All About Window Box Gardening

Does your home’s outside appearance need a remodel? Do you want to add a flower garden but don’t have space or don’t know how? Perhaps a window box garden would be the best option for you.

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Benefits of having a window box

Window boxes are the perfect gardening option for when you don’t have a lot of space or don’t want to deal with a huge flower garden and all the weeds. They add extra color and texture to your house, improving its overall look and making your house really stand out.

Depth and dimension are added to your house as well, bringing out your home’s style and structure.

Planting a colorful miniature garden that is easy to care for is the perfect solution for you if you can’t maintain a larger garden or just don’t want to deal with all of that. It is easy to change the flowers out for each season as well.

Another great benefit of having a window box is that it improves the view from the inside, too. Who doesn’t want to look out their window and see beautiful and colorful flowers peeking back in at them?

Choosing the right planter

There are many different types of window box planters available. Make sure you measure where your box planter will go before making a purchase. You don’t want your planter to be too long or too short for your window. Listed are the different types of planters you can choose from.

• Fiberglass planter: Fiberglass planters are strong so they will hold flowers and wet soil with no problem. Some have designs that make them look like real wood, adding a natural look to your home.
• Wooden planter: If you are choosing a wooden planter, consider cedar because it lasts longer and doesn’t mold. Cedar has an elegant, all-natural look to it and has been known to keep the bugs away due to it’s scent!
• Metal planter: Consider choosing a wrought iron planter if you opt for metal. Wrought iron is much more durable and doesn’t rust.
• Vinyl planter: Vinyl planters are the least expensive option, but they’re not cheaply made. They are strong and durable and come in many different options. If you cannot find the color that you are looking for, then you can always paint it.

Choosing the right plants

Now comes the fun part – deciding which plants you want to add to your planter. While you’re at the store trying to decide, place them together to see if the colors go together. Pay attention to the amount of sun and water needed and choose plants that get along well together. Here are some plants you can consider:

• Shady spots: Hostas, small ferns, Impatients, English ivy
• Sunny spots: Coral Bells, Petunia, Daisy, Creeping Jenny
• Autumn flowers: mums, gourds, Aster
• Winter flowers: pansies, violas, sweet peas, ornamental cabbage

How to hang your window box

Now that you have picked out the perfect window box and the plants you wish to use, it’s time to hang the box. If your box came with brackets, then be sure to follow the instructions because some are installed differently. If your box did not come with brackets, then you’ll need to get some.

To hang the window box, first mark the side of your house where you want to mount the box. Don’t forget to measure! After making your marks, screw in your brackets, then center your window box onto the brackets. The box should hang at an angle so the water will drain away from your house.

Make sure your window box has proper drainage

Check to see if your window box planter has drainage holes in the bottom; if not you’ll have to add some. Drill several small holes in the bottom of the planter at least six inches apart, or use a larger size nail and hammer to make the holes.

One option for drainage is pea gravel or small pebbles. Water will filter through the soil and the gravel or pebbles and out through the holes. Place about three inches of pea gravel or pebbles in the bottom of the planter before adding the soil.

Another option for drainage is clean and empty plastic bottles. These are lighter than gravel or pebbles, therefore you will not have the added weight in your planter. Place a few bottles in the bottom of your planter and pour soil on top.

What kind of soil should you use?

First of all, you should never use regular garden soil. Consider using a potting mix that contains peat and perlite along with other ingredients that help with drainage and water holding capacity. If you don’t want to water your garden every single day, consider using a water-absorbing polymer.

To add the soil, fill your window box about half full of potting mix and then moisten with water.

Adding plants to your window box

Place the tallest plants that you purchased in the back of your planter and let any trailing plants hang over the sides and front. Fill in the middle with plants that have a lot of blooms. You should plan to plant the pants about 2” – 5” apart.

Hopefully now you have a better understanding of the benefits of a window box garden as well as what to plant to bring beauty to your home’s outside appearance. Improving the outside of your house also helps resell value. The outside is the first thing buyers see when they get to your house and if the outside is unattractive they may turn around and leave.

Add a window box garden to your house so you’ll have the most beautiful house in the neighborhood!

Looking for more gardening ideas? Check out these great posts:
Planting & Growing Herbs
Pro Tips for Potted Plants
All About Vertical Gardening
5 Indoor Plants That Are Hard to Kill