Autumn Greetings from the Cottage Front Porch

Hello friends, so hard to imagine we've now moved into October, my favorite month of the year. And my favorite season to decorate the front porch. Welcome to the "Falling for Porches" Porch Hop hosted by our dear friend Laura from Decor to Adore.

Autumn Greetings from the Front Porch

Decorating the front porch for Fall has been a work in progress this last month since we were gone for a week. It started in early September with a change up for the pillows on the metal depot bench. By the end of summer the porch and flowers start looking a bit tired and in need of a pick-me-up. I like keeping a lighter look in September because the temps are still really warm, but I'll add a few darker colors as it gets further into October.

Fall Cottage Front Porch

It's taken me a minute to get things rounded up for the Fall Front Porch this year. Every project takes me three times as long since the back surgery. I'm on track with recovery, it's just a lengthy recovery and I can't move too fast or work too long. I started with a few mums which replaced the sad moth-eaten impatiens that we planted in the vintage concrete pots on either side of the steps. Then I added a few pumpkins, but before I even finished up the first stage of fall the squirrels had started eating them.

Fall Front Porch and Landscape Beginnings

With temperatures in the 80's and 90's till a week ago, it's taken me a bit to get my front porch decorated for Fall. I didn't go all out this season because I knew that we would be starting our landscape work here in October... and then last weekend we had a killing frost that took out my flowers out back. Thankfully I went ahead and covered the mums out here, not really thinking it would get that cold.

Wagons and Wheelbarrows for Fall

Hi Friends and Happy Weekend!

I've been working on my front porch today getting it ready for Fall, and I really really wanted to bring out one of the goat carts for display, but I have hesitations because we live on a street with lots of school traffic. I've had things disappear from front porches before, so I thought I'd share a couple of peeks of what I'm doing on the porch, then share some pics from some of my previous cart and wagon fall

 displays.

Finally... the Fall Front Porch

I was beginning to wonder if I was EVER going to get things together enough out here on the front porch to actually get a few pics taken, and call it a "post". I had my mums out and planted by the first week of September, found some fun pumpkins at the farmer's market down the road, and even had my door basket decked out for Fall with some new brown plaid ribbon. And then the unthinkable happened...

Vintage Metal Bench on the Fall Porch

I finally have some pics of the front porch and the "new/old" bench dressed for Fall.

It's taken me long enough, if I'd waited much longer we could go straight to Christmas!

Fall Container Plantings

I've been searching inspiration for doing some plantings for Fall out front

and I came across literally hundreds of examples of containers filled

with all the gorgeous colors of Autumn.

I tried to keep it to elements that were actually plantings,

so I thought I'd share just a little of all the many beautiful ideas.

Front Porch for Fall

I finally have the front porch put together.

It's a small little porch, and I've been warned  asked

not to cram too much out here.

That's a hard one...

It's Fall,

 and that means mums,

 pumpkins,

 and my black wagon.

Fall Front Porch at the New House

The landscaping is in (except for the new maple we're waiting for) and I had time to run by the pumpkin market for a few mums and pumpkins. It's not a huge display, but just enough to make it feel like "home". It's pretty sparse compared to year's past, but all my concrete urns are still hiding out in storage. I also still have to figure out what will fit on the small front porch. I will probably just paint one of my wooden benches the charcoal gray like the door and new shutters. I need some little something out here, but I don't want to clutter up the small space. We still have to repaint the outside lanterns, they have a pretty tired finish that needs spiffing up.

If you missed the before shots of the sad shutters and front door, you can see how the new Benjamin Moore paint, Iron Mountain, really enhances the brick and railing, and pulls it all together.

before

As our contractor so aptly put it. 

"The shutters and door are beyond "distressed, this is "neglect". 

New paint and newly built shutters...so much better.

I had a few Fallish silk florals that I stashed in my basket, then grabbed some wide bright orange ribbon. It helps dress up the porch a little, give some Fall color, and it also keeps someone from being able to see inside, when you're standing at the door. Sorry, I don't like people peeking inside....eck. (I just used one of the large "Command" hooks for this basket)

Hubbs carted over my concrete bench for the rocked area... What do you call this space between the walkway and the garage? This is a popular landscape feature around here. Anyway, I'm hoping to plant some lillies and a few perennials out there when I get time. The boxwood shrubs are baby size, but will grow fast. Now you can see the rock accent areas under the windows, instead of ugly dead shrubbery. yay!

Just imagine that there are lanterns, my concrete squirrels, and a few watering cans... but since we haven't moved in yet, I didn't want to have too much out here.

I found this big concrete container at Lowe's, I hope to use it for seasonal flowers, maybe adding some perennial ivy, next Spring. I'd like to add more to the porch and stairs, but probably will have to wait for Christmas. 

We're just so happy to have all this cleaned up and replanted.

 It was such a mess with dead plants and shrubs. 

OK, that's the extent of my Outdoor Fall Decor, 

not much, but better than nothing...

joining in on these parties:

Treasure Hunt at From My Front Porch to Yours
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Feathered Nest at French Country Cottage
The Scoop at Confessions of a Plate Addict
Show and Share at Coastal Charm
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House
Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

xoxo,

just playing...

I have a hundred other things to do this afternoon, but I had to go play over at PicMonkey for a few minutes. These are just a few photos from the last two years at this time in October. Have I told you it's my favorite time of the year? thought so...

Hope you're having a great Sunday afternoon. Cloudy and warm and humid, but oh gosh, the trees are gorgeous!

xoxo,

On the Deck

More Outdoor Fall Stuff,

this time on the deck.

Here's the view from my kitchen window, out to the back deck. I like to keep a seasonal vignette out here and change it up every year, and I wanted to do something totally different this Fall. I usually use a small barnwood wheelbarrow, but this year I grabbed a little black French wagon and added the old bushel basket and a watering can as a backdrop.

