INDIANAPOLIS — Once the tree is decorated and holiday lights are put up, many people are now focusing on their front door and porch for a welcoming holiday message for their visitors.
Pat Sullivan from Sullivan Hardware and Garden demonstrated on 13Sunrise how to create a porch pot planter for adding an easy accent that's growing in popularity.
Typically, a holiday porch pot contains some type of fragrant evergreen branches like cedar, pines, firs or juniper. They retain their color after cutting and look natural in the pot.
Sullivan demonstrated the steps to creating a pot.
Starting with a "skirt" or ring of branches that hang outside the perimeter of your pot, you then add some element of vertical color to the center. This can be some painted branches or a larger birch branch several feet tall.
The splash of color and texture makes the pot appear more festive for the season. But, just like choosing the right greenery that will hold up in winter temperatures, the accents must be hardy, as well.
Red berries make just the right holiday statement, but Pat warned that live berries can freeze and turn black. So he recommended using faux berries that are relatively inexpensive and hold up in cold weather. Plus, they can be stored and used again next season.
Pine cones are another seasonal accent for porch pots that can also be painted to add color.
Depending on the height of the pot, Pat recommends adding some longer stems to the pot. Again, some varieties of plants are naturally red and coordinate with the season. While other twigs from the yard can be painted to match the rest of your décor.
Watch Sullivan's full segment in the video player.