We’ve done it again! For the second year in a row, we managed to accidentally allow the bushes in our big wooden porch planters to die. Oh the shame.
Chalk it up to a miscommunication. Sherry thought I was watering them. I thought she was. Clara didn’t have a clue who was watering what (or what watering even is) and all the while Burger was “watering” plants in the back. By the time we realized our folly it was too late (although Sherry desperately dumped five cups of water a day on them for the last few weeks to no avail). So I’d say we’re equally to blame for our plants getting a bit on the crispy side. And we’re sad. But we had to fess up and keep it real, so there you have it. Picture us looking shamefaced at the ground and vowing to do better next time.
Since fall is upon us, we took a page from our own book and, like last year, picked up two yellow mums at Home Depot (for $18 total) to take their place. But there was a new element to deal with this year. In case you missed it in the first photo, let’s take a closer look (warning: there’s about to be a close up photo of a spider)…
…and, if you can stomach it, let’s go even closer (here it comes)…
There it was. Feel free to blame any nightmares you have tonight on us. Is that not the most scary, hermit-crab-looking spider you’ve ever seen? And are those long pointy legs not the most villainous limbs you’ve seen in a while? He’s practically making the skull and cross bone shape you see on poisonous bottles like arsenic. And because we weren’t about to hold up a dollar bill for scale, you can’t tell just how big he is. But if you scroll back to the picture above this one you’ll see that he’s about half as big as the light bulb. Which is giant. And terrifying.
We discovered our new “friend” at the start of this mum project. Who knows how long he had been hanging out there (since we rarely use the front door). But one thing was for sure: he wanted to eat our faces off (according to my always trustworthy internet research, human face is a delicacy amongst the giant spider species). Okay, maybe not. But he still was not something I wanted to be around.
So as fast as I could, I yanked the dead bushes out of their planters…
…and plopped the new mums (containers and all) in their place, right on top of the leftover dirt.
Not bad for a speedy planting job, if I do say so myself.
And since these babies are hardy, we’ll plant them (not in their pots) somewhere else in our yard after the fall season. You know, so we won’t have to wait three more seasons for them to look good again on the porch.
Best part about it? The spider didn’t dive bomb my pretty little head in the process. Good spider, good spider…
Having come out of this unscathed, I was eager to snap my “after” photo and call it day (of course we still need a new doormat and have larger porch plans – like framing out the columns, painting the wood siding, and staining the concrete floor).
But stepping away now would let the bad guys spiders win. I know they’re “good pests” but they’re not so welcome at face height right outside the front door. So I used my trusty broom and gave its web a quick swing, in hopes of not-too-harshly evicting my eight-legged visitor…
In a surprise turn of spider-related events, he jumped into one of our new mums. Oh the irony.
He seemed ok with it (meaning he didn’t eat my face).
Oh, and FYI – the spider has now changed addresses and lives in the mum on the left. Thought you should be warned in case you’re planning to come sell us some Girl Scout cookies or something.
Pssst- The lady-wife did a fun little phone interview that just went live here (click the play button next to the little audio sign over on the site to listen in). Oh yeah, and click here to see this week’s lucky Ikea gift card winners.
deena says
It’s a garden spider and I think they are beautiful. I cannot imagine killing such a wonderful addition to our yards.
Rae Ann says
I used to live in the piny woods of east Texas. We had spiders like your little friend all over our back yard. Sometimes they would build webs that went from the ground up to the lower branches of the trees. 10+ feet!! I lived in fear of having to go to the back of the yard. Walking through those giant webs? Eeek!
Jess says
THANK YOU for the warning!! I am a freak about spiders (and vomit…. odly) and I am always telling my husband that there should be a warning that pops up on a tv to warn you one of those things is going to appear! So THANK YOU!!
I did scroll past the picture, because I can’t handle it, but I would have had a panic attack and possibly passed out.
I would also not use my front door for a loooong time, the mums be damned!
So thanks for the warning!
