June 27, 2019
Styling your Front Porch for the Fourth
by Kimberly Bokor
Listen by Kimberly Bokor
Summer. It's officially here. Summertime holds a special place in my heart. Just the thought brings up memories of carefree days eating watermelon by the pool, evenings watching the sunset at the beach and of course Fourth of July fireworks. The funny thing about Florida is that it's kind of like summer a lot. Our seasons blur together. Without the seasonal temperature changes that our northern neighbors get, we rely on the calendar to tell us that a new season is beginning.
This year I thought I would mark the arrival of summer with a front porch makeover. We love having friends and family over for pool parties. There is always so much preparation that goes into making sure the house is clean and the food is prepared that the front porch ends up getting ignored. I always replant our porch pots in the spring, but then end up forgetting about them until fall. It dawned on me the other day that the porch is the perfect opportunity to make a great first impression. Now, instead of guests having to stare at lingering cobwebs or shuffling their feet on my worn out doormat, my guests will enjoy looking at pots full of festive flowers and luscious green leaves that will set the mood for the party. Bursts of color don't have to be limited to 4th of July fireworks, I have recreated them with plants.
To inspire you to style your front porch for the Fourth, we made a how-to video that you can watch here or
just follow the step-by-step directions below. Be creative and have a little fun.
1. Select your container and set it in place (it's often too heavy to move once it's planted).
1. Select your container and set it in place (it's often too heavy to move once it's planted).
2. Fill your container with Kerby's Planting Soil, leaving about 6 inches at the top to make room for the plants.
3. Decide how you want to arrange your plants. My tip for creating an impressive container garden is to always include a THRILLER (your focal point), FILLER (something bushier to hide gaps) and a SPILLER (leaves that will cascade down the front of your container).
3. Decide how you want to arrange your plants. My tip for creating an impressive container garden is to always include a THRILLER (your focal point), FILLER (something bushier to hide gaps) and a SPILLER (leaves that will cascade down the front of your container).
4. Remove the plants from their containers and lightly loosen the roots with your fingertips.
5. Once the plants are set in place, backfill around the roots with planting soil making sure you are pressing it down to remove any air pockets. Do not add any soil on top of the plants' root balls.
6. Sprinkle 14-14-14 Control Release Fertilizer over the top of the roots so that your plants will continue to be fed in the months to come.
5. Once the plants are set in place, backfill around the roots with planting soil making sure you are pressing it down to remove any air pockets. Do not add any soil on top of the plants' root balls.
6. Sprinkle 14-14-14 Control Release Fertilizer over the top of the roots so that your plants will continue to be fed in the months to come.
7. Water thoroughly at planting time and then check daily to make sure your containers don't dry out in the heat.
8. Sit back and enjoy your red, white and blue style.
8. Sit back and enjoy your red, white and blue style.
I hope you feel inspired to plant up a container garden of your own. It doesn't take a lot to make a big impression. When you do, please share a picture of your creation with us on Instagram or Facebook. We want to see what you come up with!
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Happy
Gardening, The Kerby's Nursery Family 
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Your front porch style starts with beautiful pottery. And at Kerby's, all outdoor glazed pottery is always Buy One Get One 50% off. Your style, your color, on display with outdoor glazed pottery.
