Outdoor Design

Organic Pest Control for Your Garden

September 29, 2020

Your garden is personal. It’s an accumulation of hard work and daily effort to coax the contents of small, hard seeds into nutritious produce or vibrant flowers that almost sing with life. Despite your best efforts, you will, at some point, experience the effects of pests that threaten to undermine your months of hard work.

You don’t have to run to the nearest drug store or call an exterminator to deal with common garden pests. Most of the tools you need are already in your kitchen or easily accessible from a convenience store. With a bit of ingenuity and a combination of materials, you’ll have a set of organic tools that effectively and safely eliminate pests.

Not only do all-natural ingredients work, but they’re also better for the environment. They won’t harm pets or young children and won’t contaminate your property’s soil or water resources. If you’re looking for a natural and effective solution to garden pests, we’re covering it all in this guide to help you get rid of harmful critters.

The Benefits of a Healthy Garden

For thousands of years, human beings have used the land near their dwellings to grow crops that have helped sustain entire tribes and clans. Depending on where you live, the purpose and produce of your garden differ. Regardless, gardening has a series of benefits that stay consistent despite the different ways people use their gardens.

Good for Physical Health

Gardens are perfect for managing health and getting exercise, especially for older property owners. Gardening is a strenuous activity and gives you a full-body workout. Gardens need weeding, watering, and tending, and the constant need to move between plants helps you burn calories and stay fit.

Good for Psychological Health

Are you suffering from depression, stress, or anxiety? Try gardening. Research repeatedly shows that gardening has a calming effect, helping people reduce tension. Whether you use it for a meditative purpose or as a brief escape from the chaos of the world, gardening is a fantastic way to stay happy and busy.

Balances the Environment

Having a garden in a residential area helps keep a balance between concrete and natural elements. Trees, lawns, grass, and non-invasive plants keep the environment around residential areas comfortable, reducing heat and providing protection from the elements. Gardens even help control noise levels and decrease sounds by up to 30%.

Saves Money

Having a lush garden or lawn surrounding your home cuts down on cooling costs because it causes a drop in temperature around concrete. Additionally, families can reduce their grocery bills by planting produce at home. Finally, gardens do their part to decrease runoff, which is damaging to bodies of water that contain wildlife.

organic vegetables growing in a backyard

Identify Your Garden Allies

Your garden is an ecosystem of life. Many critters that live both inside and outside of its soil have an impact on land health. They perform essential functions like speeding down the process of decomposition, pollinating plants, and preying on pests.

Here’s a list of the creatures that you should keep in your garden that positively contribute to its health:

Honeybees
Earthworms
Ground beetles
Ladybugs
Green lacewings
Praying mantises
Syrphids and robber flies
Spiders

Before taking action on garden pests, make sure that the beneficial insects and creatures living in your garden don’t suffer. Harming them can affect your plants’ growth rate and health, so striking the right balance is the key to a successful strategy.

ladybug on a leaf — Coccinellids or ladybugs are small insects and are found worldwide with over 5000 species and are great for controlling aphids.

Target the Enemy

Not all pests are insects—rodents and other creatures can also wreak havoc on your plants and cause them to struggle. Add to the mix the fact that some pests aren’t visible, and you have several scenarios where your garden’s health can nosedive without warning.

To keep your plants healthy and avoid overdoing it, try to understand what’s causing your garden to suffer. It helps to know what signs to look for and then research the specific symptoms you see manifesting in your garden. Some signs that indicate that your garden needs a checkup and possibly, a pest-control solution, include:

Large and medium-sized holes: Look for spots that dot your plant’s leaves, especially towards their center.
Live snails or their shells: If you see a trail of slime on your plant, that means snails and slugs are eating the leaves.
Eggs: The presence of insect eggs on leaves means dealing with hatchlings that will later feed on them.
Dark green droppings on leaves: These droppings are signs of a cabbage worm infestation.
Discoloration, wilting, curling, and leaf fall: These signs may indicate problems with the soil.
Brown droppings on the surrounding ground: Brown droppings are the most common sign of a rodent infestation.

If you notice any of these signs, they are easily resolvable in most cases with DIY remedies.

Signs Your Garden is Unhealthy

Your garden is alive, and just as humans show signs of wear and tear when they are sick, so too do the plants and flowers that live in your garden. If one or two plants start to show signs of wear, you can catch the issue before it becomes a significant problem. In some cases, your garden receives a blow to its health without warning, and you only realize it after seeing the aftermath of the damage.

