Summer Favorites: Porch Time!

This is the first in a series of posts (irregular at best) about my favorite summer things. I’m starting with PORCH TIME!

I think of our porches as additional rooms, the best rooms, rooms that provide extra space and extra peace, whatever we need in the moment. A bit like Hogwarts’ Room of Requirement. In case you truly have been living beneath a rock, the Room of Requirement only appears when someone has a true need. It stands to reason that porches are always there because we always need a spot to rest and read, write and think, and watch the world go by.

See how that works?

I like my porches to reflect each season and holiday, and Independence Day is one of my favorites. Fourth of July is the brightest spot in summer, the top of the Ferris wheel, the cherry on the hot fudge sundae, the pre-party to my birthday shindig. And in my patriotic opinion, a splash of red, white, and blue goes with everything. Seriously, there’s no better place to drink coffee in the mornings and wine in the afternoon. 

Front Porch Time

Our house was built in 1875. Old houses beg for bunting. I bought new bunting this year because after fifteen plus years spent mostly in the Texas sun, we were due. More importantly, our Fayetteville house deserves it.

Two swaths of bunting, and she’s ready to receive visitors.

Tip: I buy flowers in spring with summer holidays in mind (Memorial Day /4th of July / Labor Day). In other words, I add lots of white and red flowers into the mix. They really pop once other patriotic touches are added.

Back Porch Time

This is my shady spot to sit, my place to read and sometimes write. The back porch is always a work in progress, always a little dusty or sprinkled with pollen, it seems. I swept up and added red highlights for 4th of July.

Easy patriotic touches:

• I draped our old (faded) bunting on the back of the glider for color. This glider is a hot mess and the cushions are stained, so I simply pile it with pillows and sometimes a quilt. It’s a great place to nap on a breezy day.
• I bought a package of 4 small flags for $3 at Lowe’s. These guys are fun to stick in pots.
• A red pillow on the glider adds seasonal color.
• On the white side table, my poinsettia. She’s super scraggly but I was determined to keep her alive til summer. Haha. Now she “goes” with my casual, comfy, a bit dumpy back porch theme.

Also on the back porch

I’ve been waiting to show you my wooden flag! This flag was handmade by Khris Goble, Delta Cypress Woodwork of Carson Lake, Arkansas. Khris designs and builds custom furniture and decorative pieces using reclaimed wood, mostly from Northeast Arkansas.

I still need to hang it. Khris affixed brackets to the back, but for now I have it propped on the back porch buffet. Finished with marine varnish, I could even hang it outdoors. (Click HERE for more info on Khris.)

To my friends in mosquito-infested places, I know porch sitting is next to impossible. Hopefully you have a heavy duty screened area and a magical way to keep them out? (If so, do tell so I can pass the info on to my Momma!) Here in Fayetteville, we don’t have much problem with mosquitos and that’s a HUGE perk.

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

P.S. Happy 20th Birthday to the first Harry Potter book! Can you believe? TWENTY YEARS.

[tweetthis]Summer favorite: porch sitting! [/tweetthis]

Musical Pairing:
Jamey Johnson, Front Porch Swing Afternoon