Fall Decorating for a Country Porch

Decorating a country porch can be easy when you make use of accents and color schemes. Especially for Fall decorating, the accents can be as simple as a Fall garden flag and a Halloween door mat. Adding some splashes of red, orange or yellow can complete your look. Of course, these are simple. We never want to go too crazy, unless we consider ourselves crazy in our decorating.

Fall Garden Flags for Decorating

Fall garden flags are the easiest decor item to turn your country porch from a summer haven into an Autumn delight. There are multiple ways you can use pretty garden flags to create the look and theme of Fall.

• Wall art - if you have a wall as part of your country porch, you can hang a garden flag directly on the wall like a poster. 
• Breezy art - if you have a ceiling or taller shelf as part of your country porch, hang your garden flag from there. The breezes will keep the flagging flowing nicely and draw attention to it. 
• Grounded art - use a flag stake and insert into the ground at the entrance to your country porch. It will welcome both you and visitors. 

Halloween Door Mat and Other Accessories

Lest we forget, Halloween is a major celebration for the Fall season. Adding a Halloween door mat will accent your Autumn themed country porch.

But, don't forget to add other accents. A throw pillow or two in a Fall color or design works well. Try adding a solid colored outdoor mat or rug in front of a chair or table.

If you like to entertain on your country porch, a simple red, orange or yellow table cloth will add to your Autumn theme. Even a leave-design throw blanket or quilt can help with your decorating. We love to work with easy accent pieces and these will make your guests welcome and comfortable.

So enjoy decorating for the season with Fall garden flags, special accent pieces and Halloween door mats. The simplicity is worth it. 

Preparing Bird Feeders and Bird Baths for Fall

We've hit that time of year. The summer vacations are over, the kids are back in school, the weather
begins changing. For many us, that changing weather signals a time to take some extra care of our back yards. And that includes those bird feeders and bird baths. Here are few tips and suggestions to help you in that task.

Preparing Bird Feeders

Some of you feed your backyard birds all year long while others feed them only the colder months when food is harder to find. Either way, Fall is the time of year to make some changes.

• Bird feeders need to be cleaned regularly and Fall is a good time
• Put away any feeders that will become damaged by cold
• Watch that you are feeding birds the proper food for their needs
• Move the bird feeders so that birds can find them easily in the colder months

Preparing Bird Baths

Like many of you, I have both feeders and baths in my backyard. That's truly a great way to attract more of the charming birds that I enjoy watching. But colder months require a different arrangement when it comes to bird baths.

I prefer a pedestal style bird bath for several reasons.  Not only are they easily moveable to find shade and keep my yard from having a dead spot in the grass, but they can also be brought in if you don't plan to maintain them all Winter long.

Since I live in a part of the country that has mild winters, there are only some times when the water in the bird bath will freeze. During the rest of cold months, I leave my bird baths out and available to my backyard birds. Just like all animals, they need water even during the cold months.

Take Time in Fall for Winter Preparation

Take the time now, before the days get too chilly, to clean and prepare your bird feeders and bird baths. You can have some nice outdoor time as well as help your backyard birds who winter over with you.

Gifts for Backyard Bird Lovers

We all know trying to pick the perfect gift isn't always easy. We are always looking for great gift ideas. If you have a bird lover among your gift list, there are some options for you to consider.

True Bird Lover Gifts

People who really are birders, those who like to watch birds, record which species they find and
follow the activities of birds will certainly be those who also care for their backyard birds. A beautiful or unique bird bath works great. But, how about more than that?

Add in a great bird watchers mug for them to enjoy coffee or tea while watching the birds at their new bird bath. This is the way to add some fun to their perfect gift.

Gifts for Backyard Bird People

Frankly, as a backyard bird lover myself, I can never have too many feeders or bird houses. When I get a new one as a gift, I can replace one that is getting old or just add to my current collection. And yes, I do have many and love them all.

A most treasured gift is a field guide. I received my first one as a gift and have since gotten several more. Field guides provide great information to help identify the different bird species that I find in my backyard, but they also help with more information about those birds. Things like what special food may attract a new species, where be best to locate a bird house and much more.

Of course, you don't want to forget things like window bird feeders. Those make great gifts for families. Viewing the birds from a window is a delightful thing for children to do. And the grown-ups can enjoy it as well.

So when you need to find great gift ideas, look over your list for people who will enjoy watching and appreciating their backyard birds. You just may have the best gift of all.

Accent with Fall Garden Flags

Seasonal accents make an easy way to change your country porch or patio decor. You don't need to change around the whole look, just add in a few additional items to reflect the season. Garden flags are on of my favorite accents.

