If your front porch looks like it was inspired by Ancient Greek architecture, you have a portico. But as beautiful as those columns are, they can make landscaping a little challenging. You’ll probably want to enhance the classic look while using modern landscaping designs. Don’t worry. There are a few tips and tricks that can bring your portico to life.
1. Light It Up
Porticos are great for displaying strings of lights. While you’ll often see this during the holidays, you don’t have to wait until Halloween or Christmas to illuminate your portico. This article has some tips on winding lights around columns. You can even buy thicker strings of lights that make your posts really stand out.
2. Add Some Greenery
Vines work well with the columns of porticos. You’ll simply wind each vine around a column. Make sure to take note of the amount of sun exposure your portico gets and buy greenery that tolerates it. You may also find you need to take your vines down for the winter and replace them with new ones as the weather starts to warm up again.
3. Use Hanging Plants
For a pop of color on your front porch, consider adding some hanging plants to offset the starkness of the columns, particularly if you have a solid white house. If you have multiple columns lining the length of your porch, you can hang a pot of flowering greenery between each column to liven up the look of the front of your house.
4. Enhance With Shrubbery
Your choice of shrubs should vary to match the layout of your portico. If you have a long porch, you’ll want shrubbery that runs the length of it. For narrower porticos with steps, layering shrubbery to create a stairstep look can extend the greenery farther into your eyes.
5. Add Some Lanterns
Lighting is essential on a front porch and not just as a way to ensure your houseguests can find their way. A hanging light like a classy lantern can enhance the charm of a portico. If your home came with a standard porch light, simply changing that out can make a big difference.
If you live in the greater Washington, D.C. area, Great American Landscapes can help with your design needs. We’ve landscaped numerous porticos and other front porches and have some great ideas. To set up a consultation for landscaping your portico, contact us at (301) 972-5681 or complete this brief questionnaire.
