If you have a window - you have a garden space, there really is no such thing as having no space for plants.

Window boxes are a wonderful way to add charm and beauty to your home. Window boxes are really just a small container garden that can be planted with a wide variety of vegetables, herbs flowers or even topiaries. Window boxes can be used inside your home or more frequently mounted outside your window.

WINDOW BOX MATERIALS

Plastic is a good lightweight material and moister holding tool for window boxes. Colored plastic containers can fade in sunlight over time so you may want to consider sliding the plastic container into a cedar framed window box to look more attractive. Window boxes also look stunning made out of metal or wicker depending on the style of your home.

Make sure your container has sufficient drainage holes to prevent root rot.

CHOOSING SUITABLE PLANTS

Keep in mind which planting zone you are in when purchasing plants to add to your window box. Consider where you will be using your window box whether as an indoor planting our outside container. If planting outside the exterior of your home will probably provide a little more shelter and help retain warmth for your plantings. The architecture of your house should also be taken into consideration when choosing plants as they may not receive direct sunshine in a window box location and you will need to choose plantings accordingly.

There is a wide variety of flowers that can thrive in a very small area. Miniature roses have beautiful simple colors or compact flowers like annulus and primulas are also a good choice.

Window Boxes: Indoors & Out
Creative Window Boxes
Container Plants: For Patios, Balconies, and Window Boxes

Growing an herb garden under a kitchen window can be especially charming and provides easy access for clipping sprigs for cooking. Growing herbs are a fragrant way to enjoy your window box. Lemon verbena, chamomile and lavendar all have a wonderful aroma. Peppermint will spread quickly and fill your entire container but be careful about planting it with other herbs because it tends to choke out and overtake other herbs. Consider growing thyme in a variety of different colors shapes. Rosemary can also be a fun herb to train into a topiary.

If you do not wish to have a window box mounted on your home year around, consider mounting your window box on a shelf for easy removal. For seasonal color consider hyacinths, tulips and narcissus are all bulbs that can be forced to bloom early indoors and then brought outside for mounting under your window when they are in full bloom.

If you prefer plantings that will grow over the edge of your window box look for trailing vinca, alyssum or petunias and scented geraniums.

HOW TO PLANT A WINDOW BOX

Plant your window box the same way you would any container garden. Use a good commercially bagged potting soil or soiless mixture made up of peat plus perlite or vermiculite. When you use commercial soils you will need to fertilize your plants with nutrients regularly.

Plantings should be spaced about 4 inches apart and within 1/2 inch of the top of the container. Moss can be added to the top of your plantings to keep the moisture in.

Reprinted with permission.