Why I Didn't Remodel Our Front Porch

The truth is I never even considered remodeling our front porch for the Better Homes & Gardens 48 Hour Challenge but if I had considered it I did have some incentive not to. The two front runners in the challenge (Making it Lovely and This Young House) had some nifty ideas that they used in their porch remodels and some of those elements could easily be adapted to most porches either singly or altogether but I'd rather leave ours as is, at least for now.

Here is why:

It's where I keep my newly rooted cuttings! I know I could come up with a nicer way to display them than with an old coffee table, old TV stand, and a plastic box. I could have even picked up a little for the photo since I have old milk jugs that I use for watering laying around. In a busy world staging isn't always possible!  I would like to design a nice shelf system to help blend them in with the front porch. I'll save that for another day since I'm already way to busy to do everything I need to do!

My front porch is great for the cuttings since the above photographed end gets morning sun and afternoon shade. In the late evening the sun beams down for a little while then fades behind the hillside to relieve our front porch of its heat. I have most of the potted plants resting in larger shallow containers so that I can bottom water. Bottom watering cuttings is extremely effective since it encourages roots to dig down deep to the bottom of the pot. Deeper roots mean a better quality plant since they can more easily get to ground water once planted in the garden. 

Aside from being a great place for cuttings to sit it's already a pretty nice place for the family to hang out. The country style rocking chairs are an essential if you have a front porch in the south.

So I chose to build an arbor to add charm and character to our front yard as well as frame the side garden. Right now my project is way behind the front runners in the voting but I'm really pleased with the way it turned out. The arbor is something that will change over time as the plants grow and fade while front porches will only evolve as the accessories do. Feel free to check out the Arbor project or any of the other projects at BHG.com.

Framed

Through the diamond shaped hanging frames of the Arbor I spied a daylily and a salvia in the front garden. The blooming of the daylilies has begun!

 

Arbor voting is still in progress!

How to Build an Arbor (Part 2)

The next step to putting the arbor together after we set the posts was to assemble the top. The top section was made from 3 45" 4"x4" pieces set in a diamond position. The arbor top was designed to fit the 4"x4" pieces into the notched ends of the posts and they would also go through the front and back beams into the diamond shaped cutouts. For a decorative effect I beveled the ends of the 4x4 pieces which would add an extra diamond effect to the front. The top was assembled on the ground which saved time. (Each piece was sanded and stained before assembly.) The 4"x4" pieces were locked into place with the 2"x8" front and back beams by using brackets made from 2"x2"s. Once the top was put together it was a simple two person job to lift the top onto the notches. The great thing about this design is that once we put the top on we could let go without attaching it. The notches completely held the top in place making it easy to attach with screws.

The top slats came next. On the end of each slat (which were made from 48" long 2"x4"s) I cut a small triangle out to give the ends a beveled appearance. I saved the cut triangles and used them as brackets to brace the inside of the top slates against the front and back beams. This worked great and was much easier than cutting a 1.5" notch on each end of the the 2"x4" slats.

Then came the sides. I put two 2"x4" pieces that were about 29 inches long on each side. Then added the 2"x2" vertically between the 2"x4"s. The hanging diamonds were the last part to add. I made three diamonds for each side, one whose sides measure about 7 inches and the other two are about 10 inches. I put these together with 2" outdoor screws but I definitely recommend using small screws. The cuts were all at 45 degree angles which enabled them to fit nicely together. Then I pre-drilled holes for the screws and pieced them together. Next I added eyehooks at the center of the side 2"x4" pieces and at the corners of the diamond frames and hung them on the black chains.

I was excited when the solar lanterns went up since that meant the project was almost finished! I used the leftover cut outs from the ends of the cross beams to make brackets and drilled 1/2" holes through them then weaved the black chain through it. I screwed the black chain on what would eventually be the top and attached the bracket to the front posts of the arbor around 5 feet high. Then I hung the lanterns and stepped back to look at the scene!

I was so busy building the arbor that I just didn't take enough pictures of the process! I tried to use the cropped pictures of various sections to illustrate the building process. As always if you have any questions feel free to leave a comment!

