With the holiday season in full swing, it's time to start decorating your porch. A well-themed and styled planter can liven up any space, and the front porch is no different! Even in the cold weather, you can grow various cold hardy plants in your Christmas planters. But you don't have to stick to growing plants. You can just as easily liven a space up with evergreen branches and LED lights in your themed outdoor winter containers.
When you're ready to get your front porch into Christmas mode, read our round up below for the best outdoor planter for Christmas. Also, don't forget to check our beautiful Christmas outdoor planter ideas for your porch, and discover how to make your own Christmas outdoor planter!
Why You Can Trust Us
The Backyard Boss team has plenty of Christmas celebrators in the ranks. We have team members who celebrate a white Christmas almost every year, and we have team members who celebrate Christmas in the middle of Summer (hello Southern Hemisphere).
One thing that's consistent wherever you celebrate Christmas is planters on the front porch. Ever since I can remember, poinsettias have been the go-to for filling Christmas planters in my family. It was always a challenge each holiday season to come up with new and exciting ways to arrange these poinsettias.
With that said, I've seen a fair amount of planters come across my front porch in my lifetime. I've used this hands-on experience to gather this list of the best planters for your front porch this Christmas.
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Best For Christmas Cheer
This shiny red planter will bring a pop of vibrant color to any porch decoration this Christmas.
- UV-coated finish
- Lightweight resin construction
- Space for deep roots
- No drainage holes
- Flimsy
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Why We Like It: Is there any planter that says “Christmas” more than this shiny, red porch planter? We think not. This 2.2 gallon planter is coated in a UV-resistant finish that protects the color from fading. So whether you need it for inside or outside, this planter is up for the job.
It's important to note that there are no drainage holes in this container. So you can drill your own, or pick up some floral foam to keep your plants hydrated.
Who Should Buy It: This is the perfect planter for anybody looking for a pop of color in their porch planters this Christmas. The durable coating will last both indoors and out, so you have options. This is a relatively small planter, so consider placing it on a table or in a corner that needs a bit of holiday spirit.
Best For Vintage Inspired
This vintage-looking wagon planter will bring some old world charm to your porch this winter.
- Wheels make it easy to move
- Large planting area
- Fits a variety of decor
- Assembly required
- Questionable customer service
- Quality control issues
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Why We Like It: It’s no secret that vintage anything is always going to be trendy. But what do you do when you don’t have the perfect vintage wagon to repurpose into a planter? Well, you buy this one, of course.
This vintage Amish-inspired wagon planter will bring that touch of old-world charm to your porch decorations this Christmas. It’s made out of wood and iron, with rolling iron wheels. The iron in the construction means that over time it will develop a rusty patina, adding to the vintage aesthetic even more.
Who Should Buy It: This is the planter for you if you’re in love with repurposing vintage items but don’t have vintage items to repurpose. It’s also a great choice if you love the idea of refurbishing older items but aren’t too excited about putting in all that dusty work to refurbish that item.
Best For Rustic Charm
This set of 3 galvanized bucket planters is the quick and easy way to bring some rustic charm to your porch Christmas display.
- Galvanized metal is weather resistant
- Affordable
- 3 different sizes
- Missing buckets on arrival
- Small
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Why We Like It: What’s not to like about these rustic, galvanized bucket planters? They’ll add that rustic touch to your decor that’s so popular nowadays. The simple graphic on the side will add a little bit more interest than a plain galvanized bucket.
These planters are understated so they won’t dominate your display. But they will bring interest and variety to those empty spots in awkward corners. Gorgeous greenery always contrasts so nicely with galvanized metal. These planters are versatile, functional, and affordable.
Who Should Buy It: Are you looking for an understated but interesting set of planters to fill in your porch display? Then take a look at these galvanized bucket planters. The set of 3 planters is a simple way to bring a rustic element into your Christmas decorations.
Best For Elegance
This tall, corrugated copper planter will bring some drama to any scene. Or get 2 and use them to flank your front door for a real statement.
- Made from stainless steel
- Lightweight
- Removable insert for customizable plant displays
- Insert is difficult to remove
- Bottom may not be level
- Non stainless steel elements susceptible to rust
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Why We Like It: Height brings some necessary drama into any planter display. How about using a tall planter mixed in with regular sized ones? This rustic, copper planter is taller than regular planters to bring some interest to your display. This planter filled with evergreen boughs will make an elegant statement wherever you choose to put it.
The ribbed metal construction is coated in a copper finish for a planter that will fit in with most decor themes. One will add some drama and interest to the display you already have. Two will make for an elegant entrance into your home or yard. Make a statement with this rustic copper planter.
