Monday, December 16, 2013

The Humble Bungalow Porch...dressing it up for the holidays.

Our porch is the first thing that visitors to The Humble Bungalow see.
We like to keep it looking festive depending on the season.

In the summertime it is a riot of colour as there are cheery red geraniums and many flowering plants in pots.
I keep cushions on the wicker chairs when the weather is warm.

At this time of year we have a few potted plants...
and we like to keep the theme organic and natural.


Cones gathered after wind storms in the Ross Bay Cemetery.
Plunked in the vintage tool carrier that last season held fresh herbs.


A succulent from my BFF a gift for our 39th anniversary last July.


My BFF is a generous and thoughtful giver of gifts...
she brought this to our dinner party as she knows that the cats destroy floral bouquets.
I think she called it a lemon cypress.


Boughs of balsam and red Huck twigs, my nod to the holidays.
I may add some holly to give it a red berry punch.

What do you do to decorate your front porch?

This week is a busy one as there are some last minute things to do.
More baking, shopping and some entertaining and being entertained are on the calendar.
Some long walks and cleaning the Humble Bungalow will be interspersed with sipping tea and finishing Tish Jett's new book Forever Chic.

What is on your agenda this week?

15 comments:

Susan B said...

I love your seasonal decorations! We don't really decorate our front porch much, but probably should.

Anonymous said...

I love that you have a porch, I really think that natural decorations are the best.
Une femme - you have one too? How lovely.

Pondside said...

I like a decorated porch very much! Our veranda is decorated - even the iron animals have ribbons around their necks, and the bench by the door has some Christmas colours in cushions and a throw. You porch is looking very welcoming!

Duchesse said...

Pinecones are the best! I like to add red bows.. .they don't wilt, animals avid them, and they can even do duty more than one year. A friend who has a walk lined hers with potted (fake, or they would freeze here) potted poinsettias- stunning! She bought them for less than half price after last Christmas and stored them.

LPC said...

I used to fill the planters on my front porch but I stopped when I was working. You are inspiring me to start up again. Cyclamen are good this time of year....

Jennifer said...

I don't have a porch either. We had one at our last house which I loved to decorate

Jennifer said...

My agenda involves getting a few gifts to put under the tree. I've been terribly slow this year!

Tamera Beardsley said...

Your porch looks lovely and so inviting! Enjoy your week my dear!

Anonymous said...

No real porch but some paving and a garden bed that leads to the front decking and then the front door. We have some garden sculpture made from recycled metal and tin (two cockatoos perched on a branch) and I just fill pots and pots (actually large bowls now that I look at them) of annuals in lovely colours that match the garden and house. Petunias in pale yellow, mauve and deeper purple, pansies yellow and white, snapdragons in all colours, delphiniums for height - again in white and deep blues and so on. A lavender hedge of about 4 metres overflows with French lavender and catmint. And of course two very large pots containing Pierre De Ronsard climbing roses - one in deep burgundy red and the other the pale pink one. A welcoming outdoor setting under an umbrella. ps. The home wedding was a dream come true. It was a beautiful.
day. Roses bloomed, lavender wafted on the gentle breeze, strings in the background, friends
and family chatting in the sunshine, wine was drunk, people danced, the band was fantastic.
the bride stunning and the groom gave a fantastic speech. A day to cherish. I don't even want to sweep up the confetti just yet... Tonkath

Susan said...

I do believe I have finished Christmas shopping and almost all the wrapping. I plan to do some baking in the next few days. But mostly, I am enjoying my sister's visit. She has been great company and she has improved my attitude about Christmas. Today, we found some vintage style postcards that say "Hello from the North Pole". Tonight, we are going to have some fun writing and addressing them to be sent to our grandchildren (hers and ours ) AND to our mother, our elderly aunt and my mother in law. All of them are going to have a postcard from Santa in which he tells them that he has been watching to see if they are naughty or nice!

Susan ~ Southern Fascinations said...

Two small trees with white lights on each side of our red front door, a greenery wreath decorated with gauzy white and gold ribbon and baubles...really simple, but I like it that way! In years past, the porch rails would have been strung with greenery and red bows gathering the garland at strategic points, red ribbons on the lanterns beside the door along with two small trees beside the door. The wreath on the door would have been redone each year...trying to improve on the last! Lots of work putting up...and taking down. This year without the pressures of squeezing everything in around work...retirement is awesome... I have allowed myself to enjoy the process rather than rush the work! Smiles...Susan

Kristien62 said...

I have two wicker chairs which have seen better days on my front porch. In Sept.,I painted them deep green and for Christmas, I decorated them with red bows. I put fresh greens in my window boxes, put greens around the entrance and laced fairy lights through all. I love the effect. My granddaughter thought it quite funny that I put bows on the chairs! My aim is to make my house a place of fantasy for my grandkids. I want them to have these memories forever.

Judith said...

What a great idea your friend's gift something that grows all year + the memory each time you see it......thinking of copying it for a person who seems to have everything!

materfamilias said...

Those pine cones look great in the weathered tool box! Other than the arrangements I put together at the turn of the month . . . twigs,seedhead stalks, rosehips and berries ...I haven't/won't do much else. But if I did, I wish it would look very much like yours -- nicely done! ;-)

Madame Là-bas said...

Your porch looks welcoming and natural. Plants are a great for winter decor. Singing and time with mother are on my agenda for the rest of the week.