Welcome to my front porch!

Someone in blogland hosted a Front Porch Party last week (although I've already forgotten who...do you know who it was?). Well, I showed up too late to even go to the party or participate! Total social faux-paux. However, I liked the idea so much I figured I'd participate anyway (please tell me it's not lame to have a party all by yourself?!) I thought I could at least invite each of you to visit my front porch. Sit down and have a sip of lemonade with me. Or if you're a fellow Oregonian I'll give you some hot tea - and we can at least pretend it's sunny and warm. Because that's the closest we're going to get to summer at the moment, apparently. In our dreams.


Anyway - my recently planted annuals on my front porch. I LOVE sweet potato vine! I'm usually pretty thrifty when it comes to buying annual flowers, but I'll pay a little extra for this beauty. It's large, chartreuse leaves are just so dramatic.


Have a seat - well, only if you're pint-sized. This little set is the perfect size for my three-year-old. Looks and feels just like the real thing (it's painted metal) but is tiny. Too cute. :-)


I'll let you sit here - these chairs are grown-up size. Bought them at a garage sale a few years back for $5 each. They were already painted this fabulous blue color. They've weathered quite a bit (it's funny - leaving them in the rain for like two years will do that!) and I think they're just perfect now. My little plant stand/table was a recent purchase from TJ Maxx for $12.

It's hard to tell, but this is actually a huge terra cotta planter in my front yard, with a baby hydrangea in it. Which goes to show how absolutely enormous those irises are in the background. They weren't blooming yet when I took this photo, but I think one or two are finally starting to open up now. It's a shady area so they have to s-t-r-e-t-c-h for sunlight, which apparently makes them huge.

And the Englishy-cottagey jumble that is part of my perennial garden. This is blooming a little more now (I took these pics last week) but you get the idea. See the huge plant with the little pale pink/lavendar blossoms? It's a perennial geranium and is on a secret mission to take over the world. I have no doubts it will be successful very soon, too. It is SO prolific and keeps sending volunteers all over the place.

I took these photos during a random sunbreak one afternoon last week. Who knew it would be the LAST sunbreak for quite some time? I am really living vicariously through all my blog friends who live in warmer parts of the country. Baby steps to summer, baby steps to summer... :-)