Back to Part 1 of How to Build An Arbor

How to Build an Arbor (Part 1)

As you know by now I chose to build an arbor for the Better Homes & Gardens 48 Hour Challenge. I've highlighted a few aspects of it over the last several weeks but I haven't put down a play by play of our challenge. Hopefully you can follow along and if you want to tackle this project you'll be ready, willing, and able!

How to Build An Arbor

Materials:

• Wood: 4 8ft. 4"x4" for posts, 3 4"x4" for cross braces, 2 10' long 2"x8" for the front and back beam, 5 2"x4" sides and , 4 8ft. 2"x2", 2 8ft 1"x2" for the hanging diamonds.
• 1 Gallon of natural cedar stain.
  
• 4 - 50lb. bags of fast setting Concrete
  
• Black chain and eyehooks
  
• Two Solar Lanterns
• Outdoor screws (I used 3.5" and 2" but smaller would have been fine)
  

After we had all the materials together we began with the plan. We cut the pieces to the appropriate lengths and began staining. We could have assembled the arbor first then stained but it would make it difficult to do the extra little things like the Japanese Maple Leaves we stained into the posts. The other disadvantage to staining after assembly would be the drips that might happen from up above and fall onto the wood pieces below.

We began with the four posts. The plan I made called for notches to be cut into the top of each post into "V" shapes. I used a miter saw but could only cut through the wood part of the way or risk cutting too much and ended up using a hand jig saw to complete the cuts. After that we sanded, stained and let dry.

When we did the second coat of stain we placed Japanese maple leaves on the post and painted the stain over them. This left a subtle impression behind.

While the posts were drying from the stain I worked on the cross beams that go across the front and back of the arbor. These were made from 10' long pieces of 2"x8" lumber cut down to 9 feet. I drew a design on each end by making a template out of cardboard and tracing the outline onto the ends of each board. I was very careful when cutting these pieces since I was going to use them as hangers for the solar lanterns later. A lot of measuring was involved in cutting the diamond shapes out. First I took a small piece of 4"x4" (which actually measures 3.5"x3.5") and used it as the diamond template. Then I drew a line lengthwise down the middle of the 2"x8" and measured the center and post diamonds. Since 4"x4" pieces would fit through both the front and the back I had to be very precise on the measurement. Once I had the center points I used the 4"x4" template to draw the diamonds by lining up the corners on the marked lines.


Then came the cuts. To make the cuts I used a 1/2" wood bit to drill holes into the corners of the diamond outlines. Then I came back with a jigsaw and cut the holes and the end pieces. It sounds easy but this step was the most tedious! When the diamond cuts are made I had to make sure that I cut a little more than what I marked since the 4"x4" pieces go through the holes and need that space. Then we sanded and stained.

The last step for this blog post was setting the posts in concrete. I dug the holes and centered the posts into the holes, then while my wife held the post I dumped the dry concrete mix into the hole and added water. No mixing was necessary with the fast setting concrete. Due to the high winds that day we measured multiple times to make sure the posts were straight and even with each subsequent post. This was a challenge and might have been done easier if we had screwed in sacrificial lumber to the posts to use as temporary support but we didn't want to harm the finish.

Continue to Part Two of How to Build an Arbor

Where Does My Arbor Go?

Since I've talked so much about the arbor itself I thought for this post I would highlight the garden that the arbor takes you too. If you look past the arbor you will find a quasi-Japanese shade garden nook. I say quasi because it's a hybrid of Japanese and American plants.  The Japanese elements are the Japanese maple, a side order of hostas, and two clumps of Japanese forest grass that were just added. There are native elements as well which a purest would say don't have their place in a Japanese garden but really look very cool together. Take the hosta and heuchera combination for instance. Although the origins are continents apart these two plants seem destined to be together. Hostas originate from Asia while the heucheras are native to parts of North America.

Here is the view from the self-seeding garden. The only thing I'm not thrilled with is the gas meter. It's one of those necessary evils that I just can't do much about. The corner shade garden has quite a few elements going for it now, mature shade tolerant plants (like the aforementioned hostas and heuchera as well as the astilbe, oak leaf hydrangea, and a couple annual coleus plants), a dry creek bed for downspout drainage, and natural limestone borders.

