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Winter Front Porch

I know you all are like, wait, winter front porch?! But it’s still fall! Well, if you live in a northern climate like I do, November usually feels more like winter. We have been rocking hats and mittens here already during Saturday soccer games for the kids. The several hard frosts so far, have taken out my mums on the front porch. So, what to do when you aren’t ready to break out the Christmas decor, but your mums have bit the dust? I thought I would show you my transitional fall/winter/pre-Christmas/post-christmas look.

winter front porch

I’m trying something different in my planters this year, and I bought two dwarf Alberta Spruce trees from a local nursery to put in my planters. My plan is to replant them in the spring back by our pool and then try to repot them again in the fall. The helpful person at the nursery told me to keep them in their plastic pots that they came in, (you can see them a bit in the photo below), and I should have no problem transferring them out in the spring.

winter font porch

She suggested keeping each in their plastic pots and planting them in the ground again while still in their pots so the roots don’t spread too much and I’m able to use them again next fall.

May I kindly suggest if you try this yourself, you have a partner help you lift them into the planters? I picked these up myself by hugging the base and basically face planting into the tree. I must be allergic to these cuties, because my entire face and neck broke out in huge hives afterward! This post is brought to you by benadryl, and hydrocortisone… just kidding :)

winter front porch

I will of course keep you posted if I manage to pull this whole replanting thing off! I’m excited about the idea of being able to reuse these trees and having them look nice until may when I’m ready to plant flowers.

winter window boxes

I also took a little walk in our woods and trimmed some evergreen branches. I put branches in my window boxes every year and then I usually add in some ornaments or something fun for Christmas. Just make sure you water them to keep them from drying out until it stays below freezing in your area. I always tuck a faux garland in there to start to help anchor the real branches.

I love that this looks fresh and wintery, but it will be easy to add in some Christmas ornaments and lights for the month of December (you can check out my Christmas front porch from last year here). Better yet, it is easy to remove the Christmas cheer and have something that can last me until springtime. Last year, everything I did out here was so holiday that I took it all down and it was pretty depressing looking for the rest of the loooong winter.

winter window boxes

I was going to spread fake spider webs all over my dead mums and go for a super spooky halloween look, but we usually only get 3 tricker treaters (there are only about 8 houses on our cul-de-sac street), so I decided to move forward with winter and skip Halloween completely this year.

How about you all, are your mums still going strong? Or are you itching to Christmas-fy all the things?

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32 Comments

  1. I used dwarf Alberta spruces on my porch last winter and I kept them in their original pots too. As a matter of fact they are still in the same pots and I’m in western NY so we have pretty cold winters too. They’re doing really well and keeping my fingers crossed they survive this winter. I used battery operated outdoor twinkle lights and it made my porch so festive all winter.

  2. I just switched out my dying mums for some new, fresh ones because they were $1.83 at Home Depot!! I took a bunch of clippings from my ornamental grasses and tied them together with jute and made huge “cornstalks” and put them on each side of my front entrance. I love the natural, earthy look. Should last through Thanksgiving!

  3. I don’t live too far from you and my mums are still looking good surprisingly. Depending on how the weather goes here I’ll leave them out there until they’re toast and then the evergreens will go into the pots. I love the fall look of mums, but looking forward to the holiday cheer the evergreens bring.

  4. Louisiana hasn’t gotten the “It’s Autumn” memo. We are still in shorts and sandals (UGH) but our flowers are still blooming , if just a little leggy. Feel free to send some cold down here.

  5. My flowers are gone but somehow my mums are hanging on (even though my marigolds which I thought were equally hardy are gone). I’ve been adding pumpkins of different sizes and shapes to carry me through ?November.
    I do something similar to your greenery in my planters for winter and it usually looks pretty good until pretty late winter.

  6. We have two Dwarf Alberta Spruce outside the den with three ruby barberry bushes in between them. They are VERY slow growers but maintain such a pretty cone shape. Ours were even smaller than yours and now, 20 years later, they’re about seven feet tall. I, too, like Alaina’s suggestion to put them in pots for my front porch and plant after one or two years. Watch out for ghosts and goblins tonight when you’re out with the kids! Happy Halloween!

  7. So pretty, my kids would never forgive me if I didn’t decorate for Halloween. We’re starting a major renovation but my Portia all done up. I can’t say it will be done for Christmas, I’ll have to pass this one up.?

    1. Ha! We haven’t lived anywhere where we get a lot of trick or treaters in such a long time that I’ve never really done much for Halloween. They don’t know what they are missing :)

  8. Great idea! I have the same reaction to a lot of types of evergreen trees!! ? However palm trees do not bother me whatsoever !! ?

  9. I love your window box idea! I’m going to give it a try. Your style is right up my alley! Glad I found your blog…..newbie follower!

  10. My mums have pretty well had it so they’ll probably be removed from the front porch very soon….today is raining most of the day and only a high of 11C …which is about 50F….this evening…….. we only get about 5 trick or treaters but some of our grandchildren come and trick or treat from our house because they live in the country and we have a nice survey that they feel comfortable going out into the dark in!

  11. I have similar trees in 2 pots at the front door as well, and they’ll get mini-lights, garland and maybe some orbs for Christmas, then replanted next April or May. I don’t have window boxes, but your idea to spice up the evergreens is great! We’re in the St. Louis area, so the weather changes minute-by-minute. Sometimes I think the plants are as confused as we humans when it’s 85 one day, and 50 less than 24 hrs later.

  12. Are going to keep the little trees for the holidays and put mini lights on them?
    It looks so fresh and pretty for the gray days between Halloween and Christmas, very inspirational.
    Speaking of inspiration, I bought an owl like the one you have your backyard.
    I put it in the front step with pumpkins for my few trick or treaters.
    Thank you for your great posts.
    Happy Halloween.
    K

    1. Lucky you! Thankfully it’s going to be 50 and dry tonight for trick or treating! I think the last few years my kids have had snowsuits under their costumes ha ;)

  13. Looks lovely Kelly. My mums are still blooming here. One of our nurseries has mums that are early bloomers as well as late bloomers. Mine should last until thanksgiving. Have a blessed day… stay warm!

  14. I love your winter look. Each year I plant a set of small trees or bushes in my pots to replant in two years. This has worked, in the summer they are planted with flowers and in winter I put in some cut greens and outdoor ornaments. I usually give the trees or bushes one to two years to grow and then transplant. I have done this with boxwood, and arborvitae. Good luck.

  15. My mums also look crummy. after tonight and trick-or-treaters I will take out my fake Alberta spruce trees and put them in the planters only adding white lights in December. It has worked well the last few years in the end money savings.
    I’m with you!! Yours look lovely!

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