Yard & Home Decoration, Month by Month
We know that keeping the exterior of your home looking (and feeling) lovely year-round can be a challenge, so we’ve come up with a few ideas for how to make it happen. The list below conveniently includes a tip or three for each month of the year, and while some of them require pre-planning, just about all of them use natural materials or living plants, and we hope that you’ll find them helpful.
January
Create a winter wonderland: Save and dry tree trimmings, paint them snowy hues of white and periwinkle, and use them to decorate around your front door and throughout your yard.
February
Who says you can’t enjoy time on the porch during winter? Stock outdoor seating areas with some colorful indoor/outdoor pillows and cozy throw blankets, and get to snuggling. If your holiday lights still happen to be up, all the better for setting the mood!
March
Beautify your yard by attracting birds like woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, wrens, thrushes, jays, and even hummingbirds with food and water throughout the winter season — just make sure that the water doesn’t freeze.
April
It’s tulip time! Typically, you’d plant tulip bulbs the fall before you want them to bloom, but if you forgot (or were too busy, or weren’t in a tulip place just yet) you can buy them at nearly any store and place them along your walkway, front porch, or anywhere else that needs brightening up.
May
Where we live, May means that the dry season (and warm weather) is right around the corner. Welcome it with potted succulents and silver-leafed herbs, which both prefer minimal moisture. Use Opus Grows Mix #3 if you’re planting babies — it’s blended for superior drainage.
June
Making your yard a more pleasant place to be isn’t all about looks, you know. You can up the relaxation factor by hanging a hammock or porch swing, along with some chimes, and suddenly you’ll feel like you’re a million miles away without a care in the world.
July
In honor of Independence Day, create red, white, and blue (or fireworks-inspired) garden beds with colorful blooms like zinnias and blue cornflowers.
August
Paint the town YELLOW! Sow some sunflower seeds in May and June for spectacular, golden displays in August. Choose locations that will maximize their decorative impact, like next to your mailbox or welcome mat, and don’t forget to cut some colossal bouquets for friends.
September
Plant blue- and purple-flowering plants like Russian sage, lobelia, and anise hyssop to complement nature’s warm, fall hues. Note that these perennials may need to be planted earlier in the year to bloom through fall.
October
Naturally, October is all about pumpkins and decorative gourds. Learn how to grow and harvest a variety of gourds here. You can prop them against pots with fall favorites like ornamental kale, mums, nasturtiums, and calendula for a layered display of colors and textures that speaks to sweaters and steaming hot cocoa.
November
Welcome Thanksgiving guests with a creative fall wreath fashioned from flowers, berries, crimson leaves, and anything else that you can stick on a ring. Here’s a cool, old-school video from none other than Martha Stewart that’ll show you how to create a living succulent wreath.
December
Did you know that during the Middle Ages, people believed that fennel had magical properties and hung it over their doorways to ward off evil spirits? We say skip the mistletoe this year and hang fragrant, in-season fennel instead.
So there you have it: a little decorative inspiration for every month of the year. Did we miss your favorite way to decorate? Make sure to let us know on Facebook or Instagram!