The arbor really helps to enhance the area and entice the eyes down the pathway. I hope when the self-seeding garden gets going that it will be something unique and special to bookend The Arbor Project in between. Don't forget to head over to Better Homes & Gardens to vote for the Arbor in the 48 Hour Blog Challenge.  I may be down in the voting but I won't give up until the end.

The Hummingbirds and The Arbor

It seems that we are not the only one's enjoying the arbor. I'm sure if the hummingbirds knew how to operate a computer they would be online voting everyday until June 12th for the project with the nifty native honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) climbing up the side.

The hummingbirds are probably thinking "Those other projects are nice, but there isn't anything yummy to eat, vote for Dave!" OK I took some liberties (who knows what goes through the mind of a hummingbird), but if you compare projects this is the only one that incorporates natural elements and mixes it with human structures. Is this important? Perhaps if you believe in the harmonious balance of nature and mankind.

One of my goals in my garden is to add elements that wildlife would find attractive. Though animals may be vexing at times (i.e. deer and rabbits) there is a certain awe and majesty in them that we as gardeners must appreciate. I think in many ways gardeners are charged with creating a balance between both worlds, the natural and the man-made. This arbor was built to eventually blend in with the landscape. You can't see it yet, not every element is growing, which obviously puts me at a competitive disadvantage to the fine front porches, but the potential is starting to sprout. Just this week zinnias and cosmos began to erupt from their seeds offering the promise colors to come. Dianthus and salvia are planted now and the self seeding garden is slowly taking form next to the arbor.

Behind the arbor the shade garden is blossoming with foliage although no flowers yet. Astilbe blooms are coming soon along with the heuchera and hostas that the hummingbirds will also enjoy, but for now we have the foliage. This project has really been a blessing for our garden. It dressed up the house and brought all sorts of new ideas to our garden.

Thank you to eveyone who has voted so far and please continue to do so until the end! I'd also like to welcome anyone to the The Home Garden who came from The Advertiser News, please come into the garden and take a look around!

Make sure you visit tomorrow for something really neat!

I Need Your Help!

Today is the day. The day when the challenge is evaluated by friends, family, and fellow bloggers through online voting at BHG.com and I need your help to win. The projects have been done and everyone has done a fantastic job by bringing us slick porch remodels, an elegant potting bench, a cool barbecue cart, and my personal favorite: a garden arbor. (I bet you knew which one was my favorite!) All you have to do to help this gardener is to vote once a day for the length of the contest.  In the end you might help me to win the $5000. 

I bet you're wondering "what would Dave do with $5000?"  I can think of quite a few projects that a little influx of green would take care of, starting with my garden fence. Right now our garden is just surrounded by a 3' tall coated wire fence to keep the rabbits out. The fence does its job fine but isn't much to look at. A classic picket fence is just what the garden needs.

The one project that keeps coming to the forefront of all the other ideas rattling around in my brain is the ultimate gardener's shed! A place to store all the tools of the trade and then some. Complete with a greenhouse side, front porch, and maybe even a living roof!  Those living roofs fascinate me!  Not only are they great for the environment by reducing water runoff but they look pretty darn cool! In my mind I have a plan that would harvest the leftover rainwater inside the shed for use in the greenhouse portion. Not only that, but we might actually get to park our cars in our current garden shed...the garage. That would really make my wife happy!

Of course this is all just dreaming and speculating right now. I would love to win the challenge but the odds are against me. Most of the other bloggers in the Challenge have a greater audience than I do, or at least they have more commenters. There could be quite a few silent readers out there who tend to be like me, read everything but keep quiet. Probably the craziest thing I ever did was start this blog with my introverted personality, but it was also probably one of the best things I've done. This blog has brought me so many great experiences and I've met so many great gardeners because of it.

If you can, hop onto the 48 Hour Challenge Website everyday and send me a vote. Whether I win or not the Challenge has been a great experience and I want to thank Better Homes & Gardens and The Home Depot for the opportunity to participate. I'll be talking about the arbor in greater detail in the next couple of weeks. I'm really pleased with the result and I hope you believe it's worthy of your support!

