I was born with a natural aesthetic sense and a predisposition to order and cleanliness. Curb appeal is something that is vastly important to me. I want the front of my home to look inviting and welcoming. A beautiful entrance that is eye catching is rare, except in finer neighborhoods where owners can afford landscapers to create an appealing scene. Unfortunately, most of the homes in this town fall between appearing lackluster, to being down right eyesores.
When I moved into my home in January, the front entrance was quite literally, a mud puddle. I had to throw down cardboard over it so that I could move in. The front porch is in a sad state of disrepair with rotting wood and a wobbly stair railing. Half of the porch is covered in ugly carpet squares that are impossible to sweep. The other half is caving in, most likely from water damage.The gutters have not been cleaned so whenever it rains here, water spills over. I capture what I can in buckets for now and I hope to install a rain barrel at some point. A white plastic lattice has been hung on one end of the porch, which continually bangs back and forth in the wind. A disintegrating bamboo shade had been attached to the lattice making it even uglier. I removed it and buried it at the bottom of one of my hügelkultur beds. Eventually, I will remove the lattice so it can be used as a partition between the chicken coop area and my potting shed.
There was a gigantic tractor tire in my yard that had been filled with sand, as a sandbox for the previous occupant’s sons. I doubt it was used very much as the rubber becomes very hot under the summer sun. I am sure they were either unaware, or simply did not care that the rubber was also toxic and most likely leached into the soil. I removed the sand bucketful by bucketful, to fill the gaping hole leading to my front door. After it was empty, the landlord, thankfully, removed it – but only as far as behind the shed. There was also a defunct dishwasher sitting on the front porch and a useless swamp cooler outside between the two sheds. Piles of old wooden boards and trash were strewn about the property. The part of the yard for which I am responsible consists of an area approximately 30 feet by 40 feet enclosed with chain link fencing. Other than the tire, the only thing growing in the space was a monoculture of grass dotted heavily with weeds and paths etched by the previous canine occupant. The broken appliances remained through the winter, but thankfully, the landlord eventually removed them – all except for the tire which still sits behind the shed.
The remaining property is surrounded by four mature trees that are it’s only saving grace, other than a shrub that is squeezed between the carport and the shed, and a pathetic elm that is planted too close to the shed, but is serving as a trellis for the trumpet vine.The only other permanent plantings are a few groups of lovely iris.The landlord cuts and waters the lawn under the trees and surrounding property so I have been able to concentrate on creating a floral feast of bird and butterfly habitat within my modest fenced in area. There were several grey slate rocks propped up against the trailer skirting, which I have placed between the front steps and the driveway, along with free mulch from the landfill. Little by little, I am doing what I can with available materials to generate some curb appeal. I cannot do much about the state of the front porch except to camouflage it with flowers. I am simply grateful to have a front porch to sit on, where I can enjoy the birds, and the breeze which provides relief from the oppressive heat.
