Help me decorate my front porch

[Deleted]

We just moved into our house a month ago, and I have no idea what to do with the space to the right of the front door under the window. 



It is full shade, so I was thinking about maybe getting three different heights of pots, and planting hostas in them. But I also want some color. I'm in Zone 4 if it makes a huge difference. 

Also, after planting the hostas in the front beds yesterday, I'm going to dig them up and try to find some bigger ones. That space is mostly shade (doesn't get too much sun) so I need some shade happy plants. 

Any advice for the front area is greatly appreciated!!

[magdala]

Will you be sitting out on the porch? We have a deck and I love sitting out their in an outdoor rocker rocking the baby. A pair of comfy chairs with brightly colored cushions would be pretty.

Don't worry about the hostas. With proper care, hostas will grow to gigantic size. I took 6 out of the side bed last year and the rest of the hostas just grew to fill in the spot. You could add shade loving plants to the hostas...for color try lily of the valleys and astilbes. I live in zone 5 and *think* these would work in zone 4. A local nursery or college gardening program would be able to tell you for sure.

[TBM]

I think I would go the planter route...maybe seasonal plants/flowers for the summer to add color. Some height would be nice in that area.

You can change it out in the fall and winter with decor rather than plants.

[LadySusan]

I like the idea of a trio of planters. If you choose colorful planters then you wouldn't have to bring in color with flowers.

You can put things like yucca in shade and they have a cool sculptural form and don't need to be watered often. Fern would contrast nicely and you have year round greenery.

Heuchera also known as coral bells are shady, perennial and evergreen. Some have colorful foliage. Some have small coral flowers.

Big blooms of hydrangea would look great with your porch, but they aren't evergreen so they are just dead little sticks in the winters.

[Deleted]

I honestly don't know how much time I'll be spending out there since we have a nice back patio as well. I just bought those chairs at Costco with the cushions from Target, since I didn't want to spend a ton of money for seating out there.

Do hostas grow pretty quick? I guess I just think about the plants we planted at our old house, and after almost 4 years were just starting to really see some size. I'm not that patient. lol.

[treedimensional]

May 26, 2015 9:20:46 GMT -5 @roseyposey said:

We just moved into our house a month ago, and I have no idea what to do with the space to the right of the front door under the window. 
I was thinking about three different heights of pots, and planting hostas in them. But I also want some color. I'm in Zone 4 if it makes a huge difference. That space is mostly shade.

I like that thought. I'd also go with a tall rectangular planter of some sort and plant it with colorful annuals every year.

[Deleted]

I thought hostas were "ground only" sort of plants?

If they work in planters where you live, they're impossible to kill so win.

I would do a hanging basket of shade begonias. They're so pretty and fairly easy.

[lilac05]

May 26, 2015 17:45:01 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

May 26, 2015 9:20:46 GMT -5 @roseyposey said:

We just moved into our house a month ago, and I have no idea what to do with the space to the right of the front door under the window. 
I was thinking about three different heights of pots, and planting hostas in them. But I also want some color. I'm in Zone 4 if it makes a huge difference. That space is mostly shade.

I like that thought. I'd also go with a tall rectangular planter of some sort and plant it with colorful annuals every year.

I love that!  Do you know where it is sold?

[lilac05]

Your hostas should grow really quickly. If not, ask around for friends/family who have some that need to be split. I think they're supposed to be split late summer/early fall. I'm going to be on the hunt for people who want hostas this fall! I've got a billion of them and they're way too big!

[Deleted]

May 26, 2015 19:04:22 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

May 26, 2015 17:45:01 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

I like that thought. I'd also go with a tall rectangular planter of some sort and plant it with colorful annuals every year.

I love that!  Do you know where it is sold?

Ooh I love this!!! I bet Dh could diy something similar.

[Deleted]

May 26, 2015 18:44:34 GMT -5 @justdairy said:

I thought hostas were "ground only" sort of plants?

If they work in planters where you live, they're impossible to kill so win.

I would do a hanging basket of shade begonias. They're so pretty and fairly easy.

If they are ground only, then Pinterest LIES! Lol

[Deleted]

May 26, 2015 20:03:13 GMT -5 @roseyposey said:

May 26, 2015 18:44:34 GMT -5 @justdairy said:

I thought hostas were "ground only" sort of plants?

If they work in planters where you live, they're impossible to kill so win.

I would do a hanging basket of shade begonias. They're so pretty and fairly easy.

If they are ground only, then Pinterest LIES! Lol

Maybe they're not. I guess where I live every one plants them on the sides of houses no one sees and garages because they like shade, grow well and our impossible to kill. I've never seen one in a planter but admittedly I don't "do" plants, so don't ask me.  

[auntie]

Gardening requires patience. Instant gratification can be very expensive.

I would double check the hosta you chose to be certain you selected a larger variety. They can really vary in size. Sum and Substance get huge. I bought some Frances Williams bare root at Costco last year and they're doing really well this year. It'll be another couple years before they're fully kick-ass. Since it will take a couple of years to get a full sized display, interplant with some annual impatiens for color and interest. This year, I added some astilbe and another variety of hosta to my hosta bed.

If this was my garden, I'd lose the landscape fabric and anchor the bed with some shrubs or a small tree. It feels to me like you need more plant material for the space. I'd try to get away from the boring lining them up as if you plan to execute them by firing squad. Think organic clusters instead of lines.

[treedimensional]

May 26, 2015 19:04:22 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

May 26, 2015 17:45:01 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

I like that thought. I'd also go with a tall rectangular planter of some sort and plant it with colorful annuals every year.

I love that!  Do you know where it is sold?

Right click the pic and it's in the properties. I just googled images of rectangular planters (or something). I think a tall pedestal planter box would look great in that space.

[Deleted]

May 27, 2015 7:49:04 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

May 26, 2015 19:04:22 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

I love that!  Do you know where it is sold?

Right click the pic and it's in the properties. I just googled images of rectangular planters (or something). I think a tall pedestal planter box would look great in that space.

for almost $500 on wayfair, i can definitely have DH diy something similar!  

i'm still a little bitter on how awful the wayfair return policy is.