Annalea says
Those spiders are some of the most beautiful and interesting ones I’ve ever seen. They’re not dangerous, and they are some of the best gardening friends you’ll ever have. That’s a female, and she’ll die during the first hard frost. (They’re annuals, like cosmos and poppies.) Their babies are some of the most intricate, delicate, and amazing things I’ve ever seen. Ever. Be glad she chose your front porch to hang out . . . you don’t get to see these every day (and they’re so much prettier than so many other garden spiders—shudder).
I never cease to be amazed at the incredible variety, complexity, and beauty of the world around us.
Thanks for sharing!
Sarah says
OH MY GOODNESS!!! I knew that it was a spider and I still scrolled down to the BIGGER image of the spider… *sobbing*
Lindsay says
HORRIFYING!! That spider is so scary!! I might have nightmares…actually…count on them.
My hubs and I are stationed in Korea right now though, and they have some of the biggest, scariest spiders i have ever SEEN! EEEK! Here’s to getting by them quickly…and squeeling a bit on the inside anyway:)
Sanja says
I wasn’t creeped out at all, but pleasantly surprised to see that his marks matched the door colour. You guys have the best pests :)
Syafz says
nice. I like that yellow flower. Simple but beautiful. :)
AS says
Thank you for letting the spider live. What a kind, decent gesture. I personally believe in “live and let live” and love that you all did that. My husband and I are constantly shuttling ants and spiders out of our home, as we live in a wooded area (though I am sure that they turn around and march right back in!). Our attitude may change a little once our baby starts crawling, but until then, we will continue to evict them!
Stacy says
We had spiders like that around our yard a few weeks ago. We’ve had tons of rain and they disappeared. They make cool looking webs. They do make the traditional spider web that people are used of seeing, but they make a zig-zag pattern through the center of it.
Spiders don’t bother me, so I enjoyed their creations while they lasted. We usually have Wolf Spiders, so it was “fun” so to see spiders with bright yellow on them.
Elizabeth says
The front looks great with those mums! I also noticed that with its coloring, the spider kind of matched the door and mums, lol. Still, I’d totally freak out if something like that greeted me when I walked up to the door!
Lynda says
I thought you were going to spray paint the dead shrubs black for Halloween .
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- that would have worked too! Last year (or was it the year before?) we used dead branches sprayed black to decorate our first house’s porch for Halloween!
xo,
s
Andrea S. says
I live in the more rural east end of Richmond and our house could double as the set of Arachnophobia. At this point we only kill them if they get in the house or look like they’re trying to get in. And I don’t just mean the pretty black and yellow garden spiders. We have funnel spiders, wolf spiders, black widow spiders (we always kill them), etc. etc. I have started naming some of them. One was Toby, one was Charlotte, one was Frederick. One even lived in our mailbox. I’m surprised our mailperson still delivered the mail. I’ve given up being creeped out. If you want some exposure therapy, you’re welcome to stop by. :)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s too funny! I think naming them makes them less scary, so I like the approach. Say hi to Toby and Charlotte and Frederick from us!
xo,
s
Monique says
My cousin gave me the secret to keeping porch plants alive. Getting a timer controlled irrigation system. She has the hoses running along the roof line and concealed under railings, she never has to remember to water and her plants are gorgeous!
YoungHouseLove says
So smart!
xo,
s
Steph @ BirdHouse says
This is a great idea! We have an timed irrigation system for our yard and our garden beds, but our porch plants always seem to suffer at some point if we don’t water them every day during hot weather or when we go away.
Makayla says
We always get a cat faced spider on our house around this time of year. Probably the rocky mountain version of this same guy.I feel like it is good luck or good karma. You must have a warm inviting house. :)
Mary Beth says
Love the mums, they look great with the door. I kept reading the post thinking that it was a joke and the spider was fake! So glad that you guys don’t use that door much.
Andea says
Did you consider spray painting the dead plants green? or maybe flat white? LOL kidding:)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, you know I’ll spray paint almost anything…
xo,
s
Merideth says
We call those zipper spiders. If you are lucky enough to see their web, it’s super cool!! I’m not a spider fan per se, but these spiders are super neat!
Ally says
Love the yellow mums with the yellow door. So sunny!
