Pot plants for cold porch (north facing)

[Nicecupofteaandabiscuit]

We've recently moved into an old terraced house. I fell in love with the porch. Its half brick with glass sides and front and glass roof. Door is wooden. I want to put some plants in it but not sure what to buy. The porch gets very cold at night. But has full light - from above. Largish plants would be good. Any ideas?

On the basis that a balcony is equivalent to a porch, here's a website. I do apologise for it: it's full of annoying adverts but hopefully it will be useful.
A combination of all-year-round ferns with seasonal colour might do the trick.

thank you. I am pretty clueless

We all started somewhere.

You could just google 'north facing border' and see what takes your fancy. If the plants will survive outside then they'll definitely survive in a porch! You have the added advantage that you don't have to think about soil-types (clay, acidic, etc) because you can put different soils in different pots. You can create combinations that would not thrive out in your garden.

Thanks it gets very good light from above. It’s very very bright due to the glass roof but it’s cold.

I have exactly the same orientation in my porch, but it is not as pretty sounding as yours though!

Anyway I tried lots of things, and discovered that pot plants are not my thing, and a North facing porch doesn't help either!

If it's any help and if it doesn't go against your religion 😂I bought some really lovely ahem "false" plants in pots of various sizes and designs. My favourite is a most delicate looking orchid that I got in M+S and several people have asked how I keep it alive! Touches nose...

I keep adding to my collection, and will only buy "realistic" looking plants in very nice pots and am prepared to pay a decent price for them.

Just a suggestion, but I expect howls of derision from REAL garden folk!

A Fatsia will be large. Spiders Web is the variegated version. Aspidistra would probably be ok too. I’ve also got a Kentia Palm in a cool room (currently around 10 degrees) and is ok but your porch may be cooler.

I’ve bought a thermometer for it so I’ll keep an eye on the temperature over the next few days and see how we go

It's cold but probably is unlikely to freeze except on the very coldest nights due to its proximity to the house. You could always chuck a blanket or some bubblewrap over the plants if a hard frost was forecast.

Upright geraniums do well and flower all winter in my entirely unheated conservatory. I have a thermometer in there; it gets close to zero but I don't think has ever gone below. Get a big pot, put two or three plants in it, let them grow big outside in the summer watering annd feeding to help them along, and then bring them into the porch in the autumn.

Thanks all great ideas.

Cacti can be awesome.

Jasmine.