Gardening in containers gives you the freedom to experiment with plant combinations and have fun. You can change or rearrange containers and plant in them in a matter of minutes. Just find a few planters that suit your style, keep the plants’ needs in mind, and get planting. Use these front porch planter ideas to help you create a warm welcome for visitors to your home.
Display Contrasting Colors
BRIE WILLIAMS
Dress up a dark-colored home with bright flowers. Even at a distance, the warm, bold hues of red, orange, and yellow will grab visitors’ attention with their intensity. Pillows and cushions added to porch furniture and accessories offer an easy, changeable way to add curb appeal.
Create a Two-Tone Look
LAURA MOSS
A limited color palette helps keep your look clean and coordinated. Red geraniums echo the red brick of this house and create a ribbon of color along the porch steps. The white planters tie together the home’s white pillars, railings, and trim with the red flowers. Here, guests are encouraged to linger with a sturdy rocker that matches the two-tone look of the entry.
Go Modern with Succulents
EDMUND BARR
For a bold, modern look for your front porch planters, consider planting a selection of succulents. These drought-tolerant, sun-loving plants offer intriguing textures, colors, and low maintenance for a truly winning combination. Here, aeonium and echeveria contrast with the strappy textures of Cordyline australis. Sleek, contemporary containers complete the display.
Keep It Simple
GREG SCHEIDEMANN
Symmetry is not only pleasing to the eye, it’s also the simplest to arrange. Here, matching faux concrete planters mirror each other along the entry’s steps and give the porch a modern update with a neutral finish that harmonizes with the plants’ green foliage. Wispy plants contrast with coarse-textured ones for a simple design that adds interest to this home’s small front porch.
Mix-and-Match Front Porch Planter
LAURIE BLACK
Combine annuals, perennials, grasses, and even small shrubs for a dynamic display in your front porch planters. Just keep a few container planting tips in mind such as making sure all the plants in your arrangement need the same light and water requirements. Also, make sure you include a thriller (something tall and eye-catching), a filler (a mid-size plant to fill out the containers), and a spiller (a plant that will hang over the side).
Brighten Shade with Ferns
ROBERT BRINSON
Create a simple, tropical look with ferns on a shaded porch. Adding variegated and lime green foliage to a shady area will help make the space feel brighter. To make your porch a true outdoor room, consider including the comforts of home. Here, stylish pendant lights, outdoor end tables, and seat cushions add comfort and color.
Rely on Symmetry
BRIE WILLIAMS
Go for a symmetrical front porch planter arrangement if you have a symmetrical entrance. To further pull the look together, choose plants with flower colors that match your front door, door mat, and other accents. Here blue hydrangeas echo the door’s hue, and pink dahlias offer a bit of bright contrast to draw the eye.
Bring Houseplants Outside
ERIN KUNKEL
Many larger houseplants such as Boston fern, spider plant, and bird of paradise can help bring the inside out on a shaded porch. A variety of plant shapes and sizes enhances this porch, adding to the casual, comfortable feel of the space. Use plants like art to brighten or heighten a corner, fill an empty wall, or soften a hard edge. Remember that potted plants require frequent watering, so make sure to check them daily, or even twice a day in very hot weather.
Play with Container Colors
PETER KRUMHARDT
Brightly colored containers can enhance the plants in them and add an element of fun to your front porch display. To avoid a busy look, add only one type of plant per pot, and restrict your overall color palette to no more than three main colors. Here, planters, flowers, and accents in blues, pinks, and yellows lead the eye effortless up to the entrance.