Edit: If you go to the BHG.com site and can't find the voting area just check back later in the day.  It should be up soon. This edit will self-destruct after voting goes live!  

Voting is live!

The Entry Arbor

To say that I'm excited about the completion of our Arbor project is an understatement. In many ways it turned out better than I had hoped. From the plants we used to the materials and the design nearly everything went according to plan. Of course I spent a good deal of time before the project began planning this arbor. I went through at least 3 different design ideas for the project including two arbors with only two posts a piece, one at the beginning of the corridor and the other at the end. My wife talked me down from this one insisting that we should concentrate on one really special arbor. I think she was right and I'm not afraid to say that!

Here's a long distance shot of the arbor from the top of our driveway. We positioned the arbor at a slight angle for a couple reasons. One was the look, it just fit the pathway better. Number two was because of a gas utility line that we needed to avoid. I actually had the lines marked last fall so I would know where they were. I didn't want anything (mainly myself) to interfere with them!

If you walk down the driveway and onto the sidewalk you can see the angle of the arbor a little better. The diamond designs move in the wind with a gentle clinking of the chains that suspend them. Eventually vines will cover the arbor. From one side it will be honeysuckle and from the other I was thinking of planting moonflowers which open up in the evenings.

As you continue across the yard toward the arbor you will see the pathway begin to take shape. Although it hasn't fully leafed out yet the Forest Pansy Redbud is in front of you. It's early spring flowers and purple heart shaped foliage will be a focal point for any travelers down this path. The deciduous plantings will soon be covered with foliage and you will see the full impact of this area. To the right the Japanese maple draws the eyes toward the corner shade garden filled with hostas, heucheras, Soloman's Seal, and a new find: Japanese Forest Grass! You can even see the new dry creek bed I put in the other day.

On the left is the honeysuckle. This particular one is Lonicera sempervirens (Trumpet Honeysuckle), not the dread Lonicera japonica which, along with it's friend Kudzu, seems to be taking over the southern U.S.. Lonicera sempervirens is native to the U.S. and is favorite of hummingbirds. In fact before I could even plant the honeysuckle two hummingbirds visited it and that was only one day after its purchase! This particular variety is called 'Alabama Crimson', an unfortunate name for a great plant but I suppose Tennessee Orange just wouldn't have fit. It is red after all.

Once you reach the arbor a set of stepping stones laid on the ground guide you down the path. They aren't intended to really be stepped on but rather to guide the gardener visually down the pathway. Of course they are convenient for avoiding wet shoes when walking through the early morning dew.

A quick look back will show you how the gardens enclose around the arbor. The obelisk was made from leftover 1"x2"s and will support some climbers of a yet to be determined nature. To the left is the corner shade garden and to the right is the deciduous glade with a fothergilla, viburnum, and several other woody plants.

And here it is at night, lit with the light of our front porch and the solar lanterns hanging from the front posts. I can't wait to see how it all fits together with the self seeding garden in bloom.

I've really enjoyed being able to participate in the 48 Hour Blog Challenge. I may not win the $5000 but I feel like I've already won. After all, a great experience is priceless!

For information on how I built my arbor check out these two posts:

How to Build an Arbor Part 1
How to Build an Arbor Part 2

Guess What?

If you haven't already looked you should. The work is done, the pictures have been taken, and the post is up at BHG.com.  The voting won't begin until next Friday but now you can see the results of the project! Head on over and take a look at the 48 hour Blog Challenge and see my new Arbor! I'll post more pictures of it tomorrow here on The Home Garden.

The Arbor Project: The Side Details (Sneak Peek 3)

Today's sneak peak reveals a couple more features of the Arbor.  The picture to the right reveals the sides but also offers a glimmer of the landscaping.  I could have built solid sides for the arbor but I had an idea that repeats a diamond shape theme from another element of the arbor. The diamonds are made from 1"x2"s with eyehooks in the corners.  The eyehooks attach to a black chain that matches the solar lanterns we hung. My orginal intent was to have the diamonds attach at each corner to the arbor to become mostly stabilized.  As I was attaching the top I realized that the diamonds would gently turn as they caught the breeze and become a wind feature. My mom even recommended I add some prisms to the inside of the diamonds to reflect the light. I think it's a good idea and may do that later. 

