• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
House of Hawthornes
  • DIY
  • Gardening
  • Budget Decor
  • Thrifting
  • Seasonal
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • DIY
  • Gardening
  • Decorating
  • Thrifting
  • Seasonal
  • 🛒 Our Amazon Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Front Porch Ideas

    Bright And Cheerful Fall Porch Decor

    Published by Pam Kessler | 794 words. · About 4 minutes to read this article. - 4 Comments

    Normally I decorate my fall porch with lots of pumpkins, cornstalks, and tons of warm fall colors.

    A couple of vintage thermoses or picnic baskets scattered about.

    Maybe a wool blanket casually thrown over the arm of a chair.

    In years past, my fall porch was just oozing with all the fall looks and feels.

    Some Past Fall Porches

    • Fall Porch Decor Farmhouse Style
    • Little Red Barn Fall Porch Decor
    • Traditional Fall Porch Decor
    • Subtle Fall Porch Decor (with a Barn Quilt)

    But this year I wanted to celebrate fall on the porch in a simpler, more transitional way.

    More like a gentle whisper of fall, rather than a full-on bombardment of fall looks.

    Black-eyed Susan, ornamental cabbage and croton planted in a enamelware wash tub on a fall front porch.

    So I'm calling this my Bright & Cheerful Fall Porch.

    I've always wanted a vintage washtub for the porch. It's been on my thrifting list for at least 10 years. But when I do find them while out at the yard sales they'd either be too rusty to the point of barely standing on their own or way too expensive for my budget. 

    So when I saw this reproduction one at Walmart in the spring, I snapped it up.

    Yes, it's not really vintage, but definitely has the look I was going for.

    A simple fall porch decorated in yellows and orange.

    The white enamelware tub is currently sold out but I'll link to it here in case it comes back in stock soon - White Enamelware Wash Tub Planter.

    Wayfair currently sells this galvanized metal version that has a similar look, although a heftier price tag - Galvanized Wash Tub.

    I chose a Black-eyed Susan plant, a croton, and an ornamental cabbage to go in the wash tub.

    Black-eyed Susan, croton and ornamental cabbage for a fall porch planter.
    (Clockwise - Black-eyed Susan, Croton, Ornamental Cabbage)

    I love their combination of colors and that they're not your super-typical fall plants!

    The sunny Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) can be planted in the ground when Christmas decorating time comes around (any day now, lol) and will come back next year since it's a perennial.

    Eventually, I'll bring the colorful croton indoors and see if I can keep it alive over the winter. I've actually never had crotons on my porch in the fall. I love the colors of it, but once we get some hard freezes here in Ohio it will probably start dropping its leaves.

    The cabbage absolutely loves the colder weather though. It would be perfectly content out here all winter long if not for the fact it would look odd in the Christmas porch photos setting next to Santa.

    Although they don't shout FALL, I kept my geraniums on the porch in spite of their bright summer colors.

    A simple fall porch with fall flowers in a wash tub and black porch rockers with yellow pillows.

    It was too soon for me to try to overwinter them in the garage (and it really only works about 50% of the time for me).

    But honestly, those stoneware crocks are so darn heavy, they will probably be on my porch for every photo from now on. That large one has to weigh 50 pounds.

    On my black porch rockers I put golden-yellow buffalo check pillows I found at Dollar General.

    Bright and cheerful fall flowers and a black rocker with a yellow buffalo check pillow.

    I believe they were $12 each, which is about my limit for pillows which will inevitably get blown into the bushes when a big rainstorm comes.

    BTW, the porch rockers were a Walmart find from about 10 years ago and they have held up awesomely. They don't sell that exact rocker anymore but sell one fairly similar HERE.

    How To Cheat A Container Garden Look

    In past years I have made large fall planters for the porch with various fall blooming plants (mums, coral bells, pansies, etc). This year I wanted the look even though I didn't have a fancy urn to plant them in.

    Now technically you could just fill this entire wash tub up with dirt and plant away, but I knew that would just cause the tub to get rusty faster.

    I wanted it to last more than a season or two.

    So the plants were removed from their nursery pots and replanted in slightly larger and sturdier pots with fresh dirt. The plants were rootbound in their garden center pots and this gives them a chance to spread out a bit.

    Replanting them in larger pots will also help with watering as I can water each plant individually and avoid drowning my Rudbeckia just because my cabbage wants daily water.

    Each of those individual containers was then placed inside the washtub.

    Back-eyed Susan, ornamental cabbage and crotons in an enamelware wash tub for fall porch decor.

    7 Non-Conventional Fall Plants To Use In Your Porch Planter

    Sure, you can use mums and cabbages and call it a day. But try a few of these alternative plants for a bit of unexpected fall interest!

    • Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
    • Swiss Chard
    • Ornamental Peppers
    • Coleus
    • Ornamental Grasses
    • Coral Bells
    • Crotons
    Side view of Back-eyed Susan, ornamental cabbage and crotons in an enamelware wash tub for fall porch decor. A black rocker with yellow buffalo check pillow in the background.

    Have you decorated your porch for fall this year?

    Are you team Bright & Cheerful or team Give Me All The Fall Vibes?

    (This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. You can read my full disclosure policy here.)

    « Window Art With Glass Plates
    Fall iPhone Wallpaper Backgrounds »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Caroltn Dinger

      September 26, 2022 at 10:11 am

      I this years porch the best.

      Reply
    2. Linda Hickey

      September 26, 2022 at 1:44 pm

      Love your sweet cute porch. It’s very inviting, with a lovely fall appearance.

      Reply
    3. Leslie

      September 26, 2022 at 4:36 pm

      I like all your fall porches, including this one. Very welcoming. I have a small area, just enough space to get out of the rain when you ring the doorbell, so I live vicariously through yours, lol. I have a fall welcome mat, my every-year fall wreath that I love, and one plant. Thanks for sharing yours!

      Reply
    4. Nana Diana

      September 27, 2022 at 5:48 pm

      Your front porch looks fantastic, Pam. I love the simpler aspect of it this year. I just realized that I need to paint my wash tub and stand. It is in it's original chippy red but I am ready for a change. Love it!!!! xo Diana

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Learn how to create a budget friendly home you'll love using repurposed thrift store finds, easy DIY & craft projects and seasonal gardening tips.

    Trending Content:

    • DIY Industrial Pipe Shelves
    • How To Grow Peonies - A Complete Guide
    • How To Paint A Front Door Without Removing It
    • Homemade Squirrel Repellent Recipe
    • DIY Earring Holder
    • How to Make A Penny Bowling Ball
    • Top 10 Thrift Store Shopping Tips
    • Blueberry Crostata Recipe
    • How To Make Winter Porch Pots
    • How To Grow Hydrangea In Pots

    About Me

    Pam Kessler | Author of House Of Hawthornes

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Web Stories
    • Blog

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up For Emails & Updates

    Shop

    • Amazon Favorites
    • Shop The Look

    Please use appropriate safety precautions when attempting projects. All projects are attempted at the reader's own risk.

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 House Of Hawthornes, LLC

    🍪 We use cookies to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    I Accept Read Privacy Notice
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled

    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

    Non Necessary

    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.