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How to put together the easiest front porch planters ever. A super simple idea to dress up your front door area. These fern planters will transform your porch from drab to amazing!
If you’ve ever stood in front of your local garden center wondering what to plant in your porch containers, you’re not alone. Today I’m sharing a simple method for putting together front porch planters that look professionally done, but take just minutes to assemble. These really are the easiest front porch planters ever. Adding fresh greenery and seasonal blooms to your entryway is a beautiful way to welcome guests, and it sets the tone for the rest of your home.
How to Assemble the Fern Planters
- What makes this front porch planter idea so simple is that the ferns stay in their original containers. There’s no need to remove them or repot, so you won’t need any potting soil, which saves both time and money.
- Depending on the size of your planters, the ferns might sit at just the right height. But more often than not, they’ll need a little boost. To raise them up, just add some filler material to the bottom of the planters. Here are a few easy options:
- Packing peanuts (tuck them into a mesh produce bag before placing in the planter)
- Air pillows from shipping boxes
- Plastic grocery sacks
- Empty plastic bottles or jugs
- An upside-down plastic container or nursery pot
- A section of a pool noodle, cut to size
- Aside from the time it took to shop for the ferns, these planters came together in less than ten minutes. This method works with any type of front porch planter—even basic terra cotta pots. The key is making sure the plant’s original container fits snugly inside your decorative pot.
Fun Facts About Ferns
- Ferns are incredibly forgiving and easy to care for. They can go a few days without attention, and with a good drink of water, their fronds perk right back up. That said, a regular watering schedule will keep them looking their best.
- To encourage healthy growth, use a water-soluble fertilizer once a month. A few thoughtful readers have also shared that lightly misting the fronds with cool water once or twice a week helps keep them fresh and vibrant.
- Ferns love shade, so a covered porch is the ideal spot. The Boston fern, with its soft, cascading fronds, is a longtime favorite for porches. It’s especially pretty in a hanging planter, where the fronds can gently spill over the sides and sway in the breeze.
- Ferns also look wonderful in tall planters. They add just the right amount of height without making the planter feel top-heavy. Their texture and fullness make them a perfect choice when you want something that’s simple, but still makes a statement.
- If the weather turns especially hot or windy, try to move your ferns to a more protected spot. Strong sun and drying winds can damage the fronds, so keeping them sheltered will help them thrive all season long.
How Do I Choose A Planter For My Front Door?
- The simplest way to choose planters is to follow your heart and buy what you truly love. If you decide to invest in more expensive planters and plan to use them year after year, it’s easy to refresh the look by simply switching out the plants with the seasons.
- Think about the style of your home and choose planters that complement those lines. Consider the color of your front door, siding, or trim, and pick something that coordinates, but doesn’t blend in too much. Planters that add contrast can really stand out in a good way. (See our front door paint color information.)
- Size is another thing to keep in mind. Larger planters make more of a statement and give you plenty of room to layer different types of plants. If you’re working with a smaller porch or tight space, go for a pair of medium-sized containers that frame the door without overwhelming it.
- Also, consider the material. Lightweight resin or plastic planters are easy to move and store, while ceramic or stone planters add heft and stability, especially in windy areas. Just make sure they have drainage holes, or add them yourself, so your plants stay happy and healthy.
Where To Get The Front Porch Planters
If you’re not sure where to start, I’ve gathered some of my favorite planters in one easy spot. From classic urns to simple, budget-friendly containers, there’s something for every style and porch size. You can take a look right here in my Amazon shop, and hopefully find the perfect fit for your space.
The white Polywood planters are not available on Amazon. You can find them HERE.
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I also love symmetry when decorating my small covered front porch . I have used black urns that are not to heavy to move and plant them with Kimberly Queen ferns every year we have two black rockers which I change the pillows. This year I got a pretty teal patterned outdoor rug and have ordered 2 sets of teal pillows for the chairs. I have some large teal planters which have hostas in them and they flank the urns. I have several large house plants which summer outside on a bench and with a few hanging plants and lanterns with faux candles I’m done. Now to take a cool tall drink and enjoy this beautiful weather.
I find Boston gets to be graceful and beautiful but her messy. How to you handle all the dropping fronds?