We had a limb come down from one of the maples in front early in the summer, so I nabbed it before it could be cut into smaller pieces. Hubbs knows not to argue, just save the thing in the garage and don't ask questions....

Of course I had a plan!

Why not just hang a Fall sign for pumpkins from it?

Up until last week I still had a few straggling hummies, so the feeder has been out. If you want to read about those amazing little birds and their migration south, then it will give you a new sense of wonder about how God is so evident in nature.

 Hard to get a picturesque shot from here, but an old ice cream maker bucket and a white washed apple basket are holding a few more mums, along with a few of my old watering cans.

Love the rusty patina on that old bucket.

Now, the deck would not be complete without a hidden camera shot of one of my little stinkers. This little fellow and a smaller one have been sneaking around here messing with the pumpkins and eating those "preserved" leaves that you find at Michael's and Hobby Lobby. I cannot imagine that they taste good, and could even be dangerous, but they have a fascination with them. Each day there are fewer of them in the basket...yuck.

no chewing on the pumpkins, please...

Hope you're having a great week. 

Fall is finally here, 

and I'm loving it!

(naughty squirrels and all)

joining in for

Transformation Thursday at the Shabby Creek Cottage

TTT at Stone Gable 

French Country Cottage

The Charm of Home

At the Picket Fence

2805

xoxo,

On the Porch

I'm going to admit that I've been dragging my feet about posting any photos of the outside of the house, because I just haven't been able to get good ones. The front is heavily shaded and if it's overcast out, then just forget it. blah, boring, washed out. So we had some sunshine the other day, and I managed to get a few shots, but I'm warning you they are sort of lackluster. I did my best to dress them up a little for you. This little half park bench that I keep out here is my favorite pic.

I did bring out one of my Fall Pendleton wool throws to bring in a little color, and then added  some of that "worth it's weight in gold" bittersweet vine to the mix. I'm going to have to include bittersweet in every blog post I do this Fall, just to get my money's worth out of it!

I always have a hard time decorating the porch, so this year I invested in some vintage concrete urns that are painted white, for the mums. They are heavy little boogers, so hubby had to deal with them. But they do class it up a little, which always seems to be the issue.

Thank you PicMonkey for all your help!

I guess I just need about $200 worth 

of extra pumpkins sitting around out here.

 Maybe that would help.

That, or a personal visit from Martha Stewart.

Wonder how much she charges for house calls?

We're in for a freeze tonight so this will all have to be covered. I can usually keep my Boston ferns until the first of November, but it might not happen this year. I hate throwing them away until it's just too cold for them.

I'm really loving this plump one here in front.

white, with some green and orange veining.

And I think this one is called a Peanut Pumpkin,

see, what did I tell you about the photos?

OK, gotta round up those old sheets and blankets

so I can tuck these babies in for the night!

(click here for last year's porch pics)

Deck photos coming right up...

joining in for 

Seasonal Sundays at the Tablescaper

Sunday Showcase at Under the Table and Dreaming

Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Make it Pretty Monday at the Dedicated House

Cowgirl Up at Cedarhill Ranch

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Knick of Time

Primp

WOW at Savvy Southern Style

Welcome Home Wednesday at Vintage On A Dime

The Inspired Room

xoxo,

Mums the word...

Hey there all you "can't wait for Fall" peeps,

look what I found this afternoon at Lowe's!

the first batch of mums for the season.

My big planter next to the garage door was really ready for a change. The verbena had stopped flowering and the rest looked so tired. (sort of like me by the end of the summer) So the geraniums will be transplanted into containers in the back, joining in with some of their friends . Wacky me, I decided to go with a varied look in this container.

I just couldn't help myself.

Let the party begin...

pinterest

joining in at these parties:

Savvy Southern Style

xoxo,

This and That

I had a few sets of photos I wanted to share, but they weren't very "blog worthy" by themselves, so hey, I just threw them all in this one "pot", kind of like a bloggy soup! These first ones are of my back deck a few weeks ago. This is what I see when I look out my kitchen window above my sink, so I like to have something interesting to view. Love this old vintage ice cream maker bucket on a vintage garden chair. The washed out blue and gold really speaks to me. I "planted" my mums this year in pots other than the store containers. Having extra soil around them has enabled them to stay nicer longer.

My old picnic tin with mums.

My metal garden table 

made from a married old furnace grate and sewing machine base.

That's my kitchen window.

These next photos are from the Antiques Festival of the Ozarks,

which was last Saturday, Oct. 29, before Halloween.

This show had a lot quality antiques and collectibles,

and I loved this display with the kitty hanger and fur collar.

The next few photos are from Pheona's Antiques in Billings, MO.

They have a great once a month sale with lot's of dealers inside the

adorable Victorian house, and more on the lawn. 

Their Christmas Open House starts next Friday evening.

Check out Sheila's blog for info.

more dealers from the show

I was shooting on automatic,

 so my photo of this great seed cabinet from Ohio isn't very good. 

It was amazing, with individual glass jars that once held bulk seed.

The cabinet below is for bulk herbs.

The old seed graphics were just wonderful,

I didn't even ask the price...

And finally my mantel downstairs for Fall.

 I found this great oil painting of an Autumn landscape

 in a shabby white frame a few years ago.

I like to change out my prints for the season.

Ironstone pitchers and vase with my Bird Frames that I did last Spring.

Those crows really got around this Fall!

Vintage Inspiration Friday

is still going on,

just scroll down if you haven't joined in!

Hope you enjoyed the "soup"!

Oh, and be watching for a wonderful 

"All things French" Give Away coming next week!

xoxo,