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Porch Landscaping Ideas

To accentuate your front porch

You will raise your home's curb appeal by a bunch if you put some great porch landscaping ideas to work around your porch.

Have you ever driven past a home that has "got it all going on"? You may wonder, "How did they do that?"

Dave and I have found some of our own landscaping ideas by driving around neighborhoods and snapping photographs of yards we like. We hope to inspire you with our landscaping pictures.

Tricia submitted the above picture to us and she shared her story about her new porch and beautiful landscaping.

Ideas from your own neighborhood are free and you might make some new friends that way, too. Also consider taking a stroll around a yard and garden store or botanical gardens to get even more good ideas for landscaping your porch.

In the picture above by contributing photographer Cynthia Davis, flower garden landscaping leads you to the porch steps. This landscaping makes the porch that more inviting.

Landscaping around your porch can range from very inexpensive to a small fortune. It need not be costly if you just start with a few of the right plantings and placements.

Porch landscaping ideas for you

In fact, Dave and I are so familiar with inexpensive landscaping ideas. We go to landscape stores at the end of the season to pick up plants. We've also been fortunate to be able to get plants and shrubs from family and neighbors who've shared them with us. You could swap plants with each other.

Porch walkway landscaping

Complementary porch walkway landscaping

All of our porch landscaping ideas:

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Porch landscaping basics

Tie your home and porch visually to the surrounding landscape- give it personality.

Victorian porch landscaping

Make your porch welcoming with porch landscaping that draws attention with color, shape and textures

Block wind or noise from your porch - you will be happy you did

Accentuate the positive and hide unsightly features like an old dilapidated building or your neighbor's rusting car.

Don't forget to light your landscaping. Let us help you understand how to install landscape lighting.

Check out our amazing walkway ideas. Keep walkways clear and control the water runoff.

When planting, keep in mind what the landscape will look like when it's fully grown - and how much care it will take.

If you love working in the yard, then fussy plants might be a good pick for you. Otherwise, pick plants, grasses and elements that are sturdy and low-maintenance.

Take advantage of Mother Nature to save you money like collecting water in rain barrels

Above photo courtesy of eklektick.

Need some good landscaping and gardening tips? Get professional gardening advice on flowers, plants, pests and more that will save you time and money from someone who has been in the business for over 30 years.

Want a very innovative porch?

Landscaping ideas can include a beautiful water garden beside the porch!

Photo is courtesy of shlake.

Another great source for porch landscaping ideas are Bed and Breakfast Inn porches.

Bed and Breakfast Inn owners go to great lengths to ensure their landscaping complements the porch.

For example, take note of the landscaping and beautiful plants at the Prospect Hill Bed and Breakfast, SC.

hanging basket on porch

Porch landscaping ideas should include hanging baskets. Use our Hanging Basket Instructions to create exquisite hanging baskets and learn about other options like creating hanging gardens or placing them on plant stands instead.

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Porch landscaping architecture basics

Is your home and porch formal or informal, traditional or contemporary, southwestern or a Cape Cod, tall and boxy, or short and angular?

Porch landscaping ideas on a country porch

Our porch landscaping ideas will help you enhance or downplay your home's architecture.

For example, if you have a formal brick, symmetrical colonial home, landscaping suggestions include manicured shrubs, a central path or walkway of brick, and period railings on your porch.

If you have a Cape Cod style home consider window boxes and/or planters attached to your porch railing and stone paths leading to the porch.

If your house is symmetrical

plantings should match on either side of doors
continue matching as you move away from center or add a little variation the farther you go - make sure they are balanced
ensure plantings are geometrically arranged and trimmed

Symmetrical plantings

If your house is asymmetrical

balance is important but now balance plants with specific architectural features instead of with each other
create natural looking mixed plantings
ensure plantings are geometrically arranged and trimmed

If your house is

horizontally designed: use a low sheared hedge along the base.

tall and narrow: use columnar trees to accent its height

boxy: use large round trees

large: use deep foundation beds, a large tree to anchor a corner with a mix of evergreens and deciduous shrubs underneath

How to highlight your porch and front door with landscaping

Place taller plants on either side of the stairs or landing

If your doorway is symmetrical (light panels or matching lights on each side) match the plantings on each side

If your doorway is asymmetrical you have the option of either treating it formally (matching) or informally. Have plants one either side but vary them in color and type.

To attract attention to your porch use matching round or conical shrubs on either side.

To downplay the porch, use softer and taller plants such as a dogwood or vine maple to create a canopy effect

Not all porches need skirting along the entire run. If it is aesthetically pleasing you may opt to have some of it show. If not, use low shrubs to conceal it. Don't limit yourself to just the area immediately in front of your porch. Extending the plantings away from the porch can create a softer look. Also consider the shape. Rounding the beds will make it not only interesting but will also give it a professional look.

Flowering vines can be extend across your porch but understand they may be shaded by the eaves of your roof.

Pots are great. Choose ferns, impatiens, and other shade-loving plants. Hanging planters work well; include small vines and trailing plants. Choose large baskets to retain more moisture.

If your porch extends to a corner of your house, use peninsula beds that extend into the yard and create a sense of cohesiveness with the side yard.

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Small porch landscaping ideas

Although larger porches are making a comeback, most newer homes only have a small porch or portico. Most are pretty bland and without great architectural features. Notoriously small city porches like the charming one depicted below (Boston brownstone apartments) have little space for landscaping.

Perhaps the only option is to create a space! There are many porch landscaping ideas that you can add to enhance the look of your small porch wherever it's located.

Inter-city porch with creative landscaping

For instance, you add an enclosed terrace beside your porch and have a great place for dining, a place to enjoy a glass of wine, or a secluded spot to read your favorite book!

Extend your small porch with an arbor and plant clematis to cover it. Not only will it be an inviting entrance to your home but fragrant as well.

Or, soften hard surfaces with potted plants of boxwood topiary and clematis. These porch landscaping ideas are really worth the extra effort.

A small porch has the advantage of cost savings; you'll be able to purchase more quality materials. Upgrade your door hardware, add antique light fixtures, and consider resurfacing the landing. Use stone, tile, or brick pavers. Small landings and stoops are great for patterned floors.

Install vine covered trellises, planters over your railings, hanging baskets, or clusters of evergreens.

If any of these ideas were of interest wait till you see what we've included in small porch designs, curb appeal porches, and patio porches!

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Walkway Ideas

Meandering walkway

Make your walkway inviting for your guests and complement your porch at the same time. We've put together some valuable walkway ideas that you will enjoy.
Bamboo

Ever thought of using bamboo for your porch or landscaping? Bamboo Inspiration provides resources and guides on bamboo plants and gardening, bamboo crafts, bamboo clothing and bedding, bamboo flooring and furniture, bamboo fishing rods, and many more bamboo products for home, garden, sport, and hobbies. A web site that promotes the versatility of bamboo and its uses around the world as an increasingly popular environmentally friendly renewable resource.

Landscape Lighting

Landscape light