Plants are the cheapest and easiest way to update a lackluster front porch or back patio. Instead of adding color through expensive new chair cushions or outdoor rugs, hang a few baskets filled with vibrant blooms. These 10 varieties trail and spill beautifully from overhead containers and come in a wide range of hues. Plus, they thrive in a variety of environments, whether your porch gets full sun or is on the shady side.
Fuchsia
These sculptural hanging flowers will bring a pop of hot pink to your porch and attract hummingbirds and other pollinators, too. Fuchsia thrives in moderate to full shade, and trailing varieties will work best in hanging planters.
Pansy and Viola
Dainty in appearance but surprisingly hardy, pansies and violas come in a rainbow of soft and bold hues, both solid and multicolor. They grow well in pots with a moderate amount of sun and well-drained soil. Look for eye-catching ruffled pansies, as well as trailing varieties (sold as “Cool Wave”), which are great for hanging baskets.
Petunia
A classic option for hanging containers, low-maintenance petunias can add a dose of bright, saturated color to your porch. They come in several flower sizes, from large grandiflora varieties to tiny milliflora varieties. Give them lots of sun, and they will give you tons of blooms in return.
Nasturtium
Popular in culinary gardens for their peppery leaves and flowers, nasturtiums look great in hanging containers and are easy to grow. Although the orange blooms are most common, they also come in other warm shades like yellow and maroon. They prefer bright light to partial shade.
Sweet Potato Vine
Although not a flowering plant, the sweet potato vine is a gorgeous addition to hanging baskets. Its pointed, chartreuse (or deep purple) leaves trail beautifully and make boldly colored blooms pop. The vine thrives in the heat, which makes it ideal for a sunny porch or patio.
Lantana
Lantana’s colorful clusters of blooms almost look like tiny scoops of rainbow sherbet. It’s an extremely hardy plant with flowers in mixed and solid shades. It also helps repel mosquitoes! Choose a container with good drainage and a sunny spot, and it will bloom nearly all year in areas without frost.
Geranium
A popular choice for containers and window boxes, geraniums look equally great in hanging baskets, with their velvety leaves and colorful flower heads. Plus, there are so many varieties to choose from, like scented, regal (extra-large blooms), and ivy (trailing). They grow best in full sun and will flower from spring to fall.
Begonia
Once you delve into the wide and wild world of begonias, it’s hard to stop buying these unusual and lovely plants. With thousands of cultivars to choose from, there is a plant for every setting from the dramatic leaves of angel or dragon wings to the flower-covered rex variety.
African Daisy
The flowers of this plant look like smaller, more compact gerbera daisies, and they come in a stunning range of hues, particularly the multicolored varieties. They look great on their own in hanging baskets or combined with trailing plants. Full to partial sun is best for African daisies, as well as well-drained soil.
Portulaca
This tough plant thrives in hot and dry conditions, bearing succulent-like foliage and small flowers in cheerful colors. Trailing varieties are best for hanging containers, either on their own or combined with other plants.