Who Should Buy It: Do you feel like your porch planters are missing something? Maybe varying the heights of your planters will change that. Use this tall planter to add that missing piece to your porch display. They are also perfect focal points to flank your front door or pathway with some Christmas cheer.
Best Timeless Classic
An updated version of this old classic. This updated version isn't made from heavy concrete or stone. It's made from lightweight plastic for ease of use.
- Lightweight
- Timeless design
- UV-stabilised
- Stability issues
- Plastic may be flimsy
- Will break down with prolonged UV exposure
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Why We Like It: The classic urn planter. These planters have been trendy for decades for a reason; they look great and fit in anywhere. Thankfully, the construction of these urns has changed over the years. Which means you won’t have a mammoth planter that weighs a ton to wrestle onto your porch.
This urn planter is made from a blend of plastics for a lightweight design that still looks like the real deal. You can be sure that this planter will be ‘in’ for many more years, because classics never go out of style.
Who Should Buy It: Pretty much anyone who doesn’t have an urn planter on the front porch. Especially if you don’t want a heavy concrete urn planter that’s impossible to move. This plastic urn planter is light enough to move by yourself but still looks like the real thing.
How To Choose The Right Planter For Your Porch
Image credits: MNstudio via Canva
Aesthetics. With all these options to choose from, how do you choose the right planter for your Christmas porch decor? At the end of the day, the number one thing is aesthetics. Do you like the way the planter looks? It could be packed with features and all the bells and whistles, but if you don't like the way it looks, it probably won't get much use.
Size. After aesthetics, size is an important consideration. Take a look at the space where you imagine the planter to be. Measure the available space and keep these dimensions nearby when you're choosing your planter. Do you want the planter to fill the space as a focal point? Or do you want the planter to blend into the background and let the plants be the focal point?
Pro tip: Consider framing your front door or pathway with two tall planters with matching plants and decorations. The symmetrical look is elegant and opulent. Or, you could choose to vary the sizes of your planters for visual interest, adding depth and detail to a dynamic porch setup.
Weight. Consider the weight of the planter. No matter what, it's going to be heavy when it's filled with soil and plants. The material that the vessel is made out of has a significant effect on the weight, and could be the difference between moving your planter with the seasons and having a planter that never moves because it's too heavy.
Type of plants. Decide if you want living plants or well-watered cuttings in your planter. If you want live plants, make sure there are drainage holes in the bottom. You can always drill your own holes depending on the material. If you're only using cuttings in your planter, any vessel will do. All you need to do is fill the base with floral foam, soak it, and then poke the stems of your cuttings into the foam.
Image credits: Ellie Lord via Unsplash
DIY Planters
If you try hard enough, anything can be a planter. Here are a few things to keep in mind when turning random objects into planters.
First of all, consider drainage. Not many plants that are suitable for pots enjoy having their roots sitting in water. A bunch of holes in the bottom of your vessel will provide adequate drainage. However, if you're concerned about drainage and don't want to take a chance, fill the bottom of the vessel with a free draining medium. This can be anything that is somewhat chunky and not too water absorbent. The typical option for this is gravel and rocks.
I find that thicker logs, sticks, and branches do a great job of helping with drainage. They do absorb water, but I find this isn't a problem. In fact, I have to water these planters less because the woody base is holding on to water and releasing it when the rest of the soil starts to dry out. They also slowly break down over time, which will release nutrients to the plants in your planter.
An often-overlooked factor when selecting vessels to become planters is what the original vessel is made out of. Some materials are toxic to plants and these toxins will slowly leach into the soil which will inhibit growth. Do your research before spending time, effort, and money on converting things into planters.
How We Picked
Image credits: Giulia Bertelli via Unsplash
When it comes to planters, there are so many to choose from. So we came up with some criteria to qualify any planter that made it onto this list.
- Aesthetics. This is a Christmas planter post after all. So we made sure that these planters are either Christmas-themed or neutral enough to fit into any Christmas theme.
- Versatility. Some planters are one-trick ponies. Which is great. But they didn't make it onto this list. We like to switch things up, or at least have the option to. So the planters on this list are easy to move (yes, even the big one) so you can still use your planter wherever you like once Christmas has come and gone.
- Budget. This is often the deciding factor in buying choices. We tried to add a range of options so that there's something for everyone.
Last Word
The best outdoor planter for Christmas is the Classic Home & Garden Bella planter. The bright and shiny red exterior will add that holiday cheer to your porch this Christmas. It's light enough to carry around and small enough to make a statement anywhere.
It has no drainage holes, however, but you can make a beautiful arrangement in floral foam. And, since it's made from plastic, you could quickly and easily add some drainage holes to the base if you want living plants.
On top of all that, it's versatile enough to be used all year round. Everything you want in a planter for your porch this Christmas.