Summer in the Garden

Summertime……and the living is easy!

This time of year reminds me every single summer what it means to enjoy the outdoors and get outside during this special season.  It’s hot here in the South, but that’s nothing new. We have to deal with that every single year, 95 degrees and high humidity, so as much as we like to complain about it, we suck it up and deal with it and add fans to our porches and lots of iced tea and lemonade to quench thirsts and stay hydrated.

This week, I’m joining a fun group of bloggers who also love outdoors and everything that means for this time of year.  Summer simplified!  I love that idea.  Summer makes me want to slow down, relax more, read more books, go to the beach, and enjoy the lightening bugs on a hot summer evening.  I plan to do a lot of more of that this summer.

So, come along with me and see where I love to spend time during these hot summer months.

I just couldn’t let this slip by without sharing with y’all!  Two years ago my front yard was landscaped and planted with Southern Living Plants and now I’m SO enjoying the beauty of these Dear Delores hydrangeas. They are positively exploding this year!

Here’s the post I did 2 years ago on my front garden and where it all started.  You won’t believe the difference when you click on that link!

Big soft blooms are covering all my hydrangeas this year, wrapping my front yard up in a beautiful bow.

There are masses of them woven through my front yard.

They meander around the circle and up the hill.

Both sides of my yard are a sea of explosive blue hydrangea blooms.

I  know they won’t last too long, so had to document the pictures and share them. I’ll definitely be drying some hydrangeas this hear!

The gardenias have been gorgeous this year too and smell SO good coming in my front door with their delicious fragrance.

If you’ve been reading my blog for any time, you know that my back screened porch is probably my most favorite room in my house, even though it’s outdoors.  I love to live outdoors during the summer months, even when it’s hot out here.  I have a fan out there and as long as there is a breeze stirring I can stand it.  I’ve spent much time on that settee reading a book.

And here’s what it looks like when dusk settles in.  I added those lighted grapevine balls this year for some night light and they add a fun ambience.  I got those a few years ago at Pier One, but you could probably find them elsewhere, I don’t see them on the website anymore.

Here is a strand of lighted grapevine balls from Target (affiliate link).

I enjoy having a screened porch so much and don’t know what I’d do without it.

I sit here at this table often with my computer and catch up on everything outside.

That oscillating fan really helps stir the air out here.

I keep plenty of plants going during the summer months in the windowsills.

The breezes blow those curtains all the time and I love having them out here too.

Here are similar curtains from Wayfair (affiliate link), which is where I found these.  All my brown faux wicker is from Big Lots.

Sitting on the porch is the best place to be during the summer.

I spend so much time out here and love it!

Plants are a big part of the porch and I have many of them.  I made that beadboard wall art with scraps of beadboard and an old vintage frame a few years ago.

This old chippy aqua chair was passed on to me from my dad. It belonged to his dad and it has to be from the 1930’s.  The original seat is long gone and they used to add cowhide when the original caning gave out.  It makes a great plant holder.

Right outside the screened porch is the new patio that went in last year.  I dearly love it too and plan to get a lot more use out of it this year.  I’ll be adding a new umbrella soon to shield the seating area from the sun.

Those big white planters (from Wayfair) are still going strong and the plants are blooming too with color.

This is a great place to hang out after the sun moves over the house at 4 pm.

I’ve spent a few evenings out here with my honey watching the stars and listening to music when the sun goes down.

So, that’s my summer simplified.  Summer on the porch or patio is some of my best times ever.  It’s great to have pretty outdoor spaces to use during this time of year and I couldn’t be happier to be back on the porch again!

If you want to get really inspired by outdoor living, check out the rest of the bloggers on this tour with me.  I know you’ll get all sorts of great ideas from them too!

Day 1
Driven By Decor
Garden Therapy
Empress of Dirt
Cedar Hill Farmhouse

Day 2
StoneGable
Duke Manor Farm
Savvy Southern Style
Southern Hospitality
Shabbyfufu

Day 3
In My Own Style
The Wood Grain Cottage
Maison de Pax
Love of Home
Setting For Four
My Soulful Home

Day 4
Debbiedoo’s
Craftberry Bush
At The Picket Fence
On Sutton Place

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