Our New Porch ...

We have a new seating area out front. A nice little spot to watch cars, runners, walkers and neighbors go by; the kids play basketball, ride their bikes, etc.; a new place for Oliver-the-neighbor-cat to lounge about.

{BEFORE}

I knew the ancient shrubs needed to come out at some point ... they were just dated & overgrown. We love our backyard patio, but we also spend a lot of time in our front yard ... and I thought it would be nice to have a place to sit. My original idea was to have a small spot that could fit a small antique wrought iron bench. But when I saw these chairs on major sale [70% off] at Crate & Barrel, I knew they were perfect. [And how realistic is it that 2 people are going to sit side by side on a small bench?] I think the yard looks so FRESH. We love it. There is still a small corner planting area on the left side of the house with 1 holly and some periwinkle ... and then on the right side [pictured below], I planted 4 holly and transplanted some hosta to fill in a corner.

The only thing I wish ... was that the holly was bigger. I swear they looked better in the store ... because they sat almost 10 inches taller in their pots. But, of course that 10 inches gets buried. And you're left with these little seedlings. :) My mom told me that unfortunately, she thinks holly is slow-growing. But the sticker on the pot said "Vigorous" as the 1st adjective used to describe this species ... so I'm hanging on to that for hope. Until then, just act like you don't see that gas meter, will you? I'm sure it's totally one of those things that only we are aware of. Or totally not.