flower power

We spent most of Saturday re-landscaping the area in front of our house, which is visible in the lower right corner of the picture below. It used to be covered with ferns and potted palms, but over the last few months the ferns became brown and dry and not well-suited for the greatest curb appeal.



So we dug out the ferns (the palms we had removed some time ago) and replaced them with pea gravel. We scrounged up all the empty clay pots we could find, made a run to Home Depot, and filled the pots with colorful flowers. I quite like the result.



And while I'm on the topic of home improvements, I should mention that our new front porch is mighty nice. You can sort of see the original steps in the top picture. They were somewhat rickety and definitely rotting in some areas. It was critical for the sale of the house that they be replaced. It was a bit of an ordeal, regarding the hired help, but we prevailed and now have a porch and stairs which are both attractive and sturdy. Below are side and front views of the impressive structure.