My Front Porch

One of the things which attracted me to this house when I bought it was the front porch. I do love a porch!

Not just because of the 'cottage with a porch and a picket fence' concept, which is quite charming all by itself, but there are practical considerations too. A porch can help cool a house in summer, providing a shady semi-outdoor living space. In winter it keeps snow and rain off the entry, which is nice while you are fumbling for keys.

My porch is in scale with the house, about 14' long and 5' deep, with the front door centered between two windows. It is just big enough for a chair, my big hinged package delivery box (which does double duty as a table and extra seat) and plants. Lots of plants.

Here is what I see from inside my living room: Click images to enlarge

Here it is on the porch, there is a double pink impatiens placed underneath the wire stand where it gets all the water drips and some shade.

The 14" inside diameter container was a bargain, under $15. It is lightweight resin finished to look like highly glazed cobalt ceramic. It is planted with spiky Dracena, Artemisia or Dusty Millers for the silver foliage, cheerful yellow violas, a blue lobelia, a sweet potato vine, one bi-color pink geranium and a surprise which I will share with you another day.

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The Poetry of Summer

In lovely harmony the wood has put on its green mantle,
and summer is on its throne, playing its string-music;
the willow, whose harp hung silent when it was withered in winter,
now gives forth its melody -

Hush! Listen! The world is alive.


Thomas Telynog Evans; 1840-65
 Translated from the Welsh by Kenneth Hurlstone Jackson;
A Celtic Miscellany,(London: Penguin, 1971), p. 87.

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Targets

Today the weather is very dreary. I know rain is needed but does it have to be so dark while we are waiting for it?

Last week's goals:

1. Five more Summer Porch blocks - untouched, this needs a design wall and mine is presently full!
2. Ten more Domiciles blocks - done
3. Sand and paint the $1 coffee table I bought last week, I am thinking Swedish blue to complement the ratty carpet (which needs to be replaced.) - half done, needs a second coat
4. Continue weeding front flower beds, removing river rock 'mulch' and rotted shade cloth. - ongoing, this is heavy work and hard on my back.
5. Plant Asiatic lilies and some perennial flowers. - done
6. Make a climbing trellis for Moonflowers by the side door deck. - still thinking about the HOW

In this picture from top left, clockwise; P. ‘Old Scarlet Unique’; P. ‘Apricot’; P. ‘Red Flowered Rose’; P. ‘Dean’s Delight’ and in the center is P. ‘Peppermint’.

This week's goals:

1. Unpin the houses blocks from my design wall to make room for 
2. Five more Summer Porch blocks
3. Ten more Domiciles blocks
4. Plant the scented geraniums I ordered from Logees, some in pots and some in the flower beds.
5. Play with my Trip Around the World project

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Poppies

Fleeting, fragile symbol of bravery on Flanders bloody fields, the lush, crumpled poppies are here, ladies in red trembling and dancing in the slightest breeze. Click images to enlarge

I remember as a child playing with their fuzzy bud caps, pretending they were fairy rain capes and the seed pods, of course were fairy pepper pots.

Memories

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Garden Ball

I am very pleased with the way this craft project turned out. I found the idea here.

Click image to enlarge 

Mine doesn't look quite like hers, but I still love it!

The bowling ball Ken found for me at the farm was a deep red, not black, also many of my pennies are new and have not darkened yet, but they will in time.

Which reminds me, have you noticed we have a new style of pennies? If you enlarge the picture you may be able to see some near the center. They have funny looking shields on them with a banner bearing the words 'one cent'.

I filled and patched the two finger holes but left the thumb hole open. I will pound a short piece of skinny pipe into the ground near a sprawling peppermint scented geranium plant that has fuzzy silvery green leaves. Then I will hang the ball on the pipe and when the plant fills in around and beneath it the ball will  look as if it is magically suspended over the plant.

Shhh! Don't tell anyone the secret!


Y'all come back!