Living in a hollow nestled between two hills can create its’ own little microclimate. I wish I could say that we spend a lot of time on our porch during the summer months, but year after year, the mosquito population cuts our time on the porch in half. That is, until this year! Something has definitely changed, but I can’t put my finger on it. I don’t know if it is due to there being less standing water in the creek or the fact that my gut health continues to improve and get stronger, altering my natural scent making me less attractive to pests. Whatever the reason, you won’t hear any complaints from me!
With my new found freedom from feasting mosquitos and the fact that my husband has been working diligently on bringing back our “white” farmhouse, I had the opportunity to dress up the porch for summer. If you know me, I love to keep it simple and affordable!
My husband brought out with the tall ladders and got right to work scrubbing and hand washing our dingy farmhouse. We are on spring water and we have real cedar wood siding, so power washing was out of the question, especially during the dry summer months. Washing a whole house by hand is a huge undertaking, but this old house has needed a good wash since the day we signed on the dotted line. It has a pretty big surface area, so he has been tackling it in sections.
I just LOVE it! It feels so nice to drive by the white farmhouse as we come and go. There are some areas on the weather side of the house that will still need replacing, scraping, and repainting. He still has the backside and the side on the creek to wash, but it has greatly improved already.
We had to cut down that tree next to the house because it was damaging the foundation and the roof. These before photos from the realtor are great reminders of how far we have come in this homestead revival.
Even the humming birds are digging our freshly cleaned front porch. (smile)
I rarely get the farmhouse all decorated like many of my IG friends, but I do like adding a little charm to our outdoor space from time to time. If anything, it is welcoming to us and our guests that drive up our long gravel driveway. A homemade farmhouse sign, two cedar blocks my husband cut for simple stands add a bit of whimsy to this traditional, but simple porch.
Simple Hostas, a couple Creeping Jenny, and a few remnants of orange Gerber Daisies and Marigolds, transform my husband’s old galvanized bucket from his childhood into an eye-catching focal point to welcome our guests. I topped the planter off with mulch, to help lock in the moisture and prevent me from having to water everyday.
This metal mailbox has moved around a lot in our farmhouse. For now, it offers a nice pop of cheerful green on the side porch and adds to the simple view outside our kitchen window.
I love that I didn’t spend a lot of money! I splurged and spent about $40 on some new plants and flowers from Lowe’s and Walmart, but pretty much shopped our garden shed for old items to add some simple farmhouse charm. An old rusted watering can, a rustic star from Hobby Lobby from a few years back, and a bench that we have had since we first got married, that my dad sanded and refinished completes the space. All that is missing is some homemade lemonade and a good book.
This is a before photo from the realtor. The windows and front door were upgraded a few years back.
I love the blue hue on the ceiling planks! This color was popular back in the day and is said to repel bugs, but we have not seen any real evidence of that. It does however, pop nicely off the white cedar siding and complements the hanging green ferns.
I also love repurposing buckets, enamelware, and old crocks as planters! They add so much simple beauty to the exterior of the home. Proper drainage can be a problem if you don’t drill holes on the bottom of the planter, but if you are like us and want to preserve your vintage finds, you can easily add a layer of gravel, rocks, or stones before adding the potting soil. This will help divert the water from puddling at the roots.
Here is another before photo from the realtor. What a remarkable change!
Adding some summer accents to your porch doesn’t need to drain your energy or your wallet. Keeping it simple, using classic pieces that you can reuse each year for texture and layering, and getting creative with some easy DiY projects can help you make a unique and special space to enjoy during any season. I hope you enjoyed this summer porch tour in the hollow and hopefully it gave you some simple ideas to incorporate on your porch this year.
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