Plants to grow on your front porch
Choosing plants for the front porch can be tricky. A porch is at least partially shaded, and the plants you choose should thrive in containers. You need to decide which plants will work best for the type of container - a simple pot, a planter box on your rail, or hanging baskets. It's also important to note that curious pets and children are more likely to come into contact with plants outside your front door.
A good front porch plant is easy to maintain, grows well in pots, and adapts to any conditions you can provide. Here are 15 beautiful plants you can grow to add bright color and a welcoming feel to your home.
1. Hostas
These evergreen flowering perennials are a gardener's BFF. They thrive in shade and partial shade and come back every year, blooming with attractive purple flowers in summer. Plant them in the ground or in containers around porches and paths to add some greenery to your entryway.
2. Geraniums
Garden geraniums, also known as zonal geraniums, add a cheerful pop of color to front yards and container gardens. They grow best in bright sunlight, so they are ideal for porches with south or west exposure, but they can also do well in partial shade. Geraniums have a hard time with summer heat, so move containers out of the sun during the hottest parts of the year.
3. Rosemary
Rosemary and other hardy perennial herbs like lavender, sage, thyme and oregano make great plants for a sun-drenched front porch. Plus, you'll have a kitchen herb garden right outside your door. Bring the plants inside in the fall and place them on a sunny windowsill to harvest in the winter months.
4. Hen and Chicks
Succulents are known to need full sun, but some varieties—including chicken and chickpeas—also called sempervivum—can do well in a partially shaded spot—like your front porch. Their colorful rosettes multiply naturally to fill a container and in the right conditions will send up flower spikes in late summer.
5. Wax begonias
Wax begonias are widely planted as bedding plants, in pathways, and in containers for good reason. These attractive annuals bloom reliably in shade or even partial shade, giving a north- or east-facing front porch a pop of color in summer.
6. Chrysanthemums
As summer fades into cool, crisp fall, mums are a must for your festive front porch. Once the season starts, you can pick them up at farms, hardware stores, and supermarkets, in addition to nurseries and garden centers. Note that chrysanthemums are toxic to pets
7. Boston Fern
Lush, feathery Boston ferns are a classic front porch plant because they are beautiful, low maintenance and prefer shady situations. Plant them in pots on the side of your porch steps or front door, or place them in hanging baskets over the edge of your porch ceiling.
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