Planters for Your Front Porch - Clever Ideas to Try

A welcoming front porch invites neighbors, friends, and even strangers to stop by and say hello. Planters are a simple yet impactful way to enhance your home's curb appeal and showcase your style. The right planters can complement your architecture, reflect the season, and add natural beauty to your outdoor space. Read on for clever planter ideas to try on your front porch this year.

Planters are an easy DIY project that allows you to flex your design skills. Whether you prefer a minimalist look or want to go all out with colors and textures, planters let you put a unique stamp on your home. Show off your green thumb by picking plants that will thrive on your front porch. Renting a home? Planters are a great way to personalize without making permanent changes.

Types of Planters for Front Porches

From vintage-inspired window boxes to sleek modern pots, there are endless options when picking planters. Consider your home's architectural style as you choose shapes, materials, colors and sizes. Here are popular planter types to enhance front porches of all kinds:

Hanging Planters

Add height and visual interest with hanging baskets on hooks, columns, or ceiling hooks. Choose lightweight plastic or fiberglass planters to avoid accidents. For a whimsical look, hang a few mismatched baskets at different heights. Or go for a uniform look with matching baskets in the same color and size.

Railing Planters

Railing planters hook right onto your front porch railing for a built-in look. Opt for long rectangular planters to line the full length of your railing. Or cluster a few smaller round railing planters. Choose thick plastic or metal containers that can handle weather and won't blow over on windy days.

Window Box Planters

Window boxes represent classic front porch charm. Mount them below windows or line them up along the porch railing. Window boxes only need to be a few inches deep for flowering plants and trailing greenery. Opt for wood, metal or plastic boxes with drainage holes. Go for a matching set or an eclectic mix of colors and sizes.

Large Decorative Planters

Oversized planters make a statement on large porches. Choose a material like concrete, ceramic or fiberglass scaled to your space. A pair of imposing matching urns on pedestals can frame a front entry. Or place a few asymmetric, modern rectangular planters in different heights and sizes.

Unique Planter Ideas

Think outside the box for distinctive planter options. Old wheelbarrows, watering cans, crates and buckets can be repurposed as charming planters. For an edgy, urban vibe, fill black rubber tire planters with bright flowers. Or turn a concrete mixing tub into an organic chic planter. A vintage car hood on legs also makes a unique planting bed.

Choosing the Right Plants

Once you've picked the perfect planters, it's time to choose plants. Take stock of your porch's sun exposure, space and style as you select plants with the right characteristics.

Low Maintenance Plants

Busy homeowners need plants that can thrive with minimal care. Succulents like aloe and jade store water in their leaves, so they only need occasional watering. Spider plants also do well in partial sun with infrequent watering. Hardy herbs like rosemary, thyme and oregano are easy to grow and great for gardens and containers.

Plants for Sun vs. Shade

Check how many hours of sunlight your porch gets before choosing plants. Sun-lovers like petunias, marigolds, geraniums and morning glories do best in 6+ hours of full sun. For shady porches, opt for impatiens, begonias, ferns, hostas and coleus that tolerate partial sun or full shade.

Flowering Plants by Season

Pick flowers that will bloom during the seasons you want to use your porch most. For spring, choose bulbs like tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. Summer favorites include zinnias, marigolds, petunias, geraniums and begonias. Transition to mums, pansies and flowering kale as fall arrives.

Herbs and Vegetables

Grow tasty herbs and compact veggies in your planters. Thyme, mint, oregano, basil and rosemary are easy herbs for containers. For vegetables, opt for patio-sized tomato varieties, leaf lettuce, radishes, peas and peppers perfect for small spaces.

Grasses and Succulents

For low-maintenance texture, try ornamental grasses like pampas grass or fluffy feather reed grass. Succulents like hen-and-chicks, aloe and echeveria add unique shapes and colors. Plant them together or solo in modern concrete planters to complement contemporary homes.

Arrangement and Placement

A thoughtful planter layout brings harmony and enhances your porch's architecture. Follow basic design guidelines as you map out your planters' placement:

Creating Visual Interest

Vary heights, shapes and sizes for an appealing look with dimension. For example, flank a large urn with matching smaller pots. Or place tall vertical planters next to low, wide boxes.

Drawing Attention to the Front Door

Use symmetrical planter arrangements to gracefully frame the front door. Place matching planters or flower boxes on either side of the entry. Or create a welcoming focal point with a trio of vivid green or purple containers on the porch or steps.

Framing the View

Use planters to showcase your home's best features. Place containers near the edges of porches or railings to frame a beautiful vista of your yard and garden beds.

Balancing Heights and Shapes

A harmonious look combines taller and shorter planters with complementary shapes. For example, balance round clay pots with tall slender planters. Or mix oval and rectangle boxes with petite pails or watering cans.

Complementing Architectural Style

Choose planters that work with your home's architecture and color scheme. For Arts and Crafts bungalows, use handsome wooden window boxes. On a contemporary porch, opt for cylindrical fiberglass or cement planters.

Extra Touches and Accessories

Elevate your planters with clever add-ons and decorative finishes. Here are fun ways to make planters reflect your personal flair:

Planter Stands

Elevate planters off the porch floor with stands and plant tables. Opt for sturdy wrought iron or wood stands in different heights. Repurposed stools, crates and side tables also work. Elevated planters prevent water damage to your porch.

Watering Systems

Make watering easy with self-watering inserts, reservoir trays or drip irrigation for planters. Attach short soaker hoses to rain barrels to recycle water. Or install an automatic irrigation system with an outdoor hose timer.

Decorative Stakes

Add whimsy and color with decorative stakes and plant markers. Opt for weather-resistant wood, metal or stone stakes. Use plain stakes or carved ones in fun shapes like birds, insects and animals.

Solar Lighting

Extend your enjoyment into the evenings by lighting your planters. Set battery-powered jar lights into planters to illuminate the plants. Or place solar-powered spotlights nearby to spotlight your porch planters at night.

Painted and Stenciled Planters

Make basic containers pop with paint or stencils. Spray planters with metallic paints in tones like bronze, copper and silver that tie into your front door hardware. Use stencils to paint cute designs like flowers or bees.