The Wonders of a Screened Porch

We've never had a screened porch before, but I can tell you now that I don't ever want to be without one again! Our wish-list for a house in Missouri had a covered porch on it, but we got so much more in this glorious space high above the back yard.Not only is there a ceiling fan and screens all around, but since we're protected in a "valley" at the bottom of a hill, we have very little wind, and with our wide eaves, we can sit out here, even when it's pouring rain, and barely get damp.

My houseplants made the trip from Kansas in the back of our van and seem no worse for the wear. In fact, they love Missouri's humidity. It's been hot, hot, hot, and yet here on the screened porch, it's been wonderfully comfortable morning and evening for us to sit out here and dream.

And of course, these two sweet girls (and their three boy cousins) are who we dream about...and the REAL reason we are loving everything about living in Missouri!

Our "Gardens" in Missouri

Gardening in Missouri is going to be very different! Our back and side yards are woods, which we love, and there are slopes and hills and ridges and creeks that we never had to deal with in our Kansas gardens. We've decided we'd rather look at the dozens of deer and other wildlife who roam through our yard than worry about the critters eating hundreds of dollars worth of plants, so any pots we have will have to hang high or be close to the house and filled with deer-resistant selections. 

We'll show you more of that wonderful screened porch you get a glimpse of at right in another post, but these are the two spaces we have to work with: a patio with a long view up the sloping backyard (most of which is owned—and thankfully mowed—by the neighbor at the top of the hill.

For these "kids" raised on the Kansas prairie, having woods and lush vegetation is a whole new experience! We're delighted to be learning how to garden in the shade of Missouri woods! It'll be an adventure!