It may be the dog days of summer, but on this 68-degree, rainy Sunday morning, it’s beginning to feel like the onset of fall. I can see the tips of the leaves starting to change, and my cucumber and mint have seen better days. The white hydrangeas on my stove from the yard will soon be replaced with shades of pink as they turn. The smell of banana bread baking in my oven will soon give way to pumpkin. Summer days spent in swimsuits will shift to sweaters and pumpkin patches. Hot summer nights will turn into cozy evenings by the campfire.

I LOVE summer—after all, we only get around 80 or so in our lifetime—but I equally love fall. However, I could skip most of winter.

Yesterday, I ordered a fabulous fall rug for my front porch and can’t wait to switch out my Entry Envy decor. I’m excited to replace the calla lily by my door with one of our fall September kits, which ship this week on the 22nd!

The designs are all reflective of the changing season, filled with autumn textures and colors. A small suggestion: you can keep your solar light from the August kit for this upcoming month too!

When I was creating the September kits, I was inspired by trending mushrooms and the anticipation of cooler weather with deeper colors. I leaned into lighter tones of beige rather than darker shades of brown (hint: I saved those for the Thanksgiving designs!). Feathers, cattails, dried grasses, and thistle are just a few of the fun elements featured in this month’s kits.

As I begin to lean into fall, I’m also thinking about my landscaping. Here are the steps I’ll take come September 1 (regardless of the weather)... it’s time in my book!

• Cut back all the daylilies.
• Trim my overgrown bushes—not all the way down, just enough to bring them back under control.
• Remove all the mint and the single cucumber plant that seems to have taken over my entire garden area.
• Replace my hot pink impatiens, petunias, and the lime green sweet potato vine. It breaks my heart—they’ve done so well this summer—but they don’t match my fall color theme, so they’ve got to go. I haven’t decided what I’ll swap them out for... stay tuned.
• Switch out my window box planters full of bright summer faux florals for mums and darker green fillers.
• Update my two planters with fall faux florals—one by the garage and one in the back.
• My big leafy fake bird of paradise might get a hit of spray paint to darken up the faded areas so I can salvage it for another month or two.

I’m also repainting a rocking chair for my front porch to replace the one that’s rotted. I love throwing a fall outdoor pillow on it and even a lightweight throw. The outdoor pillows I choose for the front will also be the same ones I update on my outdoor patio furniture.

As we move into September, I’m thinking about the simplest and most flexible ways to adapt my home’s curb appeal and backyard entertaining space for Halloween and Thanksgiving. Come November 29, everything will be swapped for Christmas decor, and I pray we don’t have sub-zero temps or a snowstorm that day. 😅

So, for the rest of this month, enjoy the end of summer! As fast as it has gone, fall will be here before we know it, and I’ll be sharing ideas, links, and of course, Entry Envy decor kits to help you transition your front porch to welcome the new season!