If you notice any changes in the health of your garden, you must determine whether the issue is resolvable through personal efforts or if you need the services of a professional. Although you may take precautions and use the remedies in this guide, you may need a pest-control or landscaping company.

When noticing one of the below signs, make sure that you catch the issue in time before you need the services of an exterminator.

Stunted Growth

Stunted growth is usually the first sign that something is amiss. When your produce and plants aren’t growing the way they should, it may indicate a problem in the soil or a pest infestation.

Lace-like Holes

Holes that look like lace are never a good sign on your plants, and they have different causes. The numerous explanations for gaps on your leaves make it more challenging to identify what is wrong. In general, holes consistent throughout your garden indicate the work of a pest or something amiss in your soil.

Infestation

When you see swarms of insects in your yard, the situation requires immediate attention. It would be best if you tried to identify what insect types are in your yard so that you can find the best solution to target them effectively.

Clipping and Gnawing

Look at the ends of your bushes or even tree branches on the ground. If you notice signs of gnawing and clipping, that means you have a pest of the four-legged variety. Pests like raccoons, deer, or even stray dogs and cats may be finding their way into your garden and destroying it.

Why Organic is Best

From the chemicals we use to clean our homes to those we use to combat pests, going green is the only responsible route to take. The ecosystem is increasingly suffering from the effects of our carbon footprint, especially the toxic materials that we introduce into our water and soil supplies for the sake of efficiency.

We have a responsibility to preserve the environment. Every action we take to decrease our negative impact makes a difference in the long run. One way to promote the health of the land is to use organic pest removal methods in our landscaping that won’t harm the soil and other living organisms.

While toxic chemicals may be temporarily useful, they create numerous problems later on that may affect your family’s health. Examples include toxins seeping into water pipes and lakes, impacting people, plants, and wildlife.

Organic pest control guidelines include:

Don’t harm the soil
Don’t adversely impact your health
Don’t affect water quality
Don’t let chemicals seep into water tanks
Make sure all substances are safe if ingested accidentally
Use only biodegradable products
Incorporate natural solutions

Organic Pest Control Recipies and Remedies

The most common ingredients that people use for organic pest control come from natural sources. They are not harsh on your plants and won’t harm you even if a little gets into your eyes or contacts your skin. Depending on the type of pest you’re dealing with, you can opt for sprays, soaps, or organic soil additives that improve the health of your garden.

Vegetable Oil and Soap

This spray creates a thick coating that is gentle enough to use on plants but eliminates common garden pests.

Ingredients/Equipment

1 cup of vegetable oil
1 Tbsp soap,
1 quart of water

Method: Mix the vegetable oil and soap mixture well, and add them to the quart of water. Fill the liquid into a spray bottle and use it to suffocate common pests like aphids and mites.

Peppermint Oil and Mint Spray

This refreshing minty spray not only helps you control your ant and termite populations but smells great and adds a fresh scent to your garden.

Ingredients/Equipment

Spray bottle
5–10 drops of peppermint oil
A handful of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
Water depending on the capacity of your spray bottle

Mix 5-10 drops of essential oil into every ounce of water and heat until boiling. Keep mint leaves aside. After the mixture cools, fill into an empty spray bottle and add the chopped mint leaves.

Tomato Leaf Spray

Tomato leaves act as a strong repellant for common pests due to the presence of alkaloids.

Ingredients/Equipment

Spray bottle
Strainer
Two cups of fresh tomato leaves, chopped
One quart of water

Method: Add the chopped tomato leaves to the water and mix well. Cover the bowl and allow the mixture to steep overnight. After the mixture is ready, strain the liquid and throw the leaves away. Use the liquid as a spray.

Vegetable Oil and Baking Soda Spray

Baking soda adds an extra layer of defense against common pests but won’t harm your plants or soil.

Ingredients/Equipment

Spray bottle
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tsp dish soap
2 quarts of water

Method: Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Add the liquid to the spray bottle and use it immediately for the best effect.

Vegetable Oil and Garlic Spray

More than just a vampire repellant, garlic does wonders for all types of common household problems, and one of them is taking care of your garden.

