That Plant Life: Easy Spring Decorating for a Small Porch (with Plants) + DIY Totem Planters

This post is sponsored by First Editions® Plants and SheKnows Media.

The weather has been up and down in Atlanta lately. But spring is officially here and I’m hoping that temperatures will start warming up for good soon. So, I put together a quick (and very easy) front porch makeover to inspire you for the new season. It’s perfect for small spaces, and can be completed in about an hour! Which makes this one of the fastest makeovers I’ve ever done.

Click through to see how it all came together (and get the tutorial for those DIY terra cotta totem planters in the photo).

One of the things that made this makeover so easy is that I was able to pick up everything needed for the project in one spot! I just went to my local plant nursery, picked up the plants I liked, grabbed some potting soil (and a few extra planters – I already had some of them), and was ready to get started.  I used this online tool to find all of the locations in my area that carry the First Editions® Plants I was looking for, which was super helpful. Just look out for the purple pot!

FYI – There are 125+ plant varieties in the First Editions® collection, so there’s plenty of options to choose from. But these are the exact ones I used for the makeover: Crimson Fire (the purple leaf plant that I used in the totem planters) // Cinnamon Girl (the smaller plants that I used in the ceramic plant stand planters and the oblong terra cotta planters on the second step) // Vintage Jade (the larger shrubs in the woven planters).

Once I arrived at the house, I swept all of the steps to get rid of any dirt, leaves, etc and planned out where I wanted everything to go. Usually that involves just plopping everything down – planters and plants – in the area to see the different heights together and get a visual before planting anything.

After deciding on the basic layout (it’s a small space, so there wasn’t a ton of planning involved), I planted everything in the pots and started arranging. Easy as can be. If you need any planting tips before starting your project, start here.

How to Make Terra Cotta Totem Planters

This idea couldn’t be any easier. All you need are 2 terra cotta pots that are the same size and height. I picked mine up at a local plant nursery, and found that the best option is one that is a bit rounded, like mine, without a top lip. Turn one pot over (upside-down) and then place the second one on top of the first one, right-side up, with the plant already inside.

The weight of top pot should press down enough on the bottom one to keep it securely in place. But if you’re concerned about it toppling over, you can use liquid nails or something similar to bond the two pieces together. And in case you were wondering… the holes for the two pots should line up pretty well stacked this way too, so they should allow for proper drainage of water, etc.

How to Pick Out the Right Plants for Your Project

When picking out plants, there are always three things I think about: color, texture, and size. I typically go for a variety of all three of these things – so I pick groupings of plants that have varying colors, textures, and sizes / heights, etc. It works really well because it means I’m always thinking about how the plants will look together in a space (especially in a small one like this), not just individually. In my mind, variety is key – BUT all of the plants should have a cohesive feel when grouped together. And that’s kind of my recipe for success with plants.

Other than that, I strongly believe that picking out really cool planters will go a long way in making you happy with the end result. For this project, I followed the same rule for planters as I did for the plants – choosing a variety of textures, colors, and sizes that would work well for the space AND the plants themselves.

Still need a little guidance? Learn how to create, grow, and maintain a beautiful garden with tips from First Editions® here. There are some great tips on plant pairings in there too, based on the needs of your space.

What are you thinking about planting this spring? Let me know in the comments below for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card!

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