Quick Answer
For Mattapan front porches — typically narrow stoops with mixed sun — five container combinations carry from May 13 through October: the Heat-Belt Stunner (lantana / portulaca / silver dichondra), the Tropical Shade (caladium / impatiens / creeping Jenny), the Fragrant Welcome (lavender / sweet alyssum / variegated thyme), the Hummingbird Mix (salvia / cuphea / lobelia), and the Late-Season Holdout (ornamental kale / pansy / dusty miller). Each fits a 16-inch container and uses 2 cubic feet of bulk Garden Soil Mix.
Why Mattapan Porches Work for Strong Containers
Mattapan — Mattapan Square, Mattapan Heights — sits on tighter Boston-edge lots with afternoon sun on most south-facing porches and shade on north-facing porches. Container combinations beat in-ground plantings on these porches because they sit at eye level, get watered easily, and refresh seasonally without disturbing landscape beds.
May 13 sits in the heart of the safe-planting window. Soil temperatures are 60+ degrees, frost risk has passed, and plants have 5 months of growing season ahead.
1. The Heat-Belt Stunner (Full Sun)
Plants: 1 lantana 'Bandana Cherry' (thriller), 6 portulaca (filler, ground-level), 2 silver dichondra 'Silver Falls' (spiller). Light: Full sun, 6+ hours, hot exposure. Look: Saturated coral and silver — bulletproof through August heat. Cost: ~$50 with 16-inch container and 2 cubic feet bulk Garden Soil Mix from the raised garden bed materials collection.
2. The Tropical Shade (Part-Full Shade)
Plants: 1 caladium 'White Queen' (thriller), 6 impatiens (filler), 2 creeping Jenny 'Goldilocks' (spiller). Light: Part shade to full shade — north-facing porches. Look: Tropical white-and-green with gold cascade. Cost: ~$45.
3. The Fragrant Welcome (Full Sun)
Plants: 1 lavender 'Phenomenal' (thriller), 4 sweet alyssum (filler), 3 variegated thyme (spiller). Light: Full sun. Look: Mediterranean, lower-water, fragrant. Cost: ~$48. The Sharon vegetable garden soil mix covers the parallel raised-bed soil thinking for in-ground beds.
4. The Hummingbird Mix (Full Sun)
Plants: 1 salvia 'Black and Blue' (thriller), 3 cuphea 'Vermillionaire' (filler), 3 trailing lobelia (spiller). Light: Full sun, 6+ hours. Look: Royal blue, orange-red, electric blue — magnet for ruby-throated hummingbirds. Cost: ~$52.
5. The Late-Season Holdout (Full Sun, Cool Hardy)
Plants: 1 ornamental kale 'Redbor' (thriller), 4 pansy (filler), 2 dusty miller (spiller). Light: Full sun. Look: Holds through hard frost — the only combo that goes from May into November. Cost: ~$40.
Materials Cheat Sheet (Per 16-Inch Container)
- 2 cubic feet bulk Garden Soil Mix — $20
- 1 16-inch resin or terracotta container — $20–$40 (reuse year over year)
- 6 to 10 plants per pot — $20–$30
- Slow-release fertilizer — $5
Browse the Mattapan landscape supply collection for delivery on bulk soil and mulch. The Hanover late-mulch Q&A covers the parallel mulch decision for the rest of the May yard.
Watering Schedule for Mattapan Porches
Mattapan's south- and west-facing porches dry containers fast. Standard schedule: - May: Water every 2 days - June–July: Daily, twice on 90+ degree days - August: Daily, deep-soak weekly - September–October: Every 2–3 days
A self-watering reservoir or a drip-line attachment to an outdoor spigot saves a daily chore in July.
How This Compares to 2026
The 2026 season-close, May 1: Closing Out Spring Mulch Season Across Plymouth County, notes container gardens fill in through Memorial Day weekend — these five combos are the Mattapan-specific list.
For container plant timing, the UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery & Urban Forestry program is the regional authority.
