Patriotic Front Porch in the RWB

I started thinking about decorating the front porch for the July 4th holiday back in late May when I joined in on a roundup for patriotic ideas and inspiration. This house has a nice sized front porch where I have an old train depot bench so there's plenty of room for some fun seasonal and holiday decor. I really prefer using a basket on the door for faux florals with coordinating color and decorative ribbon, but since I have a problem with birds making nests in the basket from late March to June I usually just do a wreath in early spring to summer. I took a chance that by late June the birdie problem would be over. I think I'm safe...

I like to keep the pillows on the bench bright and eye catching because the bench is dark and sort of gets lost on the porch. Keeping coordinating flowers and color on the porch, means changing up the pillows several times a year. My throw pillow stash clearly had reached it's limit, and I need outdoor water resistant fabric also. I've been buying pillow covers on Amazon and Etsy which makes it so much easier to change things up. I wanted new covers for July 4th, but needed them to work all summer. I have to be careful and not use too much red next to the persimmon/pumpkin colored door because it really clashes.

So I went with BLUE.

I found these trendy Buffalo Check covers in water resistant fabric in Navy Blue and this adorable lumbar pillow cover with a blue Mason Jar with a floral bouquet. I'm planning on keeping them out for awhile after the 4th. I can just remove the flags and change up the front door basket a bit to make it all work, hopefully at least till mid-August. (Then it's fall!)

A folded vintage flag draped across the metal back piece of the bench

gives a bit more patriotic feel.

This is about the 5th pair of pillow covers in this Buffalo Check fabric, which wears well and washes easily. I have beige, green, orange, black and now the blue. Believe me it can get grungy out here with the small critters, birds, rain, and dirt and dust from the mower. I just do a gentle hand wash in the laundry sink and they dry wonderfully.

I bought another small outdoor bunting for the front porch overhang after my mini fiasco with the tea-stained version. I would have liked a larger one, but as they get wider they also get deeper. I didn't want people hitting their heads on it, so the smaller version is all that worked.

I've had a war going on with the squirrel population regarding my flower containers this year. In the past they've chewed a few varieties, mainly million bells. But this year they've discovered the geraniums and they've been relentless. I've had to move things around and try to hide them. If squirrels and chipmunks see any open areas with loose dirt they automatically want to dig in it. 

I have this big container filled with geraniums and lantana (which they never bother) and they've left it alone. The petunias have been surprisingly ignored too, mostly because they were packed in. I had a few pots of geraniums out back that were mauled in bad shape so we brought them to the front in hopes that they wouldn't notice them out there. nope. they found them. I have some containers of mint, so I'm trying to pick a few leaves and spread them around. We'll see if this works. The mint plants are never touched.

I was really surprised this year with the geraniums; in the past the critters haven't been interested, but this year they are on a mission. They haven't touched the vinca container either. I actually saw a squirrel do a WWE style body slam into the petunias a few days ago. I had to laugh, but then ran out to the porch and shooed them away.

My red vintage watering can makes the rounds in summer. I brought it out here this week with the flags for the patriotic color. The old concrete urn weighs a ton and I keep a fern there from April till October/or whenever they freeze. I have to keep on the lookout for mosquitos too, because they will hang out wherever a little water might accumulate. 

So far so good with the patriotic basket on the door. It's the finches that make so many nests, but they didn't try any nesting here this year since the wrens had already claimed the porch nest box early on in April. 

I don't think I've shared the little nest box. (ordered it on Amazon this spring) It's covered here, under the porch, so less likely predators can notice or get to it. The crows are little devils. They're the ones that go after the bird nests and babies. Now we have a crow couple and huge "baby"  that like to hang out here. Smart and naughty. When I see them I try to holler at them so they'll leave the yard. I'm sure my neighbors think I'm nuts... just trying to keep the predator birds away. 

We've been in a heat wave and no rain since the beginning of June. It poured all of May with record rainfall, but this last month has been just the opposite. No rain, so I've had to water every day, but I just hate seeing my containers chewed up every day. I'm using the real mint leaves as a hopeful deterrent, but wondering if any of you have found a product that works to repel squirrels with plants. There are a lot of products out there but most of them have less than great reviews.

I guess I'm going to have to fork out for the Peppermint Spray, which seems to be a good repellent. Anyone used that or concocted your own repellent?

Thanks for coming by, friends. I went looking through past posts and was surprised to find that I've never shared my patriotic porch decor before. I've done plenty in the sunroom and back porch, but not the front. So this post is a first!! Did you do any porch decorating for the 4th?

Have a great week, everyone!

Hope you'll come back Monday evening for the link party...

joining in here:

The House on Silverado,  Love Your Creativity at Life and Linda, 

All About Home at Common Ground and Follow the Yellow Brick Home
Inspire Me Monday at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia 

 Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch 

  Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life   Wonderful Wednesday at LeCultivateur 

Turnabout Tuesday at My Wee Abode,  Centerpiece Wednesday at Karin's Kottage

Share Your Style at French Ethereal,  Vintage Charm at Our Hopeful Home,  

Thursday Favorite Things at Follow the Yellow Brick Home,  

Create, Bake, and Grow at Shabby Art Boutique, Farmhouse Friday at  County Road 407

Fabulous Friday at Vintage Home Design Friendship Friday at Create with Joy 

 Funtastic Friday at 2 Chicks and a Mom