Happy First Day of Fall 2020

Today fall begins in the United States and everywhere else in the northern hemisphere. The autumn equinox — also known as the autumnal equinox, the fall equinox or the September equinox — occurs when the sun moves directly over the Earth’s Equator, bringing virtually the same amount of daylight and darkness on that particular day. Happy first day of Fall 2020!

Pumpkins, apple cider donuts and sweaters are the things I think of during this season. However, it is still triple digits here in Phoenix and will be for the next week. It’s ghastly. But this seems to happen every year so no one is really surprised. We just like to complain about it.

Since our temps are so high, several of the nurseries haven’t gotten their fall flowers or pumpkins yet. We probably will not see those until October. But in celebration of the end of one season and the beginning of another, I dusted off the autumn wreath and it is officially on the front door.

As you recall, this Spring I stepped out of my comfort zone and painted a new front door color. I am a bit concerned about how other wreaths from different seasons will look up against the blue.

But, boy, do I have to tell you I am L.O.V.I.N.G these fall tones against the new color. I bought this 28″ wreath on Etsy as my challenge is finding a wreath large enough for the 4 foot wide front door. Most wreaths are 18-24″ wide, which is too small for the scale of the door.

Since this is what I would consider an expensive wreath, I take care and store them properly in between seasons. There are two different ways I store my wreaths, click here and here.

Lucky me, orange is the complementary color to blue! So the door color works with the Fall seasonal ones. Yay!

Now that the highlights of the front porch are the door and wreath, I really didn’t want to add any thing that would compete with this focal point. During my trip to Whitfill Nursery (you know, my happy place), I am able to score some wonderful plants that have a fall vibe.

Henna Coleus is rich with gold and burgundy tones and pick up on the shades in the wreath. Coupled with sweet potato vine the planters now whisper Fall.

At the beginning of the summer, you may recall that I purchased two artificial evergreens to survive on the front porch over the summer. I love that these require NO maintenance and they provide a lovely backdrop for smaller planters. The cedar faux plants have held up beautifully over the summer and I look forward to decorating them at the holidays.

I am a big fan of ornamental grasses, especially the way they look blowing in the wind. Though the 2 containers I purchased from Whitfill did not have a name tag, I am guessing this is Fountain Grass, with delicate mauve feathers.

The natural fall look on the front porch is the opposite of what I typically do, however, I like the calmness of it all.

One of the biggest lessons in 2020 is getting out of our comfort zone. It’s easy to replicate the same look over and over again, but when forced to do something different, the results can be surprising.

The bench by the front door is the perfect place for an orange pillow and throw.

More orange pillows are put on the rocking chairs. Also, Amazon has the greatest selection of orange and fall pillows here.

To see the re-painting of these rockers and the entire porch re-do from May, click here.

What is a front porch with some boots or Sloggers? I really love these gardening shoes/boots, especially with the chicken design. Not only are they comfortable but waterproof too. Trust me on this, you will enjoy these as much as I do. Plus what a great gift for any gardener (thank you, Janie!) Here is the link.

Front Porch 2020 is a bit less understated than in previous years. That doesn’t mean I may not keep adding fall flowers and pumpkins. But I am enjoying its natural elements and its peaceful serenity.

What are you doing on this first day of Fall 2020? Is it cooling off where you live? Have you started your fall decorating? Tomorrow I hope to make apple cider donuts. Maybe if I do fall things, fall will come.

Happy Tuesday!

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