Hanging Planters to Decorate Front Porches
Embellishing your front porch with hanging planters is a charming way to enhance curb appeal. The burst of color and greenery from flowers and foliage can transform an ordinary facade into an inviting, beautiful entryway. Hanging baskets utilize vertical space and allow creativity in showcasing lovely plants. With proper selection, placement, and care, hanging planters on front porches create a feeling of warmth and vibrancy.
Benefits of Hanging Planters for Front Porches
Hanging planter baskets offer numerous advantages for decorating front porches and entryways:
- They add instant charm, character, and aesthetic appeal to improve your home's curbside presence.
- Hanging planters make use of vertical space not typically utilized on a front porch or entryway.
- The burst of colorful blooms and fresh greenery can freshen the air, lift spirits, and promote well-being.
- Plant choices for hanging baskets come in vibrant colors and lush green varieties to complement any outdoor space.
- With proper care, hanging planters can be maintained year-round, even in colder climates using cold-weather greenery.
In comparison to pots or boxes, the suspended nature of hanging planters allows for full visibility of the plants. They can be used alone or grouped together to make a statement. Hanging baskets attract admiring looks and create an atmosphere of life on your front porch.
Choosing the Best Hanging Planters for Your Front Porch
When selecting hanging planters, consider the following factors:
Size and Shape
The size and shape of your hanging planter depends on the space available. Smaller single plant baskets work well for limited room, while larger, wider planters allow for more plant variety. Cylindrical planters overflow with trailing vines. Rounded bowl-shaped baskets create full, mounded plant arrangements. For porches with high ceilings, consider longer, narrower planters.
Material
Hanging planters come in a diversity of materials such as terra cotta, plastic, resin, natural rattan, coconut fiber, metal, and wood. Consider durability and longevity, especially for planters exposed to outdoor elements. Make sure the material complements your overall aesthetic.
Plants to Use
When choosing plants, account for sun exposure, climate, and desired colors. Blooming annuals like wave petunias, marigolds, or Supertunia offer bold, vibrant color through summer and fall. Trailing ivy or lobelia provide greenery and work well in shade. Create a lush, full look by combining thriller, filler, and spiller plants in one container.
Hanging Placement Ideas for Front Porch Planters
Hanging baskets allow for creativity and flexibility in placement on front porches and entryways. Consider positioning them in the following areas:
Across Railings
Outfit porch railings with a series of hanging baskets, spaced evenly apart. This adds festive color that greets guests as they arrive. For two story porches, adorn both levels of railings to amplify the appeal.
From Ceiling
Suspend hanging planters from the front porch ceiling to instantly deliver color and vibrancy. Cluster three to five baskets together at varying heights for a dramatic statement. Utilize hooks, chains, or cables to adjust heights as needed.
Along Stairs
Line outdoor front stair railings or banisters with neat rows of matching hanging baskets to provide a cohesive look as visitors ascend to your entry. Place planters at consistent intervals for balanced appeal.
Caring for Front Porch Hanging Planters
To keep porch hanging planters looking their best all season, remember these care tips:
Watering
The small amount of soil in hanging baskets causes them to dry out faster than garden planters. Check soil moisture daily and water when the top inch becomes dry. Consider liner pots to boost moisture retention. Forget-me-nots or other thirsty plants may need two daily waterings.
Fertilizing
Feed plants every 7-10 days with a diluted liquid fertilizer during the growing season. Slow release fertilizer granules added at planting gradually provide nutrients. Avoid over-fertilizing, which can damage roots.
Repotting
Gently remove and separate root-bound plants in spring, trimming any circled roots before repotting in fresh soil mix. Prune back overgrown annuals by 1/3 their size to reinvigorate growth.
Seasonal Hanging Planters for Year-Round Curb Appeal
Playing with seasonal plant varieties in your hanging baskets keeps your front porch freshly decorated and inviting throughout the year.
Spring
Welcome spring with cool weather-loving pansies, violas, and primrose. Add early bloomers like petunias and snapdragons as temps warm up.
Summer
Choose prolific, heat-loving annuals like petunias, million bells, verbena, and lantana for stunning summer color.
Fall
Transition to autumn with the fiery colors of mums, cabbage, kale, and pansies. Interplant with ornamental peppers or grasses.
Winter
Replace flowers with cold-hardy greens like variegated ivy, cyclamen, and conifers that withstand frost and snow for year-round appeal.
Decorating with Hanging Baskets on Front Porches
To maximize visual appeal, keep these decorating tips in mind when showcasing hanging planters on your front porch:
Complementing Style and Colors
Choose colors and textures that enhance your existing exterior paint or features. For a Craftsman home, opt for red blooms against blue-green foliage. On a white Victorian, purple and pink annuals pop beautifully.
Coordinating with Other Decor
Incorporate colors from your front door wreath or other decorative pieces. For example, if your door wreath contains blue, add blue blooms. Weave coordinating ribbon through hanging baskets to tie arrangements together.
While front porches and entryways make ideal spots to show off hanging baskets, consider other areas to add burst of color and vibrancy through suspended planters and greens:
- From tree branches in your front or backyard
- Along a backyard deck or patio
- Beneath interior skylights or atriums
- On walls, fences, or posts using installed brackets
- From interior ceiling beams, rafters, or light fixtures
Hanging planters full of beautiful plants and flowers can be used to decorate. They allow you to maximize vertical space with eye-catching arrangements. Follow these guidelines when planning hanging planters for your front porch, and let your creativity bloom!