What Should I Plant in My Window Boxes?

Window boxes are ideal for creating unexpected combinations of colorful plants.

Window boxes add a source of living charm to a home's facade with living, growing decorations for the home. Choosing the proper plants for a window box involves understanding the light conditions. Plant boxes with more than six hours of sunlight per day with plants that prefer sun. For less sunny boxes, choose plants that tolerate some shade. Choosing a combination of plants helps create a look that is pleasing to the eye with different textures and colors.

Green, Leafy Texture

Window boxes need not be filled with bright, colorful blooms. Create a soft, interesting look by using plants known for their green leaves, unusual leaf shapes and textures. Gary Keim of Fine Gardening suggests a combination of 'Kimberly Queen' Australian sword fern (Nephrolepis obilterata 'Kimberly Queen), 'Lifelime' coleus (Solenostemon scutellariodies 'Lifelime') and variegated ivy (Hedera helix). This trio of plants does best in shady areas and creates a lush, full box with both bushy growths and trailing plants. Plant the 'Kimberly Queen' fern as the box's center anchor, placing coleus on either side. From under the leaves of the other plants, allow ivy to trail down out of the box.

Culinary Herbs

Create a living herb box full of fresh, fragrant selections. Locating the culinary herb garden in a window box helps keep the home cook's favorite herbs right at hand. Combine the herbs used most often together. Create an Italian herb box by combining oregano (Origanum vulgare), sweet marjoram (O. majorana), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and sage (Salvia apiana) in a box that gets at least four to six hours of daily sunlight. Create a French-inspired box with thyme (Thymus vulgaris), winter savory (Satureia montana) and lavendar (Lavandula angustifolia).

Summer Sun

Window boxes and other forms of container gardens tend to dry out more quickly than plants in the garden because there is less room for soil and roots. As a result, choosing plants that will thrive in the heat of the summer presents a challenge for the window box garden. For a summer-blooming winter box in the sun, choose plants such as lantana (Lantana camera), petunias (Petunia --- hybrida) and periwinkle (Vinca major). This combination of flowers gives window box gardeners the opportunity to create a box full of their favorite summer colors.

Summer Shade

For boxes located in a shadier location, choose some more shade-tolerant blossoms. Flowers such as begonias and impatiens are ideal for the shaded summer window box. Begonias (Begonia cultivators) and impatiens (Impatiens cultivators) come in a wide array of colors and types. Water the boxes thoroughly, and provide protection from the harsh afternoon sun.

Unplanted Winter Boxes

While window boxes are ideal for pretty plants, the winter season presents a challenge as many plants go dormant or fail to withstand the harsh conditions. Leah Moss of Apartment Therapy suggests filling winter boxes with an alternative to plants. Combine colored glass hurricanes and candles for some winter cheer. Other options include pine cones, evergreen boughs and winter berries. Fill up the boxes with aspen branches, and decorate with Christmas ornaments for some festive cheer at the windows.

References

• Fine Gardening; Think Outside the Window Box; Gary Keim
• Country Living: Late-Summer Window Boxes
• Fine Gardening; Herbs for Every Window Box; Frederique Lavoipierre
• Apartment Therapy; Sprucing Up Cold Weather Window Boxes; Leah Moss; 2009