Any hints are appreciated! Always look forward to your spaces. Do a post on door mats for all seasons.
By the way, your entrance hall I justn lovely. Give some info onusing, purchasing glass knobs.
Hi Nan…yes, ferns can get a little messy. It’s helpful to shake them out occasionally. I carry the fern containers out to my lawn, and shake them well. The dead pieces fall out, along with any moths that are living in the fern. It’s also helpful to keep them moist and not let them dry out. Hope this helps!
Good. Shaking on lawn will work.
Enjoy, spring
Great post about your front porch ferns but a couple of (semi related) follow up questions:
1. Can you explain more about the washable layering rugs in your Amazon store? e.g. the buffalo plaid, etc. What do you use to layer them? I love the look and the fact that they can be used outside but puzzled about their use.
2. In the photo of the ferns in the white planters, can you share more info about the greenery wreath on the front door?
Thanks for all your inspiration!
Hi Mary! I layer the larger washable rug under a regular coir doormat. The bottom rug usually measures about 2 x 3 ft. and the doormats measure about 18 x 30 in. So the sizing is perfect. Unfortunately, the door wreath is no longer available. I did find something similar, and provided a link in a Shop + Source section towards the end of the post. Thank you!
Ann,
I’ve always loved your front porch (in this house and your former house). I get great ideas from your blog and those contributions of the other talented women.
Thank you.
Karen B.
I just bought both of the planters you show. First the aluminum looking planters for the back porch then the black Mayne Cape Cod planters for my front porch I love them both but especially the black Cape Cods. Bonus that they have a water reservoir. Thanks for the recommendations
I’m looking for some tall planters to put on porch stairs – I’m old enough to need an occasional steadying spot but I don’t want to install a hand rail yet since it would involve drilling into the house brick. So, once I find the correct pots, I like the ideas to use some bricks to weigh the pots down and then add the pool noodles to make up the space for the inserts. Ferns do well down in OK and then I’ll find something for the colder months.
About bringing plants that have been outside for the summer – be sure to check the plant, soil and pot, including the water saucer. One year, I had a few black widow spiders visit the ferns – I’ve learned what areas to always wear gloves and use a small rake to check leaves, stones, etc. And, another year, I found a small garden snake inside my house after I brought a pot. I think it was curled up in the water saucer.
I have a couple of inexpensive plastic planters that I refresh with spray paint. This year, I plan to use them for veggies – patio (compact) versions of tomatoes, cucumbers and micro greens. A few packet of seeds may help with the produce bill.
Pool Noodles make excellent filler too. You can usually find then at the Dollar Store. Easily cut to length with regular scissors!
This is genius! Thanks so much for sharing. I love the look!
Good morning. I’m a fairly new follower of your blog and what I love about it is the simplicity of it all! Your writing makes me feel like you are my next door neighbor that I can just run over to visit or help with a project or you run over to help me with a project. :) Your honesty about what you’re encountering as you plan for projects is refreshing. One of my first things to try from here was the Mother’s Day Banners! Beautiful and so easy. Sent 7 of them out to the younger nieces and nephews for them to place for their Moms. They loved them! My own Mother has been gone for 2 years now and I miss her every day – wanting to talk to her one more time. So, thank you for what you are sharing – it’s wonderful.
Where did you purchase your pots? They are exactly what I have been looking for but can’t find! Thanks.
Hi Janet! Here is my affiliate link to the black planters: https://amzn.to/34sD17C Thank you!
Hi! I just joined and am going through some of your older posts. I noticed the pots on your front porch that were filled with tiny blue flowers. Can you tell me what they are? (It was the picture for your “Easy Porch Planters”. Thx! Loving your site!!
Hi Delphine…the little blue flowers are lobelia. They do really well in the spring and early summer, but when the hot temps appear, they tend to fade and dry up. They are pretty though!
Love the look of your ferns and the containers. Do Boston ferns do well outside thoug? I had them once and the leaves kept dropping. There is another species of ferns, are they much better for outside?
I simply lo-o-ove the look of the planter and the fern….what an easy way to dress up a front porch! My problem is that I’ve had problems keeping ferns healthy so I’ve stayed away from buying them. I’ve always been told ferns are a shade-only plant so putting them on a sunny front porch possibly wouldn’t be a good idea. And I’ve been told ferns need “misting” quite often. I guess I’d better do a little more research before I buy my planter. Lol!
