space

porch collage
Originally uploaded by redbat.

I miss my Belmont porch.

Well, I did for awhile, anyway. I love my apartment, but it really has no place to sit outside. Here I am in this beautiful valley with big, bright, sunny days and I have no bench to lounge on while reading. Or writing. Or just watching the neighborhood goings-on. By this, I mean the birds, the squirrels, the ladybugs and beetles, and the occasional passersby.

This will not do.

It's up to me to create my own space, I suppose. For the longest time, I thought the backyard would be best, since it's bigger and has more possibilities. But it's also cumbersome to GET to the backyard, and it would require a lot of work clearing out all the weeds and cutting back the overgrown bushes���—not to mention the upkeep. So what I decided on in the end was to start with my small front porch and see where that led me.

I brought home a carload of potting soil, planters, flowers and plants of all types. I trimmed the hedges back from the walkway, but kept some of the overgrowth on each side, so as to keep the area slightly hidden and to create (much-needed) shade on hot days. I planted a small but promising clematis in an oversize pot, complete with climbing trellis. I created two small rock gardens, planted lavender, some dusty miller and arranged all the pots around the perimeter. On one of the side beams, I hung a bamboo windchime. On the other, a basket of red impatiens. And I placed a small shelf along one edge of the porch to hold some tools and more flowers—���and of course, to hold my cold beer on lazy afternoons.

I would never have believed that such a small square of porch could be transformed into such a calming and downright roomy little garden space. To top it off, Berkley surprised me on the morning of my birthday by showing up on my doorstep with a beautiful (and comfy!) chair. The perfect finishing touch.

In the end, what I have is an easy-to-get-to resting spot that really doesn't look like much from the sidewalk. But, I like that. I can simply step out my front door, sit down with (or even without) a book and escape into this soothing and relaxing garden. Secluded and cool, yet open enough to invite in the morning sun, this is my own space.
I created it.

This will most certainly do.