You don’t need to spend a fortune to decorate your screened-in porch with beautiful flowers. You just need to know how to care for your chosen plants. Here are some suggestions. You can plant Petunias, Lantanas, Catmint, and Hostas. All of these plants thrive in light shade, and require minimal care. You can prune their flower stems by a third in late winter and early summer to maintain their attractive shape.
Petunias
These colorful flowering plants require full sunlight and regular watering. They also need regular fertilization and pruning to maintain a healthy plant. They like daytime temps of 60 to 75 degrees and cool evening temperatures of 50 to 65 degrees. Petunias don’t like temperatures below freezing, so they make good choices for any porch. The easiest container plant to grow is the marigold, which is available in many colors, including red, yellow, orange and white.
Before selecting your plant choices, analyze the amount of sunlight your porch receives. How much of the daytime sunlight comes from the windows? Do you want to plant plants that thrive in filtered shade or do you want your porch to be bright and sunny? Consider adding a tree or several shrubs. Trees are great because they provide shade while adding height. Succulents are great for porches with partial shade as they store water in their leaves.
Begonias and coleus are easy-to-care plants. Begonias need low light and a well-drained soil. They require monthly watering, so it’s best to pair them with plants that enjoy shade. Begonias have trumpet-shaped flowers and a long, pointed, stamen. Begonias are easy to care for and can thrive even in partial shade.
Hostas
A hosta is a hardy plant that needs little care. In fact, they are so hardy that they can live 30 years or more with proper care. They do best in shade and thrive in dappled shade. This is why hostas are the best plants for screened in porches. Hostas grow well in containers and can handle standard potting soil. If you choose a potted hosta, plant it in a mixture of potting soil and multi-purpose compost. This will make for a more fertile soil for your hosta. A good source of organic matter for hostas is compost or ground tree bark. Compost will also aid in drainage.
When choosing the right hosta for your screened porch, consider the sunlight the plant will receive. Hostas tolerate light well but need partial shade during the afternoons. While some hostas grow in full sunlight, some varieties require partial shade and require more water. Variegated hostas, on the other hand, require some sun, so be careful not to prune the leaves off. Too much sunlight will make the variegation fade and the plant will look boring for the next decade.
Lantanas
Lantanas are the best plants for screened in porches because they grow well in warm, sunny places. They provide lush foliage and bright, colorful blooms and need little care. Lantanas can be grown in containers, and require regular watering, and should be fertilized with a water-soluble, well-balanced fertilizer in early spring. In pots, use a slow-release fertilizer every two to four weeks.
When planting lantanas, you should choose a spot with good drainage. Planting lantanas requires a well-drained soil, but they can tolerate partial shade as well. Make sure to dig a hole about two to three times larger than the rootball. Then, fill the hole with a good soil amendment. If you plan to plant them in containers, use commercial soil-less mix.
Once you have chosen the location, you can choose which plants will grow best there. The first choice would be plants that thrive in shade, but some light sun-loving plants are great, too. You can even choose a tree that won’t need direct sunlight, but will still add height to your porch. Another great option is succulents, which store water in their leaves. If the sun hits your plant too harshly, they’ll burn.
Catmint
If you want a scent that is pleasing to cats and human visitors alike, consider planting a potted catmint plant. Catmint is a perennial plant that sends up stems that are about two to three feet high. The stems are covered with mealy down. It is easy to grow in almost any garden soil. It needs little water and grows best in a sunny location. Plant catmint seedlings in small pots in early spring. After the seedlings emerge, pinch off the leaves and transplant them into larger containers.
If you have a screened-in porch, you might want to consider a variety that has long blooms and a distinctive scent. If your area is hot and dry, Walker’s Low Catmint is a great choice. Its trumpet-shaped lavender flowers will attract butterflies and bees and repel deer. It’s also a very hardy plant and tolerates a wide range of soil conditions.
Catmint plants are a great choice for porches, especially if you want to keep cats from ruining your new décor. These plants are easy to grow and come in a variety of sizes. Catnip is perhaps the most well-known variety, and it grows two to four feet tall and wide. Catnip has white, pink, or lavender-blue flowers that can attract both felines and people.
Trachelospermum jasminoides
If you have a screened porch, star jasmine is a good choice. Its twiggy roots and dense, evergreen foliage make it a perfect plant for part shade screening. In summer, its blooms are starry clusters of purple, pink, or white flowers. This plant grows about 10 to 20 centimeters per year and is ideal for seclusion.
The fragrant flower clusters of this plant are sure to attract bees and butterflies. Unlike most plants, star jasmine is native to the Southeast but does well in USDA zones 7b-10. Depending on its size, it can grow up to 20 feet tall when properly supported. The flowers are white and appear in clusters on the short side branches. The scent of star jasmine is sweet and lingering, making it a good choice for any screened porch.
Star Jasmine, or winter jasmine, is a fragrant perennial with white flowers that grow to about four feet high if unsupported. It can grow as tall as 15 feet if trained to grow upward. Its unscented flowers are one inch wide and appear before the foliage unfolds. It grows well in full sun and needs to be pruned in the late winter or early spring.
Ferns
When choosing the right plants for your screened in porch, you should choose hearty ferns. These plants grow well indoors and outdoors. However, they require heavy watering and moist soil. If you’re considering choosing ferns for your porch, you’ll want to consider their specific needs. In general, they grow well in moist areas and need to be watered about once a month.
Several types of ferns are perfect for porch planters. You can use these plants in hanging baskets or as an accent. They are excellent as accents and add texture to the space. While most ferns require bright light, some types can tolerate partial shade and require weekly watering. Sweet potato vines are another favorite, since their heart-shaped leaves are attractive in hanging baskets. They can also be used as tabletop topiaries.
Ferns are excellent plants for screened-in porches because they tolerate high humidity. They can be grouped in clusters of three or five hanging plants, and they look great. As hanging plants, ferns need more water than ground-grown plants and may require twice daily watering in hot summers. However, they only need a weekly watering when the weather is cooler. Ferns are the best plants for screened in porches that will grow and thrive in any climate.
Ivy
When choosing a plant for your screened-in porch, take a few factors into consideration. First, you must consider the amount and direction of sunlight your porch receives. Decide whether your porch receives direct sunlight or indirect light. A large porch may benefit from layered plants. A smaller porch, on the other hand, might be more suited to an assemblage of containers. Plants that require little to no direct sunlight may be leggy. Succulents, on the other hand, can withstand direct sunlight. However, they will need frequent maintenance.
If you’re looking for a plant that can thrive in a shady environment, English ivy is a good choice. Boxwood topiaries are another excellent option. Boxwood topiaries can be trimmed into a spiral or short, bushy shapes. Boxwood is low-maintenance and can handle cold temperatures. Choose plants that will grow well in your screened-in porch.
Another good plant for screened-in porches is cosmos, a beautiful perennial plant with silver foliage. Wishbone flowers bloom in pink, white, or blue, and are great in containers. Hellebore is another plant that works well in shady areas and blooms during Christmas and Lent. A coleus with velvety leaves is also a good choice.