Does any rain water gather in it now, or does it have drainage?

It is complete covered and no rain water gets on there. The roof goes out about 5 feet in this area and completely covers the planter and the chairs. The planter does not have any drainage.

You could build a shelf along the top of it perhaps and then have a few potted plants sitting on top???
OR,,if you are like artistic ideas...maybe getting some kind of low metal sculptural piece that could come up from the planter just over the top.

This may be expensive, but I know they make some artificial plants /greenery that truly look real...Maybe you could get some that look like succulents , (maybe aloe plant looking) and put them all along the space and then put some river rocks on top of them.
What does the rest of your house look like and is this the front entry?

You can get some nice looking fake plants that might solve your issue of drainage.Or what about plants on pots.

sorry mpoulsom i didn't see your 2nd post!

I also was thinking along the lines of having a shelf built that covers it.

here is an example of artificial succulents with rocks....

I am seeing a live-edge 3-inch thick slab of beautiful wood from a downed tree. Would go great with your wonderful chairs and bring interest to the area. An overhang of the slab wood might give you room for a couple of oval galvinized tubs to plant impatiens or some other shade loving annual (if you are a flower person!) or seasonal arrangements. Like right now would be a great time for all those great decorative pumpkins you can get, mixed with grasses. I'm getting carried away with this, I can tell.....forgive me!!

Like the idea of a big piece of a tree without the bark on it!!! Good idea m3459!

HI -- There is glass gravel you can get in any color - comes in bags ,sold by the pound . I would have the planter filled mostly with dirt then top it with a few inches of the glass gravel . Then you could also add some glass balls or large marbles for extra interest. The glass gravel is tempered so you will not get cut on it . It is used in a lot of landscaping and is perfectly safe .thegardenofglass.com and recycled-rocks.com

Fire glass with some gel fuel cans for cool evenings. :-)
The fire glass can be expensive though.

Oscar165- how about something that naturally coordinates or ties into your inside decor and/or interests? For instance, I've seen those planters used by sculptor homeowners to display a piece of striking sculpture and perhaps one complementary potted plant. You'd probably want a piece or two that is low and doesn't obstruct the view unless more privacy is a goal.

Thanks for all of these great ideas. Attached are two pictures of the house. The house has a much more modern look on the inside than the outside. Privacy isn't an issue with the front window. The house is on acreage, so no neighbouring houses looking in.

I too was thinking a piece of wood on the top, painted the house color and use like a sofa table.

Oscar, the Adirondack chairs aren't working style- and color-wise on this porch. Consider changing to plush iron-framed chairs that are sturdy, stylish and super comfortable with thick, soft cushions. Put the Adirondacks in the back yard.

Architectural Gardens - Agreed. Unfortunately, these chairs were a gift and made by my father-in-law. We don't actually ever sit in these chairs. We sit out on the back patio - with the more comfortable chairs.

Sorry - I shouldn't write "unfortunately". It was a very generous and thoughtful gift.

How about mood lighting there, perhaps some lanterns with candles inside which could be used at night and add a nice flickering light. Consider looking at tablescapes you like, especially coffee and outdoor tables, and duplicate the look with sculpture or other items you like. You might even consider using it as part of your seasonal decor . You can change that inexpensively as desired.

on the light idea......how about installing some electrical in that thing! And actually add a long light fixture that sits down into the planter, (or linked spotlights), and shoots the light upward. You could put a piece with cut-outs on top if it...or just build a frame of wood that sits on top and add long strips of wood with gaps in between them attached to the frame? It could be mood lighting if you ever want to sit out there, and an alternative front entrance light??????

p.s. I like your chairs. I would love some of those for my deck! :)

I think the way to go is add a shelf top as mpoulsom, jcorn1 and others have suggested. I do have an electrical socket at one end of the planter so I could add lighting very easily.

Accent lighting is a security feature too. I think the right lights help create inviting exterior spaces. Although we have bright outside lights we turn those off while we are on our deck and use softer lighting. Feels much more peaceful and the only downside was when a raccoon didn't realize we were there and bumped into my husband. But my husband was a trooper through the whole series of rabies shots....

Actually, neither was hurt. Just a few ruffled feelings and one spilled beer. Could have been worse.

Nice colourful cushions for the chairs.

I love the wooden ledge idea. And the ideas of decorating it seasonally.

And personally I love the chairs. I would like to see a matching table if you're keeping the chairs. Perhaps you could find some lumbar pillows to pull in some color as well.

Faux plants and flowers have a habit of fading and deteriorating outside unless they are very high quality and cost.

There is a house 5 minutes from us with fake plants in window boxes as well as in the ground! . They have faded and don't look real. Even worse is to see geraniums seemingly blooming in the midst of deep snow. Funny, yes- - but still weird.

Is there some type of narrow cement ledge edging to use as a cover and could be mortared on?

sharpkl - I don't know. I could check out our local landscape place.