In the back you can see a couple of the plantings and the stone border. The stones are 16 inches long (41 pounds!) and define the border between the self seeding garden and the arbor.

Previous Peeks!

Sneak Peek 1: Solar Lights

Sneak Peek 2: Scotch Moss

The Arbor Project: Scotch Moss (Sneak Peek 2)

Here is another sneak peek at the Arbor Project for the Better Homes and Gardens 48 Hour Blog Challenge. Today's look is just one of the elements in my planting scheme.  I've had a fondness for Scotch Moss (Sagina subulata) for a while but never really had a place for it, until now! I managed to divide the four clumps that I bought into 8 smaller clumps that would be a perfect fit for some of the gaps in my stone borders. The stones are square and have been adjusted to curve which means they have left small pie shaped gaps between them.  These are perfect spots for Scotch moss to inhabit.  I packed a little of the native clay soil into the cracks first then pressed the clumps into the gaps.  Scotch moss is great between stepping stones and handles foot traffic pretty well.

Previous Peeks!

Sneak Peak 1: Solar Lights

The Arbor Plan

We made our official announcement this morning about building an arbor for the 48-hour Blog Challenge.  An arbor has been in my mind to start the side corridor pathway to our backyard.  Now we could go out and purchase the arbor and stick it up fairly easily but that wasn't in our plan.  We had to go and make the project more difficult!  We'll build it from scratch!

Here's a rough description of the plan. First we'll put up the wooden arbor which we'll also stain a nice natural cedar color.  We debated on using paint that would match the house but paint would automatically make the arbor appear more formal.  Formality is not something we wish to cultivate in our garden. Not that there's anything wrong with that!  The arbor will tie together several garden spots like the front garden, the side border garden and the corner shade garden.  Each of these areas will act independently of each other yet add to the overall effect of one larger garden. I want the arbor to invite people in to experience the garden.  It's all about transitions. Once the arbor goes up it will serve as a doorway to another garden room.

After building the arbor we'll use various stone products and plantings from The Home Depot to highlight the arbor and help with the merging of three garden areas into one. The smoothness of the transition is very important.  The stone products will be used to outline planters and planting beds and create more "bones of the garden" to work around.

One of the advantages to building the arbor ourselves is the cost. The materials will cost less than it does for a standard ready built arbor yet it will actually be a larger structure.  Our design is a little different from other arbors which I believe is another advantage, we control everything about its design.  Next Friday on my 48-hour Blog Challenge post you'll be able to see the materials we chose to use for our arbor and very soon you'll get to see the building process as well as the finished product.  If everything goes as planned it will be complete before you know it!

Hints

If you happen to be wondering what my project is for the 48 Hour Blog Challenge I have a few hints for you.  I've included three pictures of a few materials we plan to utilize.  If you want to see what the project is you'll have to check the BHG.com 48 Hour Blog Challenge Website on Friday!

Now for the hints:

Stone

Wood

More Stone!

I'll reveal the vegetation later!

Now what can be made with these items?

I've Been Challenged!

I'm always excited for a new challenge to accomplish in the garden and recently I was invited to participate in Better Homes and Gardens 48-hour Blog Challenge.  Together BHG.com and The Home Depot are proposing a very interesting event that is sure to be fun for me and hopefully for you as well.  Here's the deal.  They have given me $500 to complete an outdoor project using products from The Home Depot.  I was given a wide range of ideas to select as potential projects and ultimately how it turns out is up to me. The key is the project must be able to be accomplished in 48 hours and under $500. I'll be keeping the project a bit of secret for a few days and will reveal bits and pieces of it throughout the process.  You can also follow me over at the Better Homes and Gardens website and take a look at the competition. In the end you'll be the deciding factor as to whose project is the favorite, you get to vote!  I think that you'll see that my project is a great one.  One that hopefully, with your help, can win the challenge.

What would you do in your garden with $500 in only 48 hours?