Mareah says
Wow — I LOVE the way that the front door area looks! The yellow mums really make the yellow door pop. It looks great. And scary-lookin’ spider! Glad it didn’t eat your face off! ;-)
M
ashlee says
wowza, those yellow flowers look AMAZING next to the yellow door. what an eye popper for people driving by! can’t help but smile when you see it.
Steph @ BirdHouse says
Wow, I can’t believe so many people are freaked out by such a beautiful, harmless spider. It even matches your door and planters perfectly! As a nature lover, it makes me sad to think that people are becoming so disconnected with nature that they can’t appreciate the beauty (and important ecological role) of the less charismatic animals trying to live their lives in a world increasingly altered by humans. I understand that some people have real phobias, but I think much of the fear of spiders and other “icky” creatures is passed on by those around you from a young age. I’m glad you didn’t kill the spider and was glad to see from your post earlier this week that Clara seems to have a fondness for them. I hope that doesn’t change.
Svenja says
Well said. I agree.
Kate G. says
totally dreampt of that spider being under my bed last night… thanks! haha!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, oh man – so sorry about that!
xo,
s
Lina says
Yikes! Here in the north we don’t get spiders that are that big… We do have flying aunts.
When I read the title I imagined Sherry dressed up as Spider woman. I thought it would be some kind of Halloween post. lol.
Yes, I agree with the other “posters” only you can get a spider that fits in with your decor. The irony.
Michelle Kersey says
Ha ha ha… I found one of the same on my siding… greeting me as I came home. Sadly for him, my son saw him and demanded he get the shoe. ;)
Not before I took his picture though. :P And yeah, as if you didn’t know it yet… he is harmless.. but I would have run like the wind if he moved a millimeter!!
http://flic.kr/p/atBpQJ
Jenny says
I was expecting you to hang fake spider webs all over the dead plants to add to the Halloween decor when I started reading!
The yellow mums look great though. :-)
Nancy says
Totally unrelated:While visiting my childhood home this week, I was looking around at all my parent’s tons of stuff. And there in the library was two little ceramic bunnies of mine. They were such an ugly combination of colors. Then suddenly, I thought, “Hey, I could spray paint them white and put them in my baby girl’s room. Just like YHL.” Oh no… what is happening to me.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I love it!
xo,
s
Mary W. says
We found a spider just like that in our back yard a few weeks ago. It was a little alarming! We looked it up and discovered it was harmless. Luckily our little girls had moved past their crazy-scared-of-bugs stage, and were more curious than scared!
sarah says
You let the spider live!!!!!
Ashley from House on Pender says
Did you guys make your planter boxes or buy them? I’ve been looking for some for awhile and no luck on ones I like.
YoungHouseLove says
We bought those from Home Depot a few years back and painted them with exterior paint (they came in a reddish wood tone so I added the cream paint for a look that worked better with our style).
xo,
s
Allison says
Oh my – that is one SCARY spider!! We have one hanging out on our front porch too. Here in VT we get what are referred to as “barn spiders” meaning they seems to hang out around wood areas (our guy is taking up residence in the wood porch railing). He is seriously huge and I am a little torn, do I just kill him or just let him slowly freeze out there (because yes we are having some frost at night here in VT already), quite an ethical dilemma! The colors of your spider are very scary though, yellow and black, YUCK!!!
Elizabeth says
Hey! That’s a female garden spider! Apparently they’re harmless. We had one at my work last fall and it really freaked everyone out. I’m up in Ottawa (Canada). It was about the size of my hand and I must have taken about 100 pictures of it!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argiope_aurantia
Wikipedia link, if you haven’t already found out what it is!
Kathryn Griffin says
Freaky spider! The mums look great with your front door. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse
Jenny says
Ew sickitating. I would honestly freak the eff out (excuse my language). Though I love that at the Petersik house the spiders match the new front door paint :)
Svenja says
My first thought was, “oooh! Argiope!” I love spiders, and besides Golden Orb Weavers (google those – they get even bigger!), Argiopes are my fave. Haven’t seen a single one in my yard all summer. Tell yours she can move to my neck of the woods if she wants. (Yes, it’s a female.) She was probably building her web next to your porch light because it was attracting bugs at night. ;)
Michele says
So I started reading this post this AM, and hadn’t gotten to the spider. I came back to finish reading it tonight, you know two hours of so before bedtime… to find a GIANT SPIDER in your post!!! Whyyyyyyyy?!
