Spring is here! It’s time to shrug off our layers of winter decor and transform our homes with fresh life; and what better place to start than the front entrance? Welcome in the season of bloom with these rejuvenating front porch ideas.
Decorating trends for spring and summer
Embellishments
Fringe, tassels, macrame, embroidery, laser cut metals, beading and trimmings of any kind will be gracing feature decor items this spring. Look for opportunities to add some character to your space; crochet hammock seats, woven planter baskets, laser cut lanterns or fringed pillows combine to create a striking overall effect and help bring some personality to otherwise impersonal contemporary spaces.
Geometric patterns
This trend continues into spring, with tessellating patterns and sacred geometry bringing a sense of structure to the mix. Look out for feature tiles, patterned pots or vases, wire art or geometric pot stands to embrace the power of geometry in your front porch ideas. Furthermore, lanterns that throw patterned or coloured light are an inexpensive way to add visual interest at night; use some citronella candles for a bug-resistant bonus!
Artisan & handcrafted details
As mentioned above, adding individuality to your space is the latest trend in contemporary design. Integrate handcrafted, one of a kind pieces to your front porch to add some character to your home. Handmade ceramic pots, mosaics, DIY wall art, stone masonry and original sculptures or metalwork are all great ways to deviate from the mass-produced and focus on the art of the individual.
Front porch plants for Spring
No matter what your decor style is like, plants are by far the most transformative element for any living space. It boosts positive mindsets and relaxation, softens and connects your design and offers some truly unique textures and sensory elements. From sprawling front yards, to tiny front porches, there’s always a way to incorporate more plants into your design!
Lush foliage
Looking for big, tropical leaves? Feast your eyes on the likes of traveler’s palms, fiddle leaf figs, monstera deliciosa, palms, potted fern varieties and elephant ear plants for extravagant, jungle style foliage. For smaller potted greenery, try Zanzibar gems, Chinese money plants, watermelon peperomia and patterned prayer plants.
Architectural plants
New Zealand flax, foxtail fern, ponytail plants, horsetail reed and snake plants all grow notably well in pots. For more ideas, check out our latest guide on which architectural plants to watch out for this spring!
Edible plants
Edible gardens tie into the recent sustainability and health & wellness focuses within landscape design. Successfully potted herbs include basil, coriander, parsley, mint and chives, whilst kumquats, certain berries and ‘Meyer’ lemons also grow well in container gardens.
See more of this front porch transformation!
Drought resistant plants
Spring means a time of bloom and renewal. However, it also means that our sizzling hot summer is on its way. Creating a drought tolerant collection of pot plants is an incredibly smart, low maintenance and sustainable way to add some life to your front porch.
Some trending succulents and cacti to look out for this season include:
- coral plants,
- stapelia,
- agaves,
- aloe vera varieties,
- burro’s tail,
- string of pearls,
- echeveria varieties and
- the ever-growing prickly pear cactus.
Ornamental grasses
Bedhead gardens are another super low maintenance and textural gold mine when looking to add some natural foliage to your front porch. Completely transform your space with the soft, fluffy textures of different ornamental grasses; trending varieties include no mow grass, pampass grass, fountain grass, mondo grass and Lomandra Seascape ‘mat-rush’ grass. Fill a garden bed or arrange a quirky collection of bedhead pots, depending on the size of your space.
Climbers & trailers
You got a railing? You got a garden! Star jasmine, wisteria and bougainvillea flower spectacularly (with the latter two growing well in pots), whilst passion fruit vines and honeysuckle offer sweet treats with their blooms. For a greener, more foliage based climber, stick to English or Boston ivy, or Virginia creeper.
Trending porch planters
Hanging baskets
Hanging baskets have come back in a big way, mixing the fresh splash of lively plantings with the textured touch of embellishments that we mentioned earlier. Woven wicker baskets or macrame pot hangers bring a summery, bohemian accent, whilst metallic bowls offer a more sophisticated finish.
Popular plants for hanging baskets include:
- bodacious Boston ferns,
- dichondra silver falls, or
- trailing succulents, such as burro’s tail, string of pearls and mistletoe cactus.
Planter steps
Oversized concrete steps and pavers have been a staple landscaping trend for contemporary home designs. As a sleek, striking front porch idea, you can also incorporate architectural plants within the steps themselves! They create a structured border for your pathway and add visual interest to the space.
Succulent bowls
If you have a seating area with a table, or some shelf space, consider adding a succulent bowl or terrarium. These low maintenance clusters are incredibly easy to keep alive, can be made DIY and look amazing as a style piece!
Front door pot clusters
When dressing your front entrance, pot plants framing the front door have been a long standing tradition. However, this season, mirror image pot placements will compete with more moden asymmetrical pot clusters. An eclectic mix of planter boxes, oversized pots, pot stands, woven baskets, hanging pots, wall hangers and miniature planters all on one side of the door will create a striking focal point of greenery.
Try out this front porch idea for yourself; embrace the Palm Springs vibes with cacti and succulents, or choose a more tropical urban jungle with jungle leaf foliage, trailing Spanish Moss and no mow grass!
Window sill planters
These bad boys aren’t just for country style abodes; window sill planters have taken a contemporary twist and are an incredibly space efficient way of adding some foliage to your front porch. Kick it old school and grow some herbs or flowers, make it more modern with some succulents, or fill with some naturally repelling plants to keep the summer mozzies at bay!