Ingredients / Equipment

Spray bottle
Overnight bowl
Strainer
1 Tbsp dish soap set aside
One large head of garlic
2 Tbsp of vegetable oil
2 cups of water

Method: Peel the garlic and puree it. Add the water and vegetable oil to a bowl and mix the garlic puree into the bowl. Cover and allow it to sit overnight. The next day, strain the mixture and add to the spray bottle. Add the tablespoon of dish soap to the mix and use.

Chili Spray

This spray packs a potent punch and does more than eliminate insects. Chili is an effective rodent repellant and rids you of larger pests in your garden. Be careful, however, as this spray irritates your eyes and skin on contact. We recommend wearing goggles and gloves when mixing and spraying this mixture.

Ingredients/Equipment

Spray bottle
Strainer
Gloves
Goggles
Half cup of the hottest chili peppers available at your local grocer
2 Tbsp liquid soap
2 cups of water

Method: Use a blender and the water and peppers, blending well. Place the mixture in a bowl, cover, and allow to steep overnight. The next day, strain the peppers from the water and pour it into the bottle. Add the liquid soap and mix.

5-in-1 Spray

This spray may smell like salad dressing, but it does a spectacular job of ridding you of common garden pests.

Ingredients/Equipment

Strainer
Spray bottle
One head of garlic
One small onion
2 Tbsp powdered cayenne pepper
½ cup of chili peppers
2 cups of water

Peel and puree the garlic and onion and mix it with the cayenne and water. Allow the ingredients to steep for a few hours and strain. Add the remaining liquid into a spray bottle and use directly on plant leaves.

Neem Oil Spray

Neem oil is a miracle compound that has a series of benefits for both physical and environmental ailments. The oil comes from the Neem tree’s leaves and has a powerful effect on insects no matter what stage of growth they are.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Neem oil
2 Cups Water
1 Tsp Dish soap

Method: Mix the ingredients and place them in a spray bottle.

Diatomaceous Soil

Sometimes, the issue doesn’t lie in the insects that eat your plants but in issues that affect your soil. Diatomaceous soil is a natural substance that acts as an insecticide, absorbing lipids and possessing an abrasive nature. You can find it in stores that sell gardening items. It is a non-toxic solution to common soil issues in gardens.

Marigolds

Bright and beautiful marigolds serve more than just an aesthetic purpose. The reason why you find marigolds all over lawns and gardens is that they repel some common pests, especially types of roundworms that kill your plants over time.

Copper Wires

Although it might sound like a strange idea, copper wiring in your garden helps you get rid of a common pest–snails and slugs. These critters hate copper because it causes unpleasant electric sensations on their bodies when they come into contact with it. Its use can help control the number of slugs and snails in your garden.

Common Organic Pest Control Myths

Although people exchange plenty of practical recipes and methods to solve their pest woes, some are not accurate. Below are some common-yet-ineffective myths with no scientific backing that don’t do much of anything to prevent pests.

Chemical insecticides are more effective than organic ones

Yes, chemical insecticides kill common garden pests. They also affect the vast majority of other insects and animals that live in your garden. These chemicals also cause severe damage to the soil and infect it with toxins.

Placing beer dishes around the garden attracts and kills garden slugs

Beer neither attracts slugs, nor will it get rid of your snail problems. A better alternative to beer is oil, which effectively traps the snails.

Tying a bar of Irish Spring soap repels raccoons and deer

A bar of soap will not repel deer, raccoons, or any animal from entering your garden. Why this specific brand, we aren’t sure, but the result remains the same. You are more likely to prevent these animals from getting into your garden by installing fencing.

The Wrap Up

Gardens make great additions to your home and have numerous benefits that keep you happy and healthy. Although they are susceptible to infestation, using organic pest control improves the health of gardens and keeps common insects and animals from nibbling on your plants and produce.

Vegetable Gardening For The Beginner

October 7, 2019

Our household has grown vegetables in some way, shape or form for years now. Some seasons, our garden has been very simple and others have been more elaborate – depending on who was inspired and what our summertime activity levels were. Tomatoes are a given, as are zucchini and summer squash. I’ve delighted in the years we’ve grown beans and butternuts, carrots and beets – and there is nothing more satisfying than making dinner and realizing the majority of the produce was grown and harvested right from your own yard.

If you’re feeling the itch to grow vegetables, dive in. You can start small and add more year by year, or you can work with a landscaping company to help you go the full Monty the first time around.

Tips For Beginning Gardeners

Here are some tips for getting your garden started.

