I’ve spent the majority of the last few days outside working on planting flowers and landscaping, and it feels so good to have finally given our outdoor spaces some love and attention this season. The first priority was getting all my pots on the deck and front porch planted, and this year I decided the front porch was due for some new planters and a little refresh.
The last several years I’ve had these tall cedar planters I built (you can find the tutorial here) on the front porch, and I love the way the wood has now weathered to a beautiful driftwood gray finish. But when I stepped back to look at the big picture, the planters basically just blend in with the concrete and don’t create as much of a contrast as I’d like against the white siding on the house.
I did a little shopping and found these black planters made from recycled rubber tires that are supposed to basically be indestructible. I had to throw away 4 or 5 planters this year that had cracked and broken over the winter, so the durability and longevity of these planters made them very attractive. They have a self-watering design and removable drain plug so you can water less frequently and not worry about overwatering your plants and root rot when you do. I found them in several different sizes and shapes (round, square, urns, etc.), and I linked several of them for you here:
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I also added two smaller “woven” concrete planters I’ve had for awhile on the steps, but I’m honestly thinking about trying to find some kind of concrete statue instead. Something to give the space a little more character and interest — maybe one of these:
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I picked up a new doormat from Lowe’s that has a sturdy rubber back/edge to prevent it from blowing in the wind or sliding around. Of course, I go to find it online for you, and it’s sold out everywhere. 🥺 But I did gather some similar options that look really nice:
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P.S. I spy a puppy peeking outside wondering what Mom is doing… do you see her?
Now let’s talk about what I planted in the new planters. My house is North-facing, so the front porch gets very little direct sunlight during the day. I wanted to do something different than the ferns I normally put up here, and this is what I ended up planting:
The shorter black planter has white double impatiens in the center, variegated ivy in the front to spill over the sides of the planter, and spikes in back for height.
I was really excited to find a boxwood variety I’ve never seen before for the taller black planter. It’s called a NewGen boxwood and is only supposed to get around 3′ tall at most. I’m hoping I can keep them through the winter to save money on annuals next spring, but we will see how they do. I also planted Superbena Whiteout in front of the boxwood to give the planter a little more interest and a pop of little white flowers against the black.
What are your favorite front porch plants? Let me know if you have any questions!
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Please keep us updated on how these work. They sure are pretty! As an educator who has worked a lot of playground duty I can attest that the shredded,, recycled rubber gets really hot Being self watering sounds like an added benefit though.
I’ve had the same issue in the past. It seemed new plants and new pots just didn’t have the same pop as when I first had the house built. The old planters weren’t blending in with the concrete because they weathered, but because the concreate has slowly become dirty. Pressure wash it and the old or new planters will be a pop of color again.
Those planters are PERFECT for your front porch area. Well done – and the fact they’re recycled tires made into something so awesome? Doubly excellent choice. Looks GREAT!
I ADORE your store’s new hanging plant holders. Cute cute cute!!!