Those traditional window boxes overflowing with flowers may remind you of summer cottages or childhood dreams. This particular feature is one that you want at your home all year-round. Container gardening for window boxes takes a certain flair for picking out the right species for the location. From sunny spots to mysterious shade, understand what flowers are suitable for window boxes to spruce up your property’s appearance.
Foliage and Flower Contrasts
Your main goal may be for a burst of flower colors, but don’t overlook the foliage aspect. Plant gerbera daisies, impatiens, and pansies in the front of a window box while filling the back section with gaura, salvia, and other foliage favorites. You’re looking for texture between the leaves and flowers, so various colors are a must.
Light and dark greens along with yellows will contrast beautifully with pink, red, and purple flowers. Avoid a box with matching colors throughout. When you think about what flowers are best for window boxes, note that it’s their contrasting colors that make them shine from afar.
Flowering Vegetables
Get your flower passion started with a functional box that carries vegetables for the dinner table. Runner beans, leeks, and Chinese broccoli all have flowers that will bloom throughout the season as you enjoy the fruits of your labor. Strawberries are the quintessential edible, and they’re well suited to a window box too.
Delicate flowers give way to juicy fruits that can be eaten right off of the stem. Garlic, chives, red basil, and dill are other plants that complement the vegetables growing nearby. Be sure to space out these plants so that they have some room to spread and develop.
Air Plants
If you’re looking for a simplistic box, an air-plant display is perfectly suited for your home. Air plants come from the species Tillandsia, and they don’t require any soil. Their foliage often looks like perpetual flowers too. Pick a window box that has an open design.
Place the air plants into the box, and secure them with gardening ties. These plants pull moisture from the air in order to survive. You may need to spray them with water from time to time, but they’ll otherwise thrive in a partly shady area.
Cacti and Succulents
These desert plants take some time to flower once you plant them in the window box, but the blossoms are worth the wait. Look for cacti and succulents that grow close to the ground, such as notocactus and aloe.
Many species bloom once a year, and you can enjoy the flowers for several days or weeks, depending on the plant. Cacti and succulents are hardy and require full sun to bloom on a regular basis. You’ll also save money on watering them because they’re accustomed to drought conditions.
Bulbs and Corms
Acting like phoenixes seemingly overnight, bulbs and corms store all of their energy in a small package before they burst forth with foliage and flowers. Consider a window box with basic plants, such as vinca vines and baby tears ground cover.
Mix in annual favorites, including pansies, to liven up the textures. Underneath all of these plants, however, are your bulbs. Use daffodils, ornithogalum dubium or snake flowers and freesias. Their amazing growth will fill in the box quickly as spring arrives.
There’s nothing wrong with switching out the various plants from time to time in order to update the décor. Try herbs in the spring and succulents during the summer, and change to fall gourds in the autumn. By varying the plants at your will, you’ll always have a distinct aesthetic. Neighbors and loved ones will wonder how you garden so professionally with just window boxes.
Author Bio: Matt Buquoi works at FlowerWindowBoxes.com, a company that offers premium-quality, no-rot flower window boxes at affordable prices. Visit their site to learn more about the benefits of their PVC flower boxes, outdoor planters, and window shutters.
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