5 Tips for Gorgeous Window Boxes
I meant to get to this post last week, sorry for leaving you all hanging! I was all ready to shoot some photos of my flower boxes and my neighbor Linda’s (more on that in a minute) when Michigan had to get all confused and think it was winter for a minute again. I planted 12 flats of flowers and the temps immediately dropped and we had frost advisories 2 nights in a row, what’s up with that Michigan? Cue me breaking into panic mode and finding every old sheet and towel in the house to then rig up weird covers hanging out all my windows.
Anyways the freeze is over (hopefully!), we are finally warming up here and I’m ready to share my 5 tips for Gorgeous Window Boxes!
This is my 4th year planting my window boxes and every year I’ve tried something a little different, hoping to hit on just the right mix. Every year I aspire to be like my neighbor from down the street, Linda. She has the most gorgeous window boxes I have ever seen! I totally drool over them every time I walk by with Buddy, while he is busy barking his fool head off at Linda’s sweet springer spaniels.
This is only 2 weeks in on the planting season and they already look amazing. Don’t worry, I’ll show you some photos later in the summer when they are really in full bloom. I love this sweet little spot in their front yard, from the striped cushions the lace tablecloth, its just perfection.
Oh and let’s talk about how even her cute little garden shed has a “window box” – love it!
I asked Linda some of her tips, because the first year my boxes looked pitiful. I felt like I had baby window boxes that just wanted to be like hers when they grew up. I also threw a few tips in that I have discovered thru trial and error too.
TIP 1 : Start with good potting mix in your boxes. I don’t totally refill them every summer, because there is usually a lot of good soil left in them at the end of the season. I just churn up the old soil and add in the new and give it a good mix.
TIP 2: While you are mixing up that soil add these water storing crystals to the mix. These little things are a life saver! They absorb water and turn into clear jello looking blobs and hold the water in and slowly release it as needed. 4 of my flower boxes are on our 2nd story and it is a pain to hang out the window and water them every day, these allow me to skip that chore more often.
Miracle-Gro 100831 Water Storing Crystals, 12-Ounce
TIP 3: Fertilize, fertilize, fertilize! I use Miracle Gro Bloom Booster once a week (promise this is not an ad for miracle gro I just love the stuff). I could never figure out why my flowers didn’t get nice and full like Linda’s until she shared this tip with me.
Miracle-Gro 1360011 Water Soluble Bloom Booster Flower Food, 10-52-10, 1-Pound
TIP 4: Fill those boxes up! Ignore all the advice of the flower flats suggesting to space them so far from each other etc…I did that my first year and they looked so skimpy and never really filled in. You really want nice full boxes, I think I put almost a whole flat into each of my larger boxes.
TIP 5: Plant the right flowers for your space. You gotta think a little bit about your windows, sun vs shade, colors etc..
Linda’s boxes get plenty of sun all day and her windows open up, so she can do a beautiful mix of verbena, petunias, and white snow mountains.
My windows on the lake side get full sun beating down on them all day long and petunias seem to be the only flower that can stand up to the heat. My windows also open out, so I need to plant lower trailing flowers, nothing tall or I decapitate them when I try to water them out my window.
This year I’m trying something different and doing all petunias in bright pinks and purples, this is what they look like after surviving the frost.
I’ve realized over the past few years that if I plant a beautiful mix like Linda in my 2nd story windows you can’t really see them from the ground. I’m hoping the big mass of bright colors will really be visible from out on the lake.
Oh and if you have been hanging out here since last summer, you will notice our metal roof is finally done above! I’ll be back later in the week sharing updated photos of the outside of the completed sunroom, that I never got the chance to share.
Back to the flowers, last year I did a mix of shady and sunny flowers, because we cut down some trees and I wasn’t sure how that would affect the light they got and ended up with this – which I loved, but the impatiens got taller than I expected and it was nearly impossible to open our windows. let’s see how all petunias works out for me!
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What are those window boxes made of?if wood , does the wood withstand so much moisture all the time?
Both window boxes are equally stunning! The petunias are so colorful and bright and will fill in nicely if you pinch them back regularly to prevent them from getting too leggy.
Thanks so much!
I love your boxes! I live in Maryland. I want to do window boxes but one box will be all sun and one will be part sun( till 1:00). What plants do you suggest since they will both be in the same area?
Secondly, what is that beautiful light green plant in the first box?
Third, what are the sizes of your boxes?
I hope mine look like yours. You have inspired me! Thank you
The light green plants are called, “Creeping Jenny.”