Get your priorities straight

There are certain must-haves if you want to grow a garden that bears fruit. These are:

Plenty of sunlight. Most vegetables, especially those harvested in late summer and fall like lots and lots of light. Six hours per day would be the minimum and eight to ten is even better – especially if you love juicy tomatoes.
High-quality soil. Soil is more than just a bunch of dirt. Healthy soil is a microcosm in its own right – full of rich, drainable soil that has plenty of minerals, decaying organic material, worms, microbes, fungus (mycorrhizae), and other energizing properties. If you’ve already started a compost pile, great – you’ll be able to incorporate fully composted materials into your soil beds. If not, you’ll want to spend time in your local nursery – bring in a soil sample from your garden area if you’re planning to use your own soil. Employees will help you figure out how much soil and/or soil amendments you’ll need for this year – and they can also help you with planting and spacing tips.
Compost. If you don’t compost yet, it’s time to start. While it’s too late in the game for this year, next year’s garden will thrive as a result of your efforts. Read Composting At Home to learn more. You’ll be amazed at how much organic materials you produce each week – and now they’ll all be invested into future food stores.
Access to water – not too little, not too much. Another reason soil quality is so important is that it must be loamy enough to retain a bit of water, but not too sandy (or it drains too much) or clay-rich (where water sits and rots the roots). If at all possible, I recommend installing a drip system equipped with a timer as this makes watering way easier.

Start Small and Grow Your Garden Each Year

Unless you have professional help, it’s best to start small. Gardening is an evolving process so if you go too big the first year, you might wind up with a whole lotta nothing, or more zucchini than you ever wanted to see in your lifetime.

According to the Farmer’s Almanac – a good “starter” garden for a family of four would measure 10-feet x 16-feet, with vegetable rows running north-south. That’s a pretty decent plot so if you’re a couple or your kids are really little, feel free to start smaller. You can also purchase portable raised beds – or build your own – that can be set up on top of existing soil and filled in.

Some of the veggies worth considering are:

Tomatoes
Green beans (add stakes or climbing cones)
Radishes
Carrots
Beats
Zucchini or summer squash (no more than four plants – they’re prolific)
Peppers
Corn (space accordingly so they don’t block other plants from the sun)
Kale or chard
Lettuce
Marigolds – bordering gardens with marigolds helps to deter certain pests, including rabbits

Once your summer harvest is over, you can continue planting a new round of greens that will keep your kitchen leafy rich through the winter and early spring.

I recommend buying organic seeds and starting them inside – those should be started now, OR purchase small, organic starters at a local nursery to give yourself a head start when you plant. Use the Almanac’s Planting Dates Calculator to determine when to begin planting in your neck of the Bay Area. Planting zones are tricky around here because of all the coastal/mountain variations.

Consider Container Gardening in Smaller Spaces

If you just want to get your feet wet this year, or don’t have much room to work with – container gardening is the way to go. With this method, you use appropriately sized containers – no less than 7-inches and typically no more than 12-inches deep – filled with soilless fill that retains water and has nutrients included.

You can grow almost anything in a container if you choose the right container and planting mix. Read, Urban Gardening With Vegetables, to learn more.

Cultivating your own vegetables is addictive and it’s a healthy, outdoor activity. Your children – or grandchildren – will love to help you plant, tend and harvest. Happy growing!

12 Ways To Pretty Up Your Patio

June 27, 2019

In the past, a bistro table and chair set with a few hanging plants was enough to call your patio complete. Now, patios are being designed as social centers, extra living space and retreat spaces where residents and guests can make the most of the outdoors.

12 Ways to Make Your Patio a Perfect Oasis

This trend was partially started when the economy crashed, gas prices went up and “staycations” became more popular. Now, everyone realizes what a treat it is to have an outdoor space that is inviting, comfortable and attractive. The following are 12 ideas for creating the perfect patio.

