spring porch refresh
Spring time is here and every year it is always a breath of fresh air for me- literally! After being inside from the cold for months, I am always so ready to get outside and enjoy the outdoors. Over the years I have learned that evenings on the porch watching the sun set are a lot better when you upscale your environment AKA- refresh your porch! Since moving into our new home last fall, we haven’t focused much on our exterior and I am excited to slowly make the outdoors our evening hang out. My favorite thing about our home is the location and nature that surrounds us so, it isn’t going to take much to get us feeling right at home this spring! Today, I wanted to share with you the few things that I added to my front porch that took it from dead to alive!
This was a picture of our most functioning door before any additions. This entrance is not the “front door” but is still connected to the front porch and where we find ourselves most days and also where most visitors enter thru, so I wanted to make this space more welcoming.
Invest:
The first thing I did was go to our local nursery and purchase new cement planters. You can definitely choose planters that aren’t cement and likely save money here if you choose. I chose cement planters, because I wanted planters that were durable and would last me years to come and also high quality enough to where they wouldn’t be faded from the hot evening sun by the end of the summer. While cement planters were an investment, I still scored both of these for under $150 for the 2 and I see these being on my porch for many many years to come!
I knew that my porch gets the hot evening sun so my plants would have to be tailored around this crucial factor. I also knew that I wanted a cedar tree by the door to achieve the look I was going for and to add some height. But… guess what doesn’t love hot evening sun? CEDAR TREES! So, this was a challenge I had to embrace and thanks to amazon a solution was made. The cedar tree you see pictured is a faux cedar tree that I purchased off amazon for less than $80! Again, this cedar tree will last me for years with ZERO maintenance required so it was definitely worth an investment for me! It also looks SO REAL, many people have been shocked when told it wasn’t a live cedar!
PRO TIP: When filling up your planters, do not start with expensive potting soil from the bottom up. Start with rocks, sticks, pine straw and other natural elements that you can get out of your yard for FREE! You don’t realize how much planters hold until you start filling them up and it becomes a waste of soil. Not only are rocks and sticks free, but they also serve as a source of nutrients for plants!
Bring it to life:
The next thing I did was incorporate some color with gorgeous flowers. When refreshing your porch with flowers and plants, make sure you are aware of where the evening sun sets (the hottest sun of the day) so you are able to choose wisely of what type of plants to buy. As I previously stated, this area of the porch gets the HOT Alabama evening heat. Even though they are under a covered porch the first part of the day, I knew I would have to choose plants that loved the evening sun beaming thru. I love mixed pots so I went with a variety of purple jew, petunias, waxed begonias, sweet potatoe vines, and geraniums.
PRO TIP: Make sure when choosing plants you mingle a thriller, filler, and a spiller!
Clean up:
After all my flowers were planted, I used a leaf blower to get all the extra dirt off the porch and then went back over it with a water hose to ensure it was nice and clean. With the thick Alabama pollen, it doesn’t take much to get your porch dirty so it’s also refreshing to give it a good rinse. I do this all through the summer time to keep everything looking nice and clean. The exterior is a lot like the interior in the fact that it’s hard to decorate if it’s dirty, so don’t skimp on cleaning your porch off before trying to decorate!
Add the extra touch:
There is nothing we can’t bring to life with a good ole trip to target and TJ Maxx! I picked up my layering rugs from target. While I prefer neutrals, you can get as fun as you would like with a new door mat and rug! Nothing says “welcome” like a clean porch and a new door mat for your visitors to see first thing! These copper lanterns were also on major sale at target so I picked up three to mingle around outside. I love adding a faux flickering candle in the evening and letting the sun set in the background for some true southern ambiance. Then I purchased these whimsy lavender filled purple wreaths (I also have 2 for the front door) at TJ Maxx for less than $20! I have enjoyed these wreaths all spring and can testify that they have been great quality without fading much so I will also be using them again next year.
PRO TIP: One way I get multiple years out of doors hangers and wreaths is pretty obvious, but by swapping them out every season or holiday. I have used these beautiful purple floral wreaths this spring but Memorial Day and summer is upon us so it won’t be long until the red, white, and blue makes it debut! Having a stash of your favorite wreaths for each season and holiday will make your porch feel refreshed more often and allow your hangers/wreaths to last longer.
These are just a few basic steps that can really elevate your porch and give you all the feels. From boosting my energy in the day, to giving me cozy comfort and ambiance in the evening, a porch refresh is life giving! Tag me on Instagram with your own porch refresh!
