Looking for some fresh decorating ideas in color for giving your fall front porch and entry an inviting look? Instead of decorating for fall with the expected orange, brown, and yellow colors, how about using mums in colors that go with your front door? Then adding pumpkins and gourds in green and white?
Ready to try something different?
I have some ideas to share with you for how to add great Fall decor in unexpected colors.
Isn't Fall spectacular?!
Now, time to see those decorating ideas in color I promised.
B O N J O U R
welcome to my Fall front porch
Keep reading to see how I refreshed my entry garden and took the front entry from plain functional to an inviting colorful entry decorated with Fall colors . . . that complement my front door.
F R O N T P O R C H D E C O R A T I N G
I D E A S I N C O L O R
Compare how my front entry and front porch looked BEFORE with how they look AFTER decorating with unexpected fall colors.
B E F O R E
The front porch and entry walkway were clean, functional, and rather plain.
They did have the beautiful blue door and a coordinating flower pot going for them. And there were a couple of nice swans. Plus the siding was freshly cleaned.
But, they needed more life! More color that said, "Welcome. Come on in."
A F T E R
Now the mums, ornamental kale, pumpkins, and Bonjour bucket of flowers on the door say, "Bonjour," with a French Country accent.
T R A N S F O R M A T I O N P R O C E S S
The first step was to clean the entire area including power washing the cedar siding.
All of the cedar siding looks brighter and inviting, but the window wall was bare, a blank canvas with no personality.
A new French Country inspired window basket filled with Fall ornamental kale, ivy and violas immediately changed the look of the entry.
To add a little more French Country to the entry garden, we planted boxwoods. Not only under the new window basket, but also along the sidewalk next to the house.
B E F O R E
The clumps of lirope were too small for the space.
A F T E R
New boxwood shrubs fill the space, but can be kept from spilling over onto the sidewalk as they grow by pruning them into ball shapes. We plan to wait until spring to prune them to prevent new tender growth that could be killed when cold weather arrives.
With the plant structure of the entry garden defined, we turned our attention to the concrete bench, porch, and seasonal color.
Two new French style urns on either side of the concrete bench hold white chrysanthemums for Fall, but can easily be changed to hold other seasonal decor all year.
Isn't this white pumpkin with twisty stem the best?!
Ruffled-edge ornamental kale, purple chrysanthemums, and pale green pumpkins (squashes?) are a
beautiful alternative to the traditional orange,
rust, and yellows for Fall porch decorations
Paler purple mums in a blue pot add additional spots of color on the porch steps.
I used pots designed for indoor use to hold several of the Fall porch plants. If you do the same, remember to empty the pots frequently so the plants do not sit for long periods of time in rain water.
Not only do you want the plants' roots to breathe, you do not want a breeding spot for mosquitoes.
Repeated use of blue pots helps with a cohesive look for the steps and porch. Instead of lining up the pots of the same color, I interspersed them with other containers in a staggered pattern up the steps.
Pale lavender gardening boots add another complementary spot of color with the plants and flower pots. If you use boots in your Fall decor, remember to move them to a sheltered spot if rain is forecast. You don't want squishy boots just when you need to wear them during a rain.
The front entry garden, steps, and porch now welcome us and visitors with cheerful alternative Fall colors that go well with the color of the front door.
And, I did not forget the front porch and front door.
Two fleur de lis and a "Bonjour" metal bucket provide the French Country style I love.
Small bedding plant mums in the same colors as used on the steps fill the Bonjour bucket.
TIP: Keep the small bedding plants in their original small pots, and place them inside a large zip-lock plastic bag inside the bucket. When you water the mums, the plastic bag keeps the water from draining down the front door.
A semi-circular iron doormat can take a beating from the weather and from shoes being scraped on it and will last years. Fleur de lis are also part of the scroll design.
Our new plants and Fall front porch look good both from walking up the sidewalk and from looking out through the entry's sidelight window . . . even on drizzly overcast days.
With all the heirloom pumpkins and cool-weather vegetables and flowers now available at garden centers, you should be able to find a collection of colors that will go with your front door for decorating for Fall.
Be bold.
Try something new . . . and unexpected.
But always, be YOU!
~~~~❦~~~~
Fall is the season we focus on thanksgiving, and
I am THANKFUL for all of you.
