Small front Porch garden ideas

Adding a front porch to your home or improving an existing one can help create a sense of arrival. Entry porches have their roots all the way back in ancient Rome, where many buildings featured grand porticos that served as a transition from the outdoors into the building. Today porches serve three purposes:

• They highlight a home's entrance by framing the front door
• They provide a protected transition where guests can wipe their feet, or leave umbrellas
• Large porches can be used as a place to spend time with family and friends

When adding a porch to a home it is vital to make sure the style of the porch matches with the existing architecture. A landscape designer will be able to help you integrate the front porch so that it appears to have always been a part of the home. Below are some front porch ideas based on the architectural style of the home.

Architectural Style Front Porch Ideas

Colonial

Landscaping Network in Calimesa, CA

• Small entry porch that frames the door
• Classical columns
• Triangular or gabled roof line
• Hanging lantern

Farm or Ranch

Blaes Design in Webster Groves, MO

• Large, verandah-like porch
• May wrap-around the home
• Wooden posts and railings
• Wide entry steps
• Roof line slopes away from home

Craftsman or Bungalow

• Medium porch
• Well integrated into architecture
• Roof line of home extends to cover porch
• Exposed rafters and beams
• Tapered posts with stone work at the base

Modern

• Open porch, no railings
• As few posts as possible
• Flat roof, awning or arbor
• If railings are essential use metal

The flooring material for a porch also depends largely on the style of your home. A tropical style house would benefit from a porch made of Brazilian ipe decking, while a colonial home would look great with a brick porch. Just remember that the most important thing to consider when selecting porch flooring is outdoor durability.

Whether you already have a porch or are planning on adding a new one, a front porch provides a great opportunity for landscaping. Container gardens can be placed flanking the steps or baskets of flowers can be hung from the porch roof. Climbing plants can be grown on the posts or over panels of lattice work to add privacy. For a more formal look, well-manicured topiaries can stand on either side of the front door.