Get comfortable furniture. If you’re on a budget, blow the bulk of it on comfortable patio furniture. Everything else can be pulled together on a dime. However, if your furniture isn’t comfortable, the patio will sit unoccupied and there is no point in that.
Invest in at least one space heater. Spend the money on at least one outdoor space heater so your patio – or an area of it – can be used year-round.
Learn to be a container gardener. Container gardening is a simple way to adorn your patio with life and color. Visit your local nursery and discuss which plants do well in containers, which season they bloom (so you can divvy them up to gain year-round interest) and which ones attract bees, birds and other pollinators that will make your patio come alive and provide hours of contemplative entertainment.
Think about privacy. As long as you’re at the nursery, talk to them about the hedges, plants, trees and shrubs that will help you create privacy from the neighbors. Even a simple lattice screen can suffice.
Get in indoor/outdoor area rug. Area rugs help to anchor a seating area or designate a certain area for a specific task. They also add color and style. Placing an area rug or two on your patio will give it a more homey feel.
Consider your theme. Approach the outdoor realm with similar consideration to the way you think about your interior spaces. Think of a theme, vibe or color scheme you want to create and then build on that.
Think about lighting. Just as your heater(s) will allow your patio to be used year-round, the right lighting plan will make your patio as inviting in the evening hours as it is during the day. Include task lighting as well as ambient lights – dimmers are always a bonus – so you can control the mood.
Add a water feature. The sound of running water is soothing but it also helps to mitigate ambient sounds like the neighbor’s music or traffic on a busy street. There are water features of all sizes and types or you can easily build your own.
Hang some art. I love when clients have art hanging outside. It’s unexpected but so appreciated. It helps to provide that indoor-outdoor feeling in addition to adding style and color.
Create different seating areas. If your patio is large enough, I recommend creating different areas – one for dining, one for lounging or napping, a conversation corner, etc. Create focal points for each one.
Include an outdoor bed. There are many different versions of outdoor beds. If you don’t have space for the full-size version, look for porch swings that have outdoor mattresses as the seat so you can enjoy the best of both worlds.
Let there be shade. Provide shade coverage of some sort so you and your guests will have a reprieve on hot summer days.

Attracting Butterflies To Your Garden

June 3, 2019

Where are your favorite places to hang out? Odds are, you flock to places with scenery you find attractive and where the food and drinks are scrumptious. Butterflies are no different. These fascinating, ephemeral, winged creatures enjoy gardens that offer a variety of brightly colored flowers, tasty nectar or plants that protect and feed their larval young.

Plant Your Garden With Butterflies in Mind

Visual beauty is typically the first thing on a homeowners mind when planning spring and summer gardens. Before you go too far planning a perfectly synchronized bloom palette, take a little time to learn about the plants and flowers that attract butterflies. You’ll still be able to paint your outdoor canvas with a rainbow of colors, while simultaneously providing pollinators with choice edibles.

Watching butterflies is hypnotic, and planting the flowers and shrubs they prefer provides hours of enjoyment for you, family and friends. In addition to butterflies, you’ll also enjoy the presence of other pollinators such as bees and hummingbirds. I recommend purchasing a copy of Stokes Butterfly Book : The Complete Guide to Butterfly Gardening, Identification, and Behavior, which is a wonderful companion to keep by your side for further information on attracting and identifying common North American garden butterflies.

Now, on with a list of plants you should add to your landscape to delight in butterfly revelry. All of the following are California natives, which means they are the exact plants resident butterfly species have evolved with and adapted to. Plus, the wide majority of them are drought tolerant – another major bonus.

Indian Mallow and Flowering Maple (Abutilon palmeri). This isn’t a stunning plant, but it is hardy and subtly sweet. It’s used to hot, dry rocky slopes, but still manages to look green year-round and produce gorgeous bright yellow to yellow-orange flowers all spring and early-summer long.

California Buckeye (Aesculus californica). Flowering trees are butterfly favorites as well, and the California buckeye is certainly one of their preferred species. Especially attractive to the larvae of the Echo Blue Butterfly, buckeyes prefer partial shade and sun and will grow to about 15-feet high.

Beautiful Rockcress (Arabis pulchra var. gracile). The name says it all. It is, indeed, a beautiful perennial plant with stunning purple blooms. It’s a favorite to a wide variety of native butterfly species. It loves the sun and does quite well in rock gardens.

Sunset Manzanita (Arctostaphylos hybrid). This type of manzanita is a shrub, rather than tree, and will top out at 3-feet tall and 6-feet wide. It’s a great drought tolerant groundcover for front and backyards, and looks beautiful against the backdrop of a redwood fence. Sunset Manzanita is also a favorite hangout for more than a dozen butterfly species, including Monarchs, Mourning Cloaks, Red Admirals and California Tortoiseshell butterflies.

