Baby got back!

The back of our house has seen a major transformation over the last year.

This is a picture of when we bought it in 2009. Notice the massive rose tree in front of the patio. And the "deck" under the window (and blocking the window). The beds were overgrown and vines climbed up the side of the house.

Here we are in summer of 2010. We cut the lady banks rose down to the ground, pulled all the fig vine off the house (except for below the window on the patio), cleaned out the bed in front of the patio and transplanted a couple of crepe myrtles. We also took down the part of the "deck" covering that window (the third window from the left).

And 2011... well, hello Back of the House, nice to finally meet you! Notice the deck is all gone, there is a new bed in place with a new brick border (thank you to my super sweet Mom & Dad who came for Easter and of course Eric!) with more crepe myrtles and sun loving plants like day lillies and lantanas.

Soooo much better and BONUS. Our house looks huge now!

Just in case you are wondering, we live in a one story, raised ranch built into a slope so that the crawlspace is actually a one car garage with a large workspace. There is a door you can't see just to the left of the AC unit in the last picture.

They're dropping like flies

We have a problem and I need your help to solve it.

These are our front porch steps. Yes, they are covered in gross pollen but thats the least of my worries.

See how the terra cotta tile is not everywhere? It once was. I am sure it was beautiful back in 1954 when our house was built. Leaving grouted tile exposed to the elements for 50+ years in a spot that doesn't get much sun = drainage issues =
One by one, they are dropping like flies. Right after we moved in we lost one, then another, then another. I save the whole tiles thinking once the weather warmed up I could use some heavy duty outdoor adhesive and fix it right up.
But now, piles like this one show up on a regular basis.

What to do? I love the tiled look, I would even do it again if I could find the exact same tiles...

because they are on the landing of our covered front porch. Those tiles are in great shape. Just covered in gross pollen at the moment.

So, as I see it, here are my options. Paint or re-tile the whole dang thing (landing and all). I am pretty sure I won't be able to find the exact same tile and I know mismatched tile will probably look worse than what it looks like right now.

Painting without ripping out the tile on the landing is what I am leaning towards. It's quick, cheap and durable. Worst case scenario, I can tile over it. Should I go grey? red? black? taupe? pink? neon yellow?

Here's a picture of the front of the house for inspiration. (Taken back when the front porch had all of it's tiles.... )

HALP!