (some people love it and others prefer crisp white trim- we repainted all of our wood trim soon after moving in). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Cindy says
You’ve inspired me. I killed 2 plants on my front porch this summer and just left them. I stare at them daily and dream up ideas for a proper burial and replacement, but it never happens. This weekend I will do it!
Ange says
Your dead plants made me smile! I was so happy that you are like everyone else & not always running on magazine-picture-perfect style. As for street appeal, thanks to mother nature half of my front garden is literally in the street at the moment. We had alot of rain in Brisbane this weekend and the ground water ran so fast through our block it washed half of our garden away.Good news is; it’s a good opportunity to reassess and redesign or bring in some new plants.
Amanda H says
You know that great burst of energy you get in the spring to really clean up the outside of the house? Well, the BF and I had that back in March. The smaller planting area in the backyard got the brunt of the energy and turned out pretty well. But the front…well that’s another story. We had a few plants killed by all the snow last winter, and then we killed a few more, but they havne’t totally been taken out. We took out the pressure-treated wood (ew) around the tree in the front yard, but didn’t quite get around to getting rid of the stones that the previous owner had used instead of mulch. Let’s just say it’s an extreme work in progress, and I have high hopes for next spring…
Angela says
You know that hostas start dying back about this time every year, right? It will come back in the spring.
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, we have them everywhere so we look around at our others as a guide!
xo,
s
Holly says
I just scored 6 mums that same size for $2.50 each!!!!!!!!! What a deal :)
YoungHouseLove says
Total steal! Go Holly!
xo,
s
diane says
cute but I would get a new doormat, perhaps one of those rubber ones from Target that look like wrought iron to anchor the black porchlight and door knocker. the one you have appears too small. Also, how about a hanging plant in the corner above the two toss pillows to break up tht dead corner. Just suggestions from another eye looking at your photos.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Diana,
Great suggestions! We actually usually have feathery ferns hanging on both sides of the porch but the drought-like summer did them in like those sad little bushes on the porch. Someday we might get around to replacing them!
xo,
s
bungalowbliss says
You guys ARE human! Whew! I was beginning to wonder… :)
The new plants look fabulous! Love the mums and the happy yellow.
ashle says
hi sherry :) thanks so much for your comment above regarding painting wood trim. i don’t know how to respond up there after that post..hence the totally new one! haha.
painting them all is what i would eventually like to do. but i’m so intimidated by it because it’s the ENTIRE casing of the window, including the little bit on the part that opens (that makes no sense, i know!). do you have pictures of your window sill painting efforts? if so, can i see them? or do you have a picture of one up close now that it is finished?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Ashle,
We actually replaced all of our windows a few years back, so although we painted the original wood trim and window casing, the new casings were already white (no paint necessary) so we don’t have pics that will really help with yours. As for what we did though, we just painted everything on a nice cool day when we could keep the windows open so they could dry. Worked like a charm. Maybe you can google around for pics if you’d like to see other examples. Good luck!
xo,
s
Harper says
Wow, it sounds like we both went to Home Depot to spruce up our front porches this past weekend! And even better, we have the same Welcome doormat from Target! I just blogged about my curb appeal improvements this afternoon :)