Landscaping for a Porch Entrance

Trees

• Adding trees to the front porch entrance can soften wooden structures and provide greenery for a welcoming look. Match the size of the tree to the proportion of the porch, using larger trees for bigger porches and dwarf species for small porch areas. Trees add vertical lines and visual stopping points when planted at the corners of porch areas. River birch and Flowering Dogwood are a good choice for these uses. Plant trees well away from the porch and foundation structure to allow for growth.

Shrubs

• Landscapers use shrubs in a variety of ways around front porch areas. Low, spreading evergreens such as juniper and yew are often planted below porch areas to give color and texture year-round. Vary these shrubs with taller flowering shrubs such as viburnum for differences in height and form and boxwood for greenery. To add old-fashioned character, include peonies or rose bushes near the front door to provide a visual treat for visitors entering the house. Mixing shrubs with lower bedding plants add variety and visual interest for the exterior.

Bedding Plants

• Bedding plants provide the visual transition between the ground and other foliage as well as for the porch structure itself. Curving beds add a good variation to the vertical and horizontal lines of the house and porch. Extend the curves to meet hardscapes such as sidewalks and driveways to soften the whole look of the exterior. Using both perennial plants and annuals can help to extend the blooming season to keep the home exterior looking fresh and always in bloom. Portulaca, marigolds, salvia, begonias, daisies and asters are flowering plants that are easy to maintain and give big visual impact.

Hanging Baskets

• Hanging baskets add color and soften the horizontal lines of long porches. Many types of plants, both foliage and flowering, grow happily in baskets. Hang baskets at a level that allows good visual impact yet makes the plants easy to maintain. Trailing plants like English and Swedish ivy and golden pothos are good foliage plants for baskets. Flowering plants such as ivy geraniums, trailing lobelia, trailing snapdragons and lotus vines provide vivid color and country-warmth for front porch entranceways.