The Spring In Your (Porch) Step
There is nothing quite like the first days of Spring, when the air carries new warmth and the evening sun lingers a little bit longer on the horizon. Spring absolutely breathes new life into everything, and our spaces expand as windows open and patios and decks get more company. To get the absolute most of the months ahead, it’s time to start tidying up the exterior areas around your home and reenvisioning the outdoor spaces you want for May, June, and July.
The Spring Tidy
For some reason, I notice the dusty baseboards in my home more this time of year than any other. Maybe it’s because of the new light pouring in more hours of the day...maybe it’s because it’s in our nature to start cleaning up this time of year. And while there’s always plenty to do inside (my list keeps growing), it’s important to get outside as well. I like to plan one space per day over the course of a few days or weekends. My front screened-in porch is always high priority, as it’s essentially the first “room” of my home and can completely set the mood as I walk into the house. Porches get so grimy in the Fall and Winter! A thorough sweep and scrub is essential, if not a completely hosing down of the floor. Removing all of the furniture from your porch or deck and “starting over” after a complete wash can give your space a fresh start and help you see where you may better position chairs or tables.
Making Beautiful
New seasonal pillow covers and an outdoor rug (often available at discount stores) are quick ways to bring a whole new feel to your outdoor space!
After placing my furnishings back in place, I often change out a few decorative items on the porch. New seasonal pillow covers help give a boost of design and also keep you from purchasing entirely new pillows. In fact, I usually store last seasons’ covers right beneath the ones I’m using on the pillow. A matching tablecloth or a new outside area rug adds something fresh...even if they are items purchased years ago that you bring out specifically for Spring and Summer. I vacuum my outdoor rugs or throw them in the washer periodically throughout the season to keep them from looking completely worn out. Finally, I begin to set some of my house plants back out on the porch after the last frost. Green leaves on the porch add charm and keep my plants healthy and happy until late October. A pretty, inexpensive pot or two will add intention to your decor and I like to keep a jar for rocks my children find outside and a magnifying glass so they can better inspect bugs or leaves they discover while playing.
The Garden
Creeping Jenny is a lively and simple way to bring color to outdoor pots.
I’m not a great gardener but when I do get something to grow well, it’s enormously satisfying. So I tend to find certain (hearty) varieties and stick with them year after year. Impatiens spread like wildfire and keep your beds or window boxes looking abundant well into late summer. Dipladenia is a gorgeous flower akin to Mandevilla that blooms non-stop all Summer and features large, bright blooms. I add these to pots on my front porch steps and hang a few in my backyard. New ferns get set about in big white pots on my back patio and if I decide to seed anything, now is the time to start germination. Creeping Jenny is one of my favorite ground coverings to add to pots. It spills out of containers with bright green foliage all throughout the Spring and Summer and often comes back annually. Some years, I even harvest some Creeping Jenny for small pots to keep inside of my house during cold months. I love it trailing down my bookshelves or weaving itself around my mantel for the gray, short days of Fall and Winter. A little bit of Spring never hurts any season you find yourself in.
Your outdoor aesthetic can change every year as you plant new flowers, paint outdoor furnishings, or replace decorative details. But this Spring, a little planning, a little work, and a some reimagining will assure you have some gorgeous exterior spaces all the way into Fall.