There are many choices for Fall garden flags, including those that celebrate the Fall holidays like Halloween and Christmas. But also ones that feature pumpkins, scarecrows and Autumn leaves.

Garden flags make great accents for your outdoor living space, like your country porch, because they are designed to withstand the elements. Rain, wind and strong sunlight don't harm them.

But, certainly don't limit your use of a Fall garden flag to just sticking them on a stake in your yard. There are plenty of other fun ways to use them. One of my favorites is to tack it to the house wall, like a picture within my country porch area.

Try hanging one from a railing or draping a flag over your rocking chair to add even more accent effects for Fall. I saw this idea used and loved it myself - because of the beautiful colors in Fall garden flags, one was used as a cover for a small side table. The effect of the colors spilling over the table was incredible.

Garden flags are easy and fun accents to put around your country porch. Use your imagination for where a perfect place would be to add a Fall garden flag.

Wind Chimes Add Gentle Sound to Your Outdoor World

When I'm enjoying my country porch world, there are many times when the soft sound of wind chimes can add a lot. Gentle breezes in the warm summer air delight me with the sounds of my wind chime.

I've found a nice selection of those country porch wind chimes. There are, of course, many different types, but really, who wants to go through hundreds of options? I certainly don't. It often means that I go through a load of pages, pick a few that I think can go on my short list, then have a hard time finding which ones I want to review again. That's why I like to see pages where people have selected their favorites. It narrows down my search considerably.

The ones that I've found are a great selection. Some a simple, metal pipes hanging from wood accents, while others are more ornate. There's a wonderful wind chime just for horse lovers, which I am. But, I also really like the owl wind chime. Decorative, cute and delicate for a nature theme.

There is also one that really intrigues me. You can actually turn it off. That's right. There are times when you might not want to have the sound of wind chimes while you spend time outside. For me, it's often when I want to relax with a good book. The sound of wind chimes can be distracting. So I can literally turn off the chimes. They won't make a sound even when the wind blows. Now, that's a wind chime I can enjoy all the time.

Certainly, there are plenty of accents for your country porch, but many times it's the little things that will make your outdoor living space more charming and delightful. That's what I think about wind chimes.

Drink Coasters for Showing Off Backyard Birds

Admit it, just like me, you enjoy having home decor that features your favorite backyard birds. When I found charming drink coasters that showed off some of the birds I see in my own backyard, I knew I had hit on something.

Frankly, everybody can use beverage coasters somewhere in their home. They do function great for protecting the furniture. That's true. But, just as a functional item is boring. We like to add a little extra to our decor when we add functional items.

That's what makes backyard bird drink coasters so nice. They are beautiful to set out on tables. Of course, that helps to remind our guests to use those coasters. It helps us remember to use coasters as well.

I've put bird drink coasters on my personal gift list. My kids are always asking me what I want for this or that occasion. Usually I have a number of suggestions, most more expensive than they prefer. So when I found the backyard bird drink coasters, I had something they could afford to give me. Perfect idea!

Then I got invited to a fun songbird themed tea party. This is a close friend who loves bird watching and her backyard birds. So she decided to welcome spring with this particular tea party theme. I had the ideal hostess gift for her. I gave her a set of drink coasters with her favorite bird, the Northern Cardinal. Oh, yes. She loved them and has the set sitting on her living room coffee table.

A great gift idea, a great home decor item, and a useful way to bring our love of backyard birds into our homes. All that with just backyard bird drink coasters.

Country Comfort with a Bench Glider

My grandmother had a bench glider on her country porch. I remember delightful summer days of sitting there and swinging back and forth. Many of my favorites books were read in that glider. So this summer I want to add a glider to my own country porch.

I have a nice seating arrangement on my porch. A settee with two chairs across from it. Side tables and decorative accents. That takes up most of my porch space. But, I do have a section that sits off to the side of the porch. Right now, I have a small vignette there with some shade flowers arranged nicely.

What I would like to do is take that small section, just perfectly sized, and focus it for a bench glider. I think it will make a nice reading nook for me. But also a great place for guests to hold a side conversation.

You see, my country porch happens to be the meeting place for many of my friends and family. Lazy summer afternoons will often find several guests relaxing on my country porch. Now, I have to tell you that I enjoy that so much. Which makes a nook with a bench glider perfect.

The arrangement I envision for this summer is one that includes a floor mat or outdoor rug in front of the glider, a small convenience table, and some kind of small accent piece that will carry my country porch decor theme to that nook. I haven't picked out everything, yet. My first step is to choose the style and look of the bench glider.

Spring time is when I start planning and shopping for additions and changes to my country porch. And a bench glider is at the top of my list. Exciting, huh? Bringing back the memory of sitting on my grandmother's country porch and reading away the summer days.