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A French-Inspired Garden and Home by Judith Stringham

5 Joys of Spring Porch Living

Wednesday, April 12, 2017


Spring is a time for enjoying the great outdoors and no better place than on a covered porch... especially in Texas. In the good ole summertime, Texas will be sizzling, but the months of March and April are perfect months for 

5 joys of Spring porch living 


chaise-lounge-on-porch
Lazing on a chaise lounge 
There is nothing more relaxing than stretching out on a cushioned chaise lounge surrounded by fresh green Spring leaves under blue skies. Temperatures in the 70s and low 80s invite soaking in all of Mother Nature's new greenery. Letting your mind wander as you breath in the fresh Spring air rejuvenates body, soul, spirit, and 

r e a t i v i t y

Or, a soft chaise lounge is a perfect spot for an outdoor nap to re-energize. 






chaise-lounge-on-porch
Reading a stack of magazines 
Reading a new issue of Country French is pure inspiration for styling a porch with a fleur de lis topped topiary or a fleur de lis iron stake in a planter. 

Re-reading old issues of British Country Living magazines also provides inspiration for a country living lifestyle, for country garden designs, and for following your dreams to create a cottage industry. 




covered-porch-with-chairs-chaise-lounge
 Enjoying a refreshing drink 
Whatever your favorite warm weather drink is, drinking it on a porch in the Spring doubles the enjoyment. Even water with ice cubes becomes a special drink on a porch. 




white-adirondack-chairs-on-covered-porch
Make that refreshing drink a glass of homemade lemonade shared with F R I E N D S, and the joys of Spring porch living quadruple. Sipping and chatting the afternoon away is a quiet joy, reminiscent of taking tea in bygone days when life moved at a slower pace. 




flowers-french-style-urn
 Planting pots of flowers  
Spring is the natural time to plant, and planting blooming flowers in pots on a porch gives double joy. 




wood-slatted-chairs
The first joy comes from planting the flowers, beginning with visiting a gardening center, walking among the hundreds of blooming flowers, and then, back home on the porch, digging in the dirt to plant the flowers that make your heart happy. 




hydrangeas
The second joy comes from reaping the rewards of flowers on the porch. Not only is there joy in seeing, smelling, and touching the flowers on the porch, there are also the rewards of seeing bees, dragonflies, butterflies, and birds hovering over the blooms. 




cat-with-hydrangea
 Enjoying time with pets 
Callie loves hanging out on the porch with us. She is the most social of all our cats, and sometimes just sits close by. If we move to another part of the porch, she follows. Often she snuggles in our laps, or at the foot of the chaise lounge, to nap. 

Other times, her ears perk up, she stares intently into the yard, and in a flash, dashes off to stalk an unsuspecting lizard. 




white-adirondack-chairs-spring
The days are numbered for Spring porch living. Temperatures will rise to the 90s and 100s causing us to remain inside in the cool air-conditioned house. We will look longingly out the doors and windows to the porch, but not be fooled into leaving the cool house... until Fall comes. 


Until the days heat up, we will 

capture moments on the Spring porch 

and enjoy  

...a shade-speckled afternoon
of garden friends,
sweet breezes, and practically 
nothing to do...

(Marjolein Bastin)



Please join me at these inspiring places for more joy of living. 

SUNDAY
Dishing It and Digging It @ Rustic and Refined

MONDAY

TUESDAY