A porch is an element of your home that can be included in the design aesthetic.  The first impression of your home can begin with your front porch.  If properly designed, it can add character and splendor to your home. The way you design it lets people know little things about you. 

One way you can upgrade your front porch is by adding eye-catching plants. These plants can add color and texture to your porch.  Annual plants can help you if you decide to decorate for the season. This will keep your home feeling fresh.  Plants can also help customize or differentiate your home.  People are often surprised how adding plants can give your place a real pick-me-up.

Here are some tips you might want to consider to revamp your front porch:

Containers:  One of the first things to consider is finding planters that complement your home’s design and the size of your porch.  You can go for large pots or coordinating pots of different sizes, or even hanging pots.  Consider self-watering planters, which can help you converse water and can make container gardening easy.  You might find your containers hard to move after they are filled with soil, so arrange them on your porch before you start planting.

Sun Exposure: If your front porch is in the sun, select plants that thrive in sunlight.  You might want to consider some drought-tolerant plants.  Make sure you keep a close eye on the soil in your plant containers and make sure all of your containers drain well.  Container gardening is easier when you have lots of sun, but that might not be an option for you. When it comes to shade plants most of them are “part shade” These plants tolerate shade for most of the day, but they do need some sun to thrive.

Plant Color: It is amazing the array of plant colors to select from for your containers. You can coordinate your plant selections with the color of your house or front door.  If you are going for a seasonal theme you will have no problem finding the right plants.  Select annuals that are light-colored and small so when the blossoms fall your porch will not get stained.  Try some foliage in your containers because they do not shed like flowers.

These are our favorite plants for a sunny front porch:

Bidens – These cheery annual flowers are easy to care for and long blooming. The daisy-like flowers are typically golden yellow.  There are some new varieties that are bi-colored, orange, pink, and white. They are trailing and can cascade down the side of containers or spillover your hanging baskets. They look great with complimentary colored Calibrachoa, Petunia, and Verbena. 

Calibrachoa – This flower also goes by the name Superbells or Million Bells.  It comes in many stunning colors and performs wonderfully in any container.  You will also find them as double flowers and bi-colored with ruffles.  The productive blossoms will grow all summer long with regular feeding.  They attract hummingbirds and butterflies. These plants do not need deadheading, but they do need consistent watering and good drainage.

Petunia – Petunias are very easy to grow and are inexpensive.  They are available in an array of colors.  Some of the colors are so rich they look live velvet.  There are new varieties that self-deadhead, making them even more popular.  They love the sun but not necessarily the heat, so a little shade for them might be in order.

Verbena – Verbena will flower all summer long and into the fall, which makes it a great container selection.  Their blooms are plentiful and they are great for attracting butterflies.  They come in a variety of colors with some being bi-colored.  The plant is drought-tolerant, so a normal amount of water is perfect.  They do need to be fed and the container needs to have good drainage.  This plant does need regular deadheading to keep the plant looking its best.

Plant recommendations if you have a shady front porch:

Begonia – Begonias are a great choice for a shady porch and a container plant. They prefer low light, well-drained soil, and do not like to be too wet.  For containers, tuberous or rhizomatous begonias work best.  They come in many bright colors.  You can also consider mixed colors of the same petunia. There are also new trailing and dragon wing Begonias that bloom all summer.  If you are looking for just foliage try the Rex Begonia. 

Coleus – Coleus is a foliage plant and one of the better-known shade plants. The plant has unique colored and patterned leaves.  There are some new varieties that can also be grown in the sun.  This plant can be grown alone or looks great mixed with flowers. 

Hosta – This fast-growing plant is easy to grow as all it needs is some shade and water.  Plant it in rich, well-drained soil.  Hostas do not like dry conditions, so they will need to be watered regularly.  You might want to put mulch around it to help retain moisture.  Hostas produce spikey white to lavender blooms which attract pollinators.

Impatiens – These colorful and easy to grow plant has been a favorite shade plant for years.  The flowers are bright and can have a deep shade of color even though it is grown in the shade.  There are single and double petal flowers.  They are great for containers.