Out On The Porch

Today I finally had a garden party.  Probably the last one of the season. I have to admit it wasn't my idea-my friends invited themselves over and gave me the equivalent of about 24 hours notice to prepare.  Yikes!  No way could I pull it all together that quick (at least to my unattainable standards).  So I dashed around like a mad woman focusing my efforts on the garden areas where I spend the most time and where my guests get the best visual impact.  Somehow I also managed to shop for some food and clean the house just enough to keep the board of health at bay.  In the end the planets aligned and it all came together beautifully.

As my guests arrived they quickly settled on the patio for an afternoon of wining and dining.  On a gorgeous early fall day like today, the patio is the perfect place to hang out and enjoy the garden.  However, as I sat there it dawned on me that the garden space where I spend the majority of my time, my screen porch, gets almost no guest exposure.

I love the screen porch.  It was one of the selling features of my house.  Last night I was out there until bedtime.  Tucked away on the east side of my house it's a perfect place to enjoy morning coffee, relax after work or sip wine into the evening.  To maximize use, every spring I open it as early as possible.  I guess I can see why it's not really a spot for entertaining-at least on a larger scale.  In the warmer months, guests prefer the patio and if it's too cold or hot for the patio, the porch usually isn't an option.

So the porch will remain my little private space.  A place where I can relax, unwind and squeeze every last minute out of the warmer months.  Summer may be slipping away but there's still time to enjoy the porch!







  

Sue~