Flower Box Update
I think I promised you all a little flower box update back when I shared my 5 Tips for Gorgeous Window Boxes with you.
Well, I’m popping in to quick deliver. I have to say this has been my worst flower box year, it basically rained all of June, which had my flowers drowning. We had so much rain that most of the docks on the lake were underwater, definitely a strange summer for us.
Because of all the rain it made it hard to control how much I fertilize and water like I normally do. We also had one crazy storm that blew my flowers to bits.
Anyways, Â enough excuses, here are the road side ones. These were the ones that got killed in that storm. I’ve been nursing them back to health and they look ok, just not as full and pretty as the backyard ones.
Here, I’ll show you the back ones, SO much better!
I’ll back up and show you what they looked like the week I planted them, so you can really see how well my tips worked, despite the crummy weather.
The back ones are a bit more protected from the wind so let’s all pretend to back up to the beginning of July when all my window boxes looked like this and we’ll act like I actually remembered to take photos and post about it then kay?
Sigh, maybe next year!
Ok I just heard a giant crash from the playroom – looks like I need to make sure everyone’s limbs are still in tact, t minus 13 days and counting til school starts and I will get back to regularly scheduled blogging!
Hello Kelly,
You made a comment about the tips working for these beautiful flowers on the back of your house. Have you blogged on another date about these tips? I can’t find them in this article.
Hi Kelly. I’m a petunia girl too. Hot and windy weather in Wyoming and the petunia can handle it! What is your color combination name if you happen to. Know the names?
Hey Denise oh man I don’t remember the colors I used last year I’ll have to pay more attention to the colors I use this year!
Hi. Can you tell me the exterior colors of this home? It’s gorgeous. I’ve searched your site and can’t find them.
Thanks
It’s siding by Mastic the color is Natural Slate – thanks!
I love the look of your flower boxes and plants underneath! What type of green grasses are those? I am needing to plant some of those beauties this year under my front window box! Thank you!
HI Erin, this is Creeping Jenny I believe!
Hi Kelly! I am wondering if you use a liner in your window box? We have cedar boxes but i guess I was thinking you still had to use some type of liner. Also, do you have a specific potting soil you recommend? I know you said to use a good quality but there are so many to choose from! I live in Michigan too and plan on using all of your excellent tips this year. Can’t wait!
Hi Joy I wish I had liners in my boxes. My builder built them and unfortunately I haven’t been able to find the right size liners to fit in them. They do have a mesh liner stapled in but I wish I had plastic liners because a few of my boxes are starting to come apart at the edges due to watering.
What are those long stem flowers that are fuzzy on the end under the petunias ? I am a new young gardener looking to spice up a boring house in nebraska. Do you have any suggestions for bushes to put in the ground that are pretty and flowers to put in abox that don’t require much work? Please help!
I think they are verbena? Petunias are great in flower boxes because they are pretty full proof and we have boxwoods in front of ours that are easy to take care of too!
What an amazing pop of color:) I unfortunately don’t have a place to do window boxes on my house but I definitely have space on my fence that surrounds my deck! Thanks for the inspiration :) Liz