Sunday, May 17, 2009

My front porch and I need some HELP please!!!

CLICK ON ANY PICTURES TO ENLARGE THEM!!!
I am in need of some help.
My husband pulled out my bushes and tilled the ground for me today.
I need some gardeners help.
My "green thumb" never kicked in and I have no idea what to plant in this space.
I am completely clueless and open for suggestions.
Behind the fence is english ivy.
I would like plants that come back every year.



My husband found the picket fence in the trash and it hides our air conditioning unit.
He made the bird feeder from a post we had from our old four post water bed.


This is the corner of my house in the back. He found the wheel barrel in the trash. I normally buy 2 hanging petunia baskets and cut the handles off then place them in the wheel barrel.
He made me the bird feeder from an old spindle and rusty pan.


When we bought the house 11 years ago, I only had a concrete stoop.
He built this porch and the also put on the roof.
He refused to have a porch without a roof.


Here is a set of chairs he made last year for us.
I love them!!


Every porch needs a swing right???
He also made the mustard bench, the salt box house, and our address numbers.

Posted by at

16 comments:

  1. terriermamaMay 17, 2009 at 7:06 PM

    You have a very nice, talented and creative husband, you are a lucky woman!!
    The area looks shadey....I'd put in some Columbine and Bleeding hearts toward the back, near the fence. Then 'up front' a hosta or two and fill in with annuals....impatiens in pretty pinks would be nice. Maybe mix in some dusty miller. All these plants are common to find.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lizzie's HomespunMay 17, 2009 at 7:19 PM

    Thank you.
    It gets morning sun and afternoon shade. I will have to google dusty miller. I have no idea what that looks like. But Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. ~Tonja~May 17, 2009 at 8:04 PM

    Everything looks great...love what all you have done and everything your DH has made..
    I was thinking hosta plants too...
    Prim Blessings...
    Tonja

    ReplyDelete
  4. appleberrycottageMay 17, 2009 at 8:14 PM

    Can you please send your husband my way? (to do some household projects!) I love the picket fence to hide the air conditioning.

    Look for plants that do well in the shade, if it's shady in the afternoon. Maybe an Annabelle hydrangea (other varieties need too much sun), stonecrop, and varieties of coral bells/heuchera (there are some for more sun, and some for shade), different hoesta, too.
    Laura

    ReplyDelete
  5. Rock River StitchesMay 17, 2009 at 8:17 PM

    Wow, you are one lucky gal with a handy dandy hubby that makes things for you. I just love front porchs. Wish I had one. :( You could put hostas and Daylily in there. My Daylilies get the morning sun and shade in the afternoon too. Get the Daylilies called "Stella de Oro" They are really hardy and have bright yellow flowers.

    Tammy

    ReplyDelete
  6. ShariMay 17, 2009 at 8:41 PM

    I don't have a clue about the gardening, but you have some fabulous treasures there, including your hubby! Love it all! My favorite is the swing and chairs he made!

    Shari

    ReplyDelete
  7. BetsyMay 17, 2009 at 9:01 PM

    I think some blackeyed susans would look good and some hostas too. I love all the things your husband has made especially the chairs.
    Have a great evening and good luck.
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
  8. A Bit of ColourMay 17, 2009 at 9:05 PM

    You have a very talented husband; not to mention one with great taste. How lucky are you when he brought you the wheelebarrow. What a cool find!

    ReplyDelete
  9. CarlaMay 17, 2009 at 9:13 PM

    First of all, I love your porch. Those chairs are great and I love the picket fence hiding your AC. You have a handy hubby! You can't go wrong with hostas. I love them because they don't need much care and come back bigger and better every year!

    ReplyDelete
  10. TeriMay 18, 2009 at 7:12 AM

    I love your porch, too! It is so precious that your dh made all of those things for you! My dh always promises but never does it.(he is an industrial arts major!) I love the salt box on your house..what a cute idea!

    ReplyDelete
  11. LisaMay 18, 2009 at 7:25 AM

    All I have in my flowerbeds are perennials. They come back every year and for the most part they are very hardy. Some more then others of course, but it is nice to where you don't have to re-plant every year. I am not sure where you live, but there are certain zones for particular perennials. That just means that certain perennials will do better in certain states. You could visit my Ohio Flowers blogsite and see if there are any flowers on there that peak your interest and send me an e-mail if you have questions. Daylilies are always a safe bet and to be honest...they are really hard to kill.
    My site is http://www.lisasohioflowers.blogspot.com and it shows pictures and also gives you info on there about whether they take full sun/partial shade or partial sun. There are tons of great flowers out there so have fun!!

    ~Lisa

    ReplyDelete
  12. JodyMay 18, 2009 at 7:53 AM

    What an adorable home! I too have lots of shade, and nothing beats hostas,daylillies,etc for something pretty and low maintenance. Anxious to see what you decide!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Carey's Farmhouse KitchenMay 18, 2009 at 9:05 AM

    Wow, what nice things your husband has made for you. I'm not a gardening expert but for shade hostas are great. I planted daylilies and purple coneflowers last summer and they have come back. It really depends on the amount of sun! Good luck!

    Carey

    ReplyDelete
  14. SherrieMay 20, 2009 at 2:49 PM

    Beautiful prim home,my friend!! Your husband should be a keeper...very talented! I am an avid gardener from S.C. so not sure if where you live would have same planting suggestions. I love the bed you are trying to re-do. Since you are wanting perennials, I think planting some of your hosta in the very front would give it a nice border effect. Lantana(all colors}, gaura,lavender,dianthus or yarrow would look great mixed in. It would be a favorite spot for butterflies!! If you dont want to plant a lot, you could always incorporate your wheel-barrow in the bed and plant flowers in that. Remember that purple petunias give a great aroma to your gardens!!!! Also, an old tricycle that your hubby might find side the road would look great mixed in. Hang some flowers on the handle-bars or an old sign and you are all fixed-up. It will look great no matter what you do! Enjoy...Sherrie

    ReplyDelete
  15. ohiofarmgirlMay 20, 2009 at 5:24 PM

    It is looking wondewrful around there...love the fence. I think I would plant a few boxwood (small round shrubs) in the back so that in the winter you will have something green for color. I would put hosta under the tree and fill in with day lilies. You could put a row of annuals along the edge for more color but you will have to replace them each year.
    Dianntha

    ReplyDelete
  16. Denise * KKL PrimitivesJune 2, 2009 at 10:20 AM

    How beautiful everything looks!!!!

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)