S is for Spring:  Spring Porch Arrangements
I am embarrassed to admit that I just took my winter evergreens out of the containers on my front porch this week. Â It is mid April! Yikes! Now to be fair it is spring in Michigan which is always unpredictable. Â For example, last Saturday we got 3 inches of wet, heavy snow and today, just one week later, I am sitting on my deck writing this and it is 75 degrees with blue skies and sunshine. Â I am not kidding!
But I digress… Feeling like I am scrambling is often a way of life for me as a busy mom. I usually think I am one or two steps behind where I imagine I should be.  I have a lot of people ask me why I bother with things like spring flowers on my front porch or updating my home decor with the changing seasons at this time in my life when my kids are so little and our days are so hectic.  And here is my answer: Having creative outlets helps me keep my sanity.  In the daily tasks of motherhood, such as constant laundry, housekeeping and diaper changes, I need things in my life that give me a sense of accomplishment and bring me joy.  And that is why I spend time on making my house look nice, dreaming up and creating crafts and projects and working on this blog.  It keeps me sane, really!
Now on to the spring porch arrangements. My favorite combination for spring container gardening is fresh pussy willow branches surrounded by bright colorful pansies. I am very lucky because I get the pussy willow branches from my mom’s yard so I don’t have to buy them (Thanks, mom!). I watch for pansies on special this time of year too so these arrangements don’t end up costing much at all. Both the pussy willows and the pansies are hardy enough to withstand the ups and downs of Midwestern spring weather. Â These containers will easily last until it is time to plant my summer containers.
What do you think? Simple, but they really add a burst of spring to the front porch. And much better than the dried up evergreen arrangements – Ha! On a side note, I am on a mission to paint my front door this spring. Â Don’t be fooled, it is definitely not real wood. Â When you get up close, it is a vinyl faux wood design. Â I am all ears for suggestions on paint colors that will compliment the light colored brick. Â Please leave me a comment if you have an idea.
Ava and I had a ton of fun getting these spring porch arrangements planted this weekend. We hope that we have inspired you to add a touch of spring to your own outdoor decor as well. Hang in there through this crazy spring weather because April showers will bring May flowers after all!
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From another Michigan mom who also still has the winter evergreen arrangements on the front porch… thank you for the spring inspiration! How many weeks do the pussywillow branches usually last? I never thought of using them because I thought they would only last a week or so.
I am so glad that I am not alone in still having the greens out in April. Ha! Hey, at least we had it together enough to put winter containers out in the first place, right? Depending on the weather I can usually get 4-6 weeks out of the pussy willow branches. They start to fluff out when they are getting old. If they start looking too ratty before I am ready to plant summer flowers, I just pull out the branches and by then the pansies have filled out enough to look okay just by themselves for a few weeks. Let me know if you try this. Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment. Have a great weekend!
Beautiful arrangements. Your porch is very lovely.
Thank you, Charlene. This is our first spring in this house and I am finding that it is fun to decorate both inside and out. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. Have a great weekend!
Your front porch is beautiful! Love the arrangements you chose 🙂
Blessings,
Edye | http://gracefulcoffee.wordpress.com
Thanks so much, Edye. I appreciate you visiting Ava’s Alphabet and leaving a comment. 🙂
Having a porch arrangement really does make a difference. I need to make one for our porch! Thanks for sharing at the Family Joy link up this week.
I really love adding a touch of spring to the front porch! It gives me hope that we really have made it through the worst of winter. Thanks for visiting and commenting. 🙂
I love your spring porch arrangements, especially the pussy willows in the middle! Thanks for sharing at What’d You Do This Weekend?!
Thank you, Joy! They really do add a nice touch of spring to my front porch. Thanks for visiting and commenting. Have a great week!