Now I’m having the “convinced there are spiders crawling in my hair” phantom itches. Boo.
Points for bravery getting in there and getting the job done with the flowers anyway. I can promise you I would have passed that off to my husband, upon spying that beastie. :)
Amy says
I think that spider’s cousin lives in my back yard in Norfolk. I was gardening a few weeks ago and nealy put my face into her web. I did a little research and discovered (like the many comments shared) that she is a harmless garden spider. I left her there in the hopes that she enjoyed earing not the faces of humans, but mosquitos. Lots of them.
Virginia@ Scentsy says
Oh my goodness I am terrified of spiders and that is a really creepy looking one! Good job on getting the mums in place, I couldn’t have with that creepy crawler watching me!
The mums are beautiful though…even with their little visitor.
I also love your yellow door!
Robyn says
Hate to tell you this but the spiders in Australia are much bigger and scarier!!
Louise says
That spider looks tiny (is that the photo making it look small?). We get some serious spiders here in Australia…they might be tiny but can be super poisonous. Best thing you can do is take a cloth and soak a little lemon oil on it. Wipe it all over the door frame and the door and the spiders will run.
Love the planters. Very pretty :-)
shelly says
That was a hilarious post John. :) I am a huge spider hater but I think that was my favorite post by you. :) Very amusing!
Cindy says
Wow! Only you guys have the talent to attract a huge spider that color-coordinates with your front door. Bravo!
Shelly says
We recently transplanted to North Carolina and about a month ago I noticed a whole gang of these guys moving into the eves of the house. I must say I felt like a wuss for the longest time because we have no gigantic radioactive spiders like these up north where I’m from. So it does my heart good to know most everyone finds these guys terrifying.
In case you need a laugh, I believe this may sum up my and every ones sentiments…
http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/03/spiders-are-scary-its-okay-to-be-afraid.html
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that blog is hilarious.
xo,
s
Drew says
Love the door.
Hate the spider.
You seem to do a lot of home improvement, I made a post on my blog no how to save up to 22.6% cash back at home depot or lowes – You should check it out. :P
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks! Off to check it out!
xo,
s
Selena says
Beautiful yellow mums with your pretty yellow door! I love it! Ha ha, y’all are cracking me up over the spider! Just as some of your other followers have stated, they are harmless. We live near Charlotte, NC and ever since I was a young child, I always remember seeing them in Mama’s Calla lilies in the summertime. If you toss a tiny twig into their web, they will hurry to see if it’s an insect. When they discover it isn’t, they will cut the twig out of their web and quickly respin the web in that spot. We always leave them alone and watch them the entire summer. Granted, sometimes the space they choose isn’t always where we would pick :)
Autumn @ iNet Flavour says
Brave! I would have my husband kill that spider in a heart beat.
Karen says
We have those spiders occasionally in our garden, too. I think they’re St. Andrew’s Cross spiders. There’s a neat zigzag that runs through the web, and they like to sit upside-down like that, all the time.
Shirley says
There are lots of comments so I don’t know if this has been said but here in the country of NC we call those writing spiders. If you notice they spin their webs and sometimes it looks like they are drawing or writing letters. Old Wives tale says if they every write your name to BEWARE. . . . . now sweet dreams.
HAHAHA sorry for that last part but it’s halloween after all :)
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh never heard that one!
xo,
s
Gloria says
That is the COOLEST spider! We had the ginormous web by our front door and the huge black spider that spun it only came out at night. We didn’t touch the web because it was filled with mosquitos fit for a spider feast. I HATE mosquitos. We also thought it would be really cool on Halloween, but alas – the web, and it’s spider are gone.
eliza says
oh my GOD! that spider is terrifying! you are much much braver than i am for planting near it, or trying anything with a broom. i don’t care how ‘harmless to humans’ it is, it would automatically win the porch. i would wave the white flag and back away as quickly as possible.