How to Plant Flowers in Window Boxes
Are you looking for planting ideas for a window box? Wait until you see how to plant flowers in window boxes.
After completing the renovation of our garden shed, we added these adorable stainless steel window boxes with an antique copper finish.
I love how the copper finish looks with the paint color on the shed, don’t you?
New window box planters mean more opportunities to plant pretty plants and flowers.
So let’s warm up the garden shed with some beautiful spring flowers.
Here’s a garden design idea to plant a window box.
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What Should I Plant in My Window Box
There are lots of pretty plants and flowers that can be planted in a window box.
Depending on the location (sun, part sun or shade), you’ll want to design your window boxes accordingly.
Keep in mind that soil and plants carry a lot of weight, particularly after it rains.
So make sure you reinforce the window boxes so they don’t fall off the building.
(It’s happened to me before).
Annuals that I enjoy using in spring window boxes include:
- Petunias
- Euphorbia
- Sweet Potato Vine
- Geraniums
- Ivy
- Vinca
- Impatiens
- Bacopa
How Many Plants Should Be in a Window Box?
When determining how many plants you should include in a window box, consider the garden design idea that the eye breaks spaces in thirds.
So choose an odd number of plants (3, 5, 7 or 9) and stuff them in the planters.
If the gardening season is short like it is here in my zone 6a hardiness zone, I suggest planting them tightly so you get a full look from the outset.
How Do You Organize Plants in a Window Box?
Before planting, move your plants around in the window box until you get a look that is aesthetically pleasing.
Be sure to include both flower and foliage plants, but make sure they are balanced and not all grouped together on one side or the other.
Stand back and ask yourself if the window box looks symmetrical.
If it looks good, then pot it up!
How to Plant Flowers in a Window Box
I potted them up with some pretty spring flowers that would accentuate the beauty of the copper planters and add cottage charm to my garden shed.
Supplies Needed to Plant in a Window Box
- plants
- container
- potting soil
- weed fabric
- gloves
- scissors
- plant food
- shovel or cup
For this project, the plants I chose are:
- Geraniums
- Sweet Potato Vine
- Bacopa
- Euphorbia
- Vinca
Determine Location
The first step is to determine where the window boxes will be maintained. Does the area receive full sun, part sun, or shade?
Understanding the location will help you choose the right plants.
Choose Flowers for the Window Boxes
Once the location is determined, it’s time to shop for plants.
If choosing to create a container design with a few plants, it’s important to make sure that they each have the same or similar light conditions as well as water conditions.
So read the plant tags.
Understanding light and water conditions will help you take better care of your plants after the container garden is finished.
How to Design a Window Box Garden
While shopping around the nursery, I was looking for plants that would accentuate the planters and could handle lower light conditions.
One of the things I like to do is group my plants together in the nursery to see how they look together.
Are they aesthetically pleasing?
I look at foliage, blooms, plant size, and the overall plant habit.
Because when designing a container garden, it’s important to use the thriller, filler and spiller method of design.
How to Plant Flowers in a Window Box
- Gather supplies.
- If possible, remove the window box and work from a table. In many cases, this isn’t possible, and that’s OK. But it is much easier to pot them on a table if you can.
- Cut weed fabric to size to fit inside the planter.
- Add some potting soil with a hand trowel or cup so the plants have some soil to sit in.
- Check the planting depth by adding your plants while still in their plastic nursery pots. You want the soil line to match up with about an inch down from the top of the container. If more soil is needed to get the right depth, add more.
- Remove plants from plastic pots and fan out the roots before setting in the container. This encourages the roots to grow out into the potting soil.
- Back fill with potting soil, tamping it down as you go to remove the air pockets.
- Add a slow-release fertilizer to the container, water, and enjoy!
And that’s it!
Didn’t they turn out beautiful?
How Often Should You Water a Window Box
It’s important to note that window boxes can dry out much easier than larger planters.
So frequent watering is a must, particularly during the summer.
Unless you add an irrigation system like this one set on a timer, you may need to water your window boxes 1-2x a day in the heat of summer.
Keep an eye on your plants to make sure they do not wilt.
Click here for more container garden care tips.
Not Sure What Kind of Container for Gardening to Use?
There are lots of options available to plant in and there are pros and cons of each.
Click here to learn more about the different types of containers for gardening and how to choose one that’s right for you.
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Want More Container Garden Ideas?
- How to Plant a Container Garden in 7 Easy Steps
- Container Gardening Ideas
- Easy Container Garden Idea for Fall
- Outdoor Planter Idea for Winter
- Budget-Friendly Winter Planter Idea
- Easy Outdoor Planter Idea for Winter
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