Marsh Baccharis (Baccharis douglasii). Butterflies aren’t the only reason you’ll want a Marsh Baccharis growing in your garden. This plant is an entomologist’s delight, attracting a range of interesting flies, beetles and other insects and bugs. Marsh Baccharis has bright green leaves and tiny, cream-colored blooms. It isn’t a focal point to speak of, more like a nice background plant.

California Lilacs (Ceanothus). If I had to pick a favorite flower, lilac would be a contender. They are as stunningly fragrant as they are visually attractive, and they continue to flourish for decades once established. It’s hard to believe that a plant this evergreen and profuse in its blooms is also drought tolerant.

Venus Thistle (Cirsium occidentale venustum). Here’s another fun addition for your rock garden. Thistles may look hostile, but their nectar is a favorite of both adult swallowtails as well as hummingbirds.

Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata). This is a grass, not a flower. It looks like a Bermuda grass and behaves like one too. Saltgrass is a favorite home for multiple species of butterfly larvae and can handle seriously high traffic areas.

Buckwheat (Eriogonum spp.). There are many different species of buckwheat and virtually all of them are attractive to pollinators. One of my favorite species is called sulfur flower (Erigonum umbellatum), which blooms bright yellow and grows just 3-inches tall, making great groundcover. Do be aware that it prefers cooler climates, with partial sun.

Penstemon “Margarita BOP” (Penstemon heterophyllus). Penstemon is gorgeous in all her different species but the “Margarita BOP” is a good one. It blooms sky blue and becomes purple, remaining evergreen when not in bloom. It also does well in high-traffic areas of the yard or garden.

Western Azalea (Rhododendron occidentale). Have a poor-draining area of your yard? Try planting some Western Azalea and see how they do. These plants thrive in moist, bog-like environments. Their leaves are deciduous and they have bright white blooms with swatches of golden pollen to attract our winged friends.

This list could go on and on but the following should get you started. What are some of your favorite butterfly-friendly plants?

The Perfect Front Door Color

December 17, 2018

Your home’s front door is almost like the smile on your face; it’s a welcome beacon for family, friends and unexpected guests. In fact, the front door is considered by many cultures to be like the mouth of the home, and you must be careful about the energy you let inside. Even the color can be symbolic, depending on your beliefs.

The color you choose for your front door can run the gamut from bold and bright to more conservative or neutral, and each one will leave a different impression. If you’re stuck choosing a new front door color for your home, we have 7 tips to make your job a little easier.

Align with the architecture. Because architecture always reflects a period, certain colors will look better than others. For example the exterior paint colors used for colonial architecture will vary from those used for a Mediterranean-inspired design. Many of the major exterior paint manufacturers make period- or architecture-specific palettes that can help narrow your choices.
Play by the exterior paint rules. Architects and designers typically recommend selecting three to four different colors for your exterior paint. These are referred to as the field color, the trim color and the accent color. The latter is used for shutters, railings, and architectural accents. Your door can fall into this third category OR you can select a fourth color that is used solely for the front door.
Consider your landscape. Are there dominant colors in your landscaping? Working with these colors and highlighting a particular favorite color that appears in your geography or planted landscape can also be a good way to select your front door color.
Consider feng shui. While feng shui comes to us by way of China, there are interesting similarities between the color rules used by this specific design code and rules from other cultures. For example, blues are thought to represent peace and tranquility. Red doors are typically considered “welcoming”, which is why early-American homes often had red doors. A red door let wayfaring travelers know they could stop, enjoy a meal and stay the night along their journey. If you are seriously interested in feng shui, the direction your door faces will also determine your color options. You can read more about it in this article by feng shui expert, Rodika Tchi.
Take a peek at the neighbors. No, I don’t advocate keeping up with the Joneses, but your neighborhood has its own style and (hopefully) synergy as well. For this reason, I do recommend you try to select a color that blends somewhat with your neighborhood’s collective environment.
Be trendy. Not surprisingly, exterior paint colors don’t trend as frequently as interior paint colors and with good reason, right? Nobody wants to repaint the exterior of their home more often than necessary since it is cost and labor intensive. However, there are broad trends and, right now, deeper and darker colors like blues, grays and slates and woody taupes are popular.
Throw caution to the wind. Have you always wanted to go completely wild and paint your front door an atypical color? Why not do it? The good news about painting a front door is that it’s easy to repaint if you aren’t happy with it. There’s no reason why you can’t try something more daring as long as it still works with your existing exterior paint colors.