Tip

Before you hit your favorite plant nursery, figure out your porch’s sun exposure.

A north or east-facing porch will get less sunlight, better suited to shade or partial shade plants.

A south-facing or west-facing porch will receive the most light, ideal for full to partial sun varieties.

Patio with Plants

The Spruce

Hostas

The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

These lush flowering perennials are a gardener’s BFF.

Plant them in the ground around porches and pathways or in containers to add some green by your entryway.

Plus, you’ll have a kitchen herb garden right outside your door.

hostas

The Spruce / Letícia Almeida

Note that chrysanthemums are toxic to pets.

Look for coneflower in a variety of shades, including the classic pinkish-purple.

Plant it in a container at least one foot deep and wide to accommodate its roots.

closeup of geranium blooms

The Spruce / Kara Riley

Plant it in containers or hanging baskets to attract hummingbirds.

Keep in mind that fuchsia grows best with moist soil, good humidity, and warmbut not too hottemperatures.

Coral Bells

These pet-friendly perennials are a staple in home gardens, borders, and ornamental beds.

flowering rosemary

The Spruce / Randi Rhoades

Their colorful foliage remains evergreen all year in regions as cold as zone 3.

Although their tiny, bell-shaped flowers are small, they’re great for attracting pollinators like hummingbirds and butterflies.

Bring container plants indoors and provide them with a grow light to keep them going beyond one season.

Hens and chicks succulent with green leaves and pink tips clustered together

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

Note that coleus is toxic to pets.

Grow compact and dwarf hydrangeas in pots on your front porch instead.

Hydrangeas are toxic to peopleand pets.

wax begonias

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

Note that clematis is toxic to people, dogs, cats, and horses.

Golden Creeping Jenny, Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’.University of Wisconsin Extension.

red mums

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

closeup of a Boston fern

The Spruce / Kara Riley

closeup of purple coneflower

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

fuchsia growing in a pot

The Spruce / Kara Riley

“Honey Rose” Coral Bells light and dark pink leaves under brown fallen leaves

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

coleus plant

The Spruce / Cori Sears

petunias growing in a basket

The Spruce / Kara Riley

Closeup of pink hydrangeas

The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

Closeup of clematis flowers

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

trailing foliage of creeping jenny

The Spruce / Candace Madonna