The Low-Maintenance Trick For Easy-To-Care For Front Porch Decor

It's a familiar feeling. You find yourself bursting with sudden inspiration about how you can give your front porch a much-needed upgrade. You rush home from the store carrying brand-new flowers and place them by your door with a sense of pride — only to find that your new plants soon die off, before you have had a chance to really enjoy them. If you're tired of trying to stay on top of high-maintenance living displays in front of your home, why not try something different this time?

Artificial plants can actually be a great option for adding energy and visual interest to your front porch without the constant care that real greenery requires. This can be a particularly helpful option if you live in an area with extreme temperature fluctuations, making it hard to keep plants happy, healthy, and looking good all year round. In addition, opting for faux plants and flowers over real ones eliminates time spent on weeding, fertilizing, and watering. The impressive floral display on your porch will never need traditional garden maintenance.

Beyond the initial purchase of the artificial foliage, this outdoor décor choice can even save you money. You won't have to buy the gardening supplies and tools needed to keep your plants looking good. If you are worried that artificial shrubs and flowers look too static or plastic-like, there is a range of tips you can try to make faux plants look real on your home's exterior. You just need to master a few key ways to stage artificial plants on your front porch, and you'll be saving time and money without compromising on style in no time.

One key giveaway that a display has been made using faux plants is an ugly planter. Many artificial plants come in pots that are bland and uninteresting. An easy and affordable way to give fake plants a luxury upgrade is to arrange them in an eye-catching, high-end planter. Look for something with fun detailing or an interesting color scheme that matches your home exterior's existing design style. You'll create a porch ensemble that feels bespoke instead of thrown together.

You don't, of course, need any soil with artificial plants. However, you may want to prop your greenery up inside the pot. Some of the best materials you should be using to fill the bottom of large planters include plastic bottles or cardboard — stuff you likely already have around the house. Then really sell the look by topping the planter with natural additions, like potting soil, mulch, or decorative gravel. At a glance, your faux arrangement will look just like the real thing.

To make sure the plants themselves look alive and visually appealing for as long as possible, choose UV-resistant floral stems, foliage-covered branches, and topiaries. They won't fade in strong sunlight since they're designed for outdoor use. In addition, carefully bend some of the stalks to make them look like they're growing naturally. You don't want the flower bracts or trailing branches sticking straight up out of the pot. Regularly wipe down the leaves and petals with a soft, damp cloth to keep them dust- and dirt-free. Finally, plants alone won't complete your porch. Layer in complementary outdoor décor pieces, such as statues, quirky doormats, lighting, and chairs to create stylish or seasonal vignettes.