Hey there! Hailing from Virginia here :). Thank you EVERYONE for your awesome tips, and Kelly, I can’t wait to implement yours! I have wrought iron flower hangers, though, attached under my front windows, and each year I dread the soil and planting process as with a fiber liner, there’s hardly any room! Any suggestions on what to lunge them with instead? I was thinking of pulling the liners and just lining the hangers with weed barrier. What do you think?
Hmm I’m not sure I haven’t really used that kind of planter before so I’m not sure what would be a good substitute!
Ohh I have the same window boxes…first year I used coconut liners…at hot mess!! 2nd year I used the burlap lined liners…a little better…I think if I use them again I will spray them w/fabric spray on the outside to repel water. I am also going to put some mulch in the bottom to hold water/moisture. I hate the mess that is made by draining n it drips down the wall/siding.
Going to try water storing crystals too!! Good luck!
I’ve been wanting a window box forever! This spring I am going to have one installed and I can’t wait!
My only question is…what do you do in the winter?
Do you pull out all the plants and just leave the soil in the box all winter? Then in the spring add more soil (if needed) and replant?
Or do you remove all the soil every winter?
I leave the soil in and add pine boughs for the winter. Then yes I add more soil in the spring if needed. Good luck!
Hi! Thank you for these great tips! My husband made flower boxes for me this year and I’m going to try my hand at this. I’ve bought a bunch of petunias, the water crystals, and the bloom booster. I followed the instructions about putting in the crystals prior to planting the flowers. Should I use the bloom booster now or wait 30 days like the instructions advise? I’m eager to do it now, haha. Thanks!
I never wait, fertilize away!
Okay this is the second year I referenced this blog post (kept it saved on a Pinterest board) to do my window boxes and I finally got it right! I have two boxes on the side of my house that are full sun and last year did not fair well, so this year I went right to all petunias and they are thriving! I put a different flower in my front boxes that are only half sun, and they are just not as big and beautiful as the petunias have gotten! Both years I used the water crystals and flower food, but really it’s getting the right flower in there that makes a difference!
oh yay! and I totally agree it takes a few tries to figure out what flowers works best in your area. So glad you are having good luck with them this year :)
Did moss roses in full afternoon sun in a west facing brick shop front window box; they did very well interspersed with petunias. They were 2nd gen re-seeds so I didn’t get a chance to organize by color, but the owner was desperate for something and didn’t care. While they can be a bit messy, the spiky foliage def adds interest even when they aren’t blooming.
Oh that sounds pretty! I might need to try that!
I love your windowboxes! What are those lovely bright green shrubs underneath the window box? They don’t look like boxwoods. They look like they might be something in the cypress family.
Thanks for your tips! Any ideas for keeping squirrels out of window boxes? They destroyed ours two years running. Also, what are the gorgeous deep blue flowers at the bottom of the last window box photo before comment area? Thanks again
OH no! I haven’t had that problem, my dog keeps them away I think he barks like crazy at them!
Susan, I did the gardening at a State Park and always had issues with the chipmunks & squirrels burying the nuts & corn in the flower pots. I would sprinkle cayenne pepper on the dirt between the flowers, yes you had to do again after a hard rain, but it certainly helped keep them away. Also, as long as there is no kids or pets I have used moth balls to help keep rabbits away from my ground gardens. It worked for my prize hostas, just put them under the leaves by the base of the plant. Good luck and happy gardening!
Hi everyne ! I’m writing from France, I’d like to know how many plants did you fill in your window boxes ? Here in France they tell you to plant them every 20 cms or so, but they you get skinny window boxes. I’m using very small containers (tin cans) and professionals tell me to put one planonly… Very frustrating… I’ll try one can with 2 and one can with 3, hope it works well. Thanks for your tips and congrats for your window boxes !
Your flowers are beautiful. I have 2 flower boxes placed together under larger window. I haven’t had motivation this year until I saw your flowers. I think I can, I think I can…
Great article!
I have a question: I used the Sta-Green potting soil with 9 months feeding. Do I still need to fertilize once a week?
Thanks!
Yes- I was also wondering what the name of those tall purple spikes in the back of the pot was. Petunias are common and easy to spot, but those purple spikes look unusual and they add height!!! I wish I could identify them and purchase them somewhere. I wonder if they are a perennial (like the blue salvia or something?)
I think they may be verbena?
They are angelonia
Yes annual salvia!
You said you plant wave petunias ? There are so many different varieties. I just love all the great colors ? Also, one suggestion for everyone, I take gallon milk containers and make the up with the plant food ahead of time like 6. So when it’s time to water its already to go! ?
Good tip thanks!
Love all of the ideas. Now to buy the boxes and have someone install them. Gail