Hi Kathryn…ferns do need shade that’s true. I really don’t do anything to my ferns but water them!
♥️ Your ideas for the front entrance hope I can find ferns like this .
We use plastic water bottles in the bottom of our large planters. It makes the planters easier to move and does not require so much point soil to fill the container.
Love it. Ferns are such a simple way to dress up an area. They look awesome in the black container. Thanks so much for your great recipes too. I recently made your strawberry walnut bread. Awesome. I would never have thought to roast the walnuts.
What size are your black square pots, as I see they come in different sizes?
Hi Sue! My pots are the 16-inch squares. My porch is pretty small but if you have a bigger space, you could definitely size up. Thank you!
My planters are empty at the moment…..LOVE this idea. I will keep my eye out for some ferns.
I love my gardens. But I can’t keep up anymore & I have also found hanging baskets are a lifesaver! I just set them in my pot & like you raise them if necessary. (I have used floral foam blocks.). By removing the hanger it looks like they were pottted just for that container! And I use ferns too.
Floral foam blocks are brilliant…thank you for sharing!
Love the planters! Would you share the paint color on your door, please? Thanks!
The door color is Naval by Sherwin Williams.
I love them! I can’t wait to get a few. Thanks for sharing!
I think your porch planters look great and I am going to try them on my back porch. I also will try to get some of the youth at the church I attend to build 3 for the courtyard at the church. Thank you for sharing.
I love it! Looks great! I had ferns hanging on my porch at our old place and birds built nest after nest in them, even building a nest ON TOP OF another. It was heartbreaking. We had to keep removing the nests because one year we found a few abandoned nests with abandoned baby birds in them–it was heartbreaking :( Someone I used to work with told me that in the future I should grab a few plastic snakes from the Dollar Tree and weave them into the fern towards the bottom of the plant–I did and it seemed to work. I don’t know if you deal with nest problems or not but thought I’d pass that tip along!!
Beautiful and so simple!
WOW I love your new planters and ferns. Have always loved the ease and beauty of ferns; your black planters really make a statement at the front door. Very nice.
Thanks for this. I have been shopping for tall planters and came across some that are hollow like this. I wasn’t sure how to plant them, thinking that filling it up with that much dirt would make them too heavy to move if I need to rearrange. I’m going to give it a try.
Great ideas
Thank you so much for this post. It’s very timely for me!
Doris
Great idea, ferns are so beautiful, I just love your cheerful porch!
So simple and beautiful!
When I need to fill the bottom of a large planter, I go to the recycling and get aluminum cans. Takes up lots of space and leaves air space for drainage.
The planters are beautiful, I had a white one in my back yard for years on my patio filled with a fern in summer and coleus in fall. Never planted them in, used smashed water bottles, cans, or milk cartons until it was time to change the plants then I just recycled the used bottles or cartons and started fresh for next year. No mess incontainer and could move it any where ????
I love the planters! I was going to make some just like those, but when I saw that these were plastic I was sold, no painting! Thank you for sharing, mine are coming tomorrow, can’t wait.
They look great! A word of caution if using packing peanuts…put them in a plastic bag first. Otherwise you will have a nightmare to deal with…especially if you plant directly in the soil of the pot. You know how I know this too! Have a great weekend! ;)
P.S. Sometimes I’ve used an empty planter or pot turned upside down inside a container to give it height to sit a hanging basket or other container on.
What a great idea! So simple and easy, yet the ferns are so beautiful. Sometimes simple is better! Love them accented by the black planters. I always look forward to your posts – feel like we are friends.
Certainly turned put pretty and very easy, but won’t that make a nasty wet mess on the inside of the container when you water?
I think bricks or a cement block would be better, plus give more stability in a windy area. Just my thoughts……
Bricks would certainly work but are way too heavy for me…my thought was to keep it light-weight. Great idea though!
I am still so in love with your olive buckets, but I know the need to want to change things up every now and then. I love the simple, classic look of the black planters contrasted with the bright green ferns. They look as if they were made for each other. I have yet to see any ferns that are as glorious and bountiful as yours, I’m taking a Lowe’s trip tomorrow.
