It’s been about five months since we first showed you the exterior of our Florida house. That was our very first week here, and we’ve used the outdoor spaces nonstop since then. You’ve already seen how our second-story deck came together, so today we’re updating you on the front porch, the covered side porch, and some new landscaping we’ve added.
We made several practical and aesthetic updates and still have a few projects in progress. Come sit on the front porch with us—here’s what it looks like now.
Back in May the porch basically held our existing furniture and a few plants. Everything came out of storage and was placed to make the space feel lived-in (except the grocery-store ferns):
Fast forward to today—we added a lot more greenery. Yes, the title promised “big plants,” and here they are.
Our approach could be summarized as “more plants.” Even though the property is already surrounded by greenery, adding pots and larger container plants helps the porch feel like it blends seamlessly with the landscape and creates a welcoming entry.
Between the front porch, the side porch, and our upstairs deck, we’re fortunate to have multiple outdoor “rooms.” We’ve aimed to create low-maintenance, usable spaces that we’ll reach for often. The large second-floor deck felt like the natural place for a dining table and more seating since it’s where we gravitate for meals and game nights.
The front porch, in contrast, is more of a quiet spot for one or two people—mornings with a podcast and tea, or a place to keep an eye on the dog. We kept seating minimal and functional and filled the rest of the space with plants. There are three chairs on the porch, but one woven egg chair is our favorite spot (and Burger’s, too).
Some of the container plants are lemon trees that should yield fruit soon; neighbors advised that our Ponderosa lemons may be ripe next month. Over the summer Sherry slowly expanded our plant and planter collection with finds from local nurseries and home centers. Many of these pots have grown dramatically in just a few months—especially the big split-leaf philodendron.
Note: Our house number has been digitally altered in these photos.
We also planted privacy greenery around the property perimeter to create a living screen between the yard and the road. Here’s a view from farther back:
In May, the shallow front yard left us very close to the road. Over the last five months we’ve focused on defining the yard edge and adding a simple paver pathway using 20 x 20″ white pavers to create a gentle curve and reduce tracking pine needles into the house. We’ll eventually set them flush for a more permanent look, but they work well for now.
We also extended a secondary path to the side yard where a beloved tree swing lives. The swing gets tons of use—reading, popsicles, spinning until dizzy—so it’s nice to have a clear route to it.
We’re enjoying a more naturalized yard and the ease of minimal mowing. We use pine straw (locally called pine needles) in many spots, which is lower-maintenance than traditional mulch. The neighborhood leans into an “Old Florida” feel, with many yards using native plantings and little irrigation, so we often copy what thrives in nearby yards.
A rain chain replaced one downspout and empties into a pot with drainage. It’s a pretty way to direct water, and we may add a drip hose to repurpose that overflow for a future garden.
Now for the covered area beside the front porch—the side porch. Our first improvement there was a ceiling fan to keep mosquitoes at bay; moving air makes a big difference in an unscreened space. Next we painted the metal underside of the porch ceiling a soft blue (Waterscape) after priming the metal. A blue ceiling is a classic porch detail and brightened the area immediately.
Painting helped, but the ceiling still looks like the painted underside of a metal roof. Eventually we’ll add beadboard or wood planks to make it feel more finished while embracing the exposed beam look already present.
We’re also planning a DIY hanging daybed where two metal chairs currently sit. That spot is ideal because it has a strong overhead beam, a ceiling fan for breeze, coverage from rain, and some surrounding landscaping for privacy. Materials are finally arriving after months of backorders, so we hope to start soon.
Across from the chairs we added an oversized woven storage box. It’s practical: we don’t have a garage, and apart from a small shed at the back of the house, we needed somewhere tidy to store beach gear, umbrellas, chairs, helmets, and pool toys. The storage box matches our furniture and holds everything neatly.
The box also helps conceal utility boxes mounted on the front of the house. Relocating those panels is expensive because of the foundation layout, so for now the storage piece and a light fern disguise the meters while remaining easy to move when access is needed.
Finally, our outdoor shower has continued to evolve. After pressure-washing earlier in the summer we added hanging planters along the ceiling. Those plants have thrived, and the outdoor shower has become everyone’s favorite place to rinse off—well, everyone except Burger, who dislikes baths.
That brings us full circle—with another big-plant moment. We hope you enjoyed these updates and new views of our outdoor spaces. We’ve made a lot of progress in five months—thanks in large part to the plants.
More Plant Guides
If you want more information about some of our favorite plant topics, here are a few useful guides and posts:
- Fiddle Leaf Fig care guide
- Tree Philodendron care guide
- How to build a simple plant shelf
- Protecting outdoor plants from freezing temperatures
- Getting started with houseplants: an expert interview
- Favorite faux plants and where to use them
- Easy houseplants that are hard to kill
- Houseplants that can improve indoor air quality
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