I have a similar front door area. Mine actually faces west/southwest but since it's a fairly deep alcove, it doesn't get much sun. So, I usually put either Cyclamen or Impatiens in my pots to give my front door a little color. Here's how it looks right now: When my cyclamen are done, I just pull them out and plop them in some other area of my yard and plant Impatiens. And I don't hav any issues with Black Widows lurking in or around the pots, but then I put down poison around my entry for just that reason. Probably the rare non-organic thing I do, but way back, when I was raising my kids, I had a Black Widow scurry right across my sleeping daughter one evening. After that, I made sure I made it a deadly experience for any spider to lurk around doorways. I'm going to also replace my fountain with a 1/2 wall fountain, as I'm tired of looking at an ugly cord cover and plug. Just need to find a very shallow one as we don't have much width in our little entry area. Patty S.

I would wait to do any repotting until the spring or early summer just to be safe. The warmer temperatures will make for much better conditions for new root and plant growth. I do grow my Hoya DS-70 in a clay pot and it does just fine but it is watered almost every day, still clay is best used for species that like to dry out vs the moisture lovers. Having temperature drops at night are good for plants, many bloom in response to these types of conditions. The temperatures you mentioned are not ideal but they are not low enough to cause problems. If you are concerned about fertilizing then I would suggest waiting for the most favorable conditions. On a nice sunny day water the plants and then apply your fertilizer solution. This is the best approach when it comes to watering any plant that is sensitive to water during the winter. Mike

I've decided to transform the leaf mould bin into a compost bin sooner rather than later. Instead of emptying out all of the leaves, I've started incorporating grass clippings and kitchen/garden scraps into the bin, making sure it gets a good green/brown ratio. Over time, by turning the existing brown materials in with the new green materials, it should make good compost. The negative about this is that I won't be able to use this stuff for about two years, when I could have actually collected leaf mould in one year. The positive is that compost is more nutrient rich but can also be used the same way, as a top dressing or mulch, for water retention and weed suppression, but giving those plants a boost that leaf mould may not do. I'll work green materials in for about a year (or unless we get it so full that it absolutely can't hold any more) then setup another swimming pool composter up. On appx April 2018, the plan is to collect compost from the first bin. On appx April 2019, I'll collect compost from the 2nd bin. Then, April 2020, from the first bin, and on and on. Meanwhile, I'm slowly building up a small farm, with rabbits, cows, chickens, and eventually, ducks, possibly turkeys, etc. Rabbit poop = instant garden fertilizer + worm food, for vermicomposting, to collect worm castings for the garden, and the worms themselves could feed some fish, for a future aquaponics setup. Cow, chicken, duck, and turkey poop will be composted. As of right now, it's all about slowly moving forward, to try to obtain a balance, where everything works together.

Your home is very nice but the problem you're having deciding what route to go is that your home is a mishmash of different styles. The roof screams coastal south yet the brick yells colonial. Add the shutters (colonial) and the Roman pillars (colonial) and it amounts to a split personality. The first thing I would suggest is getting rid of the fake shutters. Unless shutters actually have a purpose it's better to ditch them. The columns are a little more problematic because to change them will incur significant costs. I would go with a simple square column for their chameleon-like properties. But make sure the dimensions work in relations to the size of the home. As much as I am an avid gardener I agree that the shrubbery at the house perimeter needs to go. It overwhelms the home and makes it appear much more squat than it actually is. I don't have a problem with the other greenery, though. I have no experience painting brick in such an environment. Bricks helps release humidity in a building. In Canada where I live, painting brick can be problematic. The continual effect of moisture trapped in the brick can deteriorate it over time. While I live in the north I have a place in south Florida. Most painted homes I see are stucco which lends itself to paint. Paint would be an easy and cheaper fix in the short term, but I believe it would require constant attention and over time the costs could multiply. I think your dissatisfaction in your home's appearance is less because of the brickwork but because of the stark contrast of a very light roof against dark facade. Try painting your front door a different color (the red just accentuates the colonial vibe) that works with the brick and the roof before making the leap to painting the whole house. I suggest SW's Sea Serpent. Paint the columns (not the door color) as well but a muted shade like SW's White Flour to get an idea of what your home could look like without going all in on the facade. I noticed you used an app for a combo of house paint and shutter colors complimented with blue and white greenery. As an expert gardener, I have to say my experience with blue and white florals paired with rich dark greenery , which are absolutely sensational, really only work in environments that enjoy a lot of shade. It's the shade aspect of the colorations that makes the pairings so luminous. In a sun drenched environment like south Florida they look washed out. My final suggestion if cost is not an issue would be to hire someone, after investigating the effect of paint on brick, to stucco your home's exterior. No better time after pulling out the foundation plantings.