What to plant in pots by front door?

[TheSweetestHalleluja]

Can anyone give me any suggestions what to plant either side of my front door in pots please? The rest of the front garden is mainly lavender, hebe and other cottage garden style planting, but the area around the front door looks very bare and I want to put something there to cheer it up a bit. It is North Westerly facing so gets the afternoon/evening sun. Ideally something hardy and low maintenance I think, but that would be happy to remain in a pot long term. Any ideas appreciated :)

The rest of the front garden is mainly lavender, hebe and other cottage garden style planting
I think something simple and homely would suit, e.g. a pair of marguerite plants.

I change what's in my front door pots throughout the year, depending on what's currently flowering. I often have pelargonium, another cheery plant.

I always put stuff that smells nice next to the door. So you can small it when you are unlocking the door

Salvia or gaura for endless flowers all summer especially if you feed them. Would suit the cottage garden theme and does very well in pots

Some good ideas thank you, I had also been considering two matching roses either side but wondered whether they'd be happier in the ground. I've already got other roses that seem to be thriving in the ground here. Too many choices!

Roses only really look good in May - July. I have seasonal pairs of pots that I move in when they're about to look good and then I hide them in other places the rest of the year. Dwarf dahlias in pots would look good after roses, and then heathers, small conifer and ivy looks good over winter, then pots of layered bulbs for spring.

Sounds like a good plan @MrsJamin I think I'll do seasonal ones too.

I've got a lively pot of camomile next to my back door, it's survived winter really well, I'm so pleased. It is lovely bouncy greenery which smells amazing especially if you brush up against it, nice daisy like flowers a bit later in the year too. It doesn't seem to mind being in a pot at all.

After advise on here I've got a gorgeous sarcococca which is eve green but flowers in the midwinter and smells heavenly

I like ceonanthus - Californian lilac by the front door as it'd evergreen but flowers twice with beautiful blue flowers.

All good ideas, thank you. I'm going to choose which pots I want first (I'm thinking terracotta to fit with the cottage garden feel) and then see what inspires me. Haven't really had much success with pots in the past so tend to plant in the ground, but really think a couple of nice matching pots will look really nice if I choose carefully.

We have rosemary and lavender by the front door

How about a couple of bay trees? Evergreen so all season colour.

I tend to be a bit lazy with pots by the door. I have a couple of pots with tulip bulbs in, they look lovely when they spring into life. Then I swap them for pots with annual bedding plants for the summer. I’m not fussed that the doorway is bare for late autumn/winter. I call it letting the doorway hibernate!

I have Pieris outside my door. They’re evergreen, but look lovely at this time of year.

I have an azalea and heathers in a whisky barrel by the front door, with lemon mint, pelargonium, and a fuchsia in terracotta pots. I dot spring/summer bulbs in to the pots too. This year I want to add some night-scented stock.

Verbena bonariensis "lollipop".
It flowers from May to October, is very hardy and attracts butterflies.

I've recently discovered the massive variety of clematis. Nothing like the climbing ones (Montana)! I have a miniature one in a hanging basket and its glorious.

There's an apple blossom one that I have my eye on...

We have eucalyptus. It looks lovely and is very hardy, survives winter no problem and looked good throughout 😊

I have a side drive on which I have put a lot of pots, including trees and bigger shrubs. By my front door (westfacing) I currently have an alpine collection in a low wide pot, a thyme, a tiny Acer and a cowslip. I have just moved the daffodils away.

Succulents look great if you want low maintenance.

IMO if you've a cottage garden do scruffy not formal and don't go matchy-matchy.

Nasturtiums or herbs are super easy.

I agree with swapping them, I am always shuffling things to put the best ones in the most visible places.

Very inspirational suggestions. I have Asiatic lillies, lovely fragrance. This year I’ve put in some lobelia, I’m not sure if it’s going to look right.
I find if I put lillies in the ground they just get munched.

Love all these ideas thanks, still thinking on it, off to the garden centre at the weekend so that might help us make a decision.

My front is north & shady, back south and parched so I squeeze all the shade lovers in the front! I’ve got hostas, camelia, a couple of bush eucalyptus, and in the front beds hydrangea, foxgloves, hardy geranium and a couple of Rosa Souvenir du Dr Jamain.

I’d go for a mixture too so it’s less formal. My garden sounds a similar style and I have a mini standard twisted hazel, a box ball, a small acer and I usually stick out a couple seasonal bedding pots too

David Austin standard roses. Some are fine in semi shade.

Star Jasmine real name escapes me. Sometimes called Moroccan Jasmine. Evergreen, small heavily fragrant cream flowers in summer then leaves change to scarlet and crimson in autumn. Plant up a climbing frame. Need to clip once a year for shape and decent flowers. Stunningly fragrant.

Funny you should say that @newnamethanks we've been thinking of star jasmine this weekend. Love the idea of something nicely scented right by the front door, with some lavender which will release its fragrance when we walk past it it too.