These planters and ferns make such a wonderful yet simple presence on your porch!
Hi Ann, I love your olive buckets but I also just love your new black Containers! Your rug just pops with your new ferns. I live in a Chicago suburb and for the last five years or so I’ve used the ferns just as you did. They always look great and are easy. FYI: I’ve never had the need to transplant them. They always do great in the original pot but I do fertilize them weekly. HAPPY EASTER!!
I buy eight of these every year and simply put pot in all my antique outside urns….easy peasy and they grow beautifully!
Can’t wait until the ferns are available in our area. I had them for two years & I loved them!! The only problem I had in September was what to do with them as they had grown too big. The span of them was almost 3 feet & I didn’t have room for the two of them in the house. But I will get them again & enjoy them this spring & summer. Love the contrast with the black planters also!
Ann, you have done it gain, impress, impress, I just love Boston ferns too, they are so hardy and even withstood a few cold snaps in my hometown of Pearland, Texas. We are between Houston and Clear Lake (NASA). Also, I really love your doormat the colors are gorgeous. As always, I love your blog.
Have a happy and blessed Easter and don’t eat too many chocolate bunnies.
They look lovely.Always had ferns living in New Jersey.Now
that we live in Florida,I have them here and they stay all
year and grow very big.I think it adds a bit of the south to
the front porch.
I love this very simple and economic idea. So very easy. Thank you.
Love the looks of your porch. Simple is simply lovely! I always use Boston ferns-they do so well on the north side, which is what I need. I heard these tips several years ago, and I’m convinced that it is how I keep mine so pretty for so long into the hot summer. 1. Never fertilize. 2. Mist with water every few days. They seem to thrive on the moisture (but not wetness) among the fronds. There will always be fronds that brown out, but I just clip them off close to the crown, and new, fresh ones will appear! I love your blog, and while I’m not usually a “comment-er”, rest assured that I read and enjoy every post!
The planters look great! Simple and perfect!
I always think that ferns look so elegant. The black pots also help in that regard. They look very nice flanking your door.
Hi Ann, Thanks for the great idea! They look lovely. I have similar planter boxes and use a gladware container turned upside down to give the pots some height. I use the same ones year after year.
Another tip I have is to slice up pool noodles and put them in the bottom of large pots then plant on top of them. They provide good drainage and the pots aren’t so heavy. These are reuseable too.
Happy Easter!
Great minds run the same. I do this on my porch. My neighbors just think we are so smart!!!!
I did this at my church entrance also. and put a wooden bench between… Everyone just oos and awes how how quick and pretty it is.
Thanks for always inspiring us, Ann.. and don”t fret too much on your latest project. It’s going to be great!!!
Sandi from the South
I put a mixing bowl under mine (garage sale!) and fertilized them every week (pour fertilizer into the bowl ) to keep it growing and looking great all summer and by fall they were huge! our winters are below zero in New York state, and I felt so badly about throwing them out, so brought them into my heated 4 season porch to over winter. last week I started fertilizing them again and hope to get them back out in their planters by memorial day– I read that ferns don’t like temperatures below 55.
I love the simplicity of the planters and the way they accent but not overpower the floral rug. Just beautiful.
I’ve used ferns on my porch several times. I’ve always loved the softness and the lush green color. Your porch is always so pretty. Love your doormat too.
Love your page and all the ideas….will you over winter the ferns after season?
I love those planters. I was going out today to buy the big terra cotta planters for the front porch but I like the higher look of yours. Have to re-think what I,ll be doing now. Choices,Choices. Oh my Ann. You sure make my brain work.lol Love all your ideas and such. Anyway, thanks for showing us how to update a front porch with not much cost. Love your site.
Simple but gorgeous!
This is going to be my front porch.our house is brick & my husband had been planning to make a railing on the side. I have used ferns before because they look so lush in a pot or box.
I just ordered this gorgeous planter! I have a small conifer type tree in a planter on my front porch but this one is so much better!! Thank you for always sharing such great ideas and styles.
I’m looking forward to seeing your posts on the house renovations!
Patti
Love the handsome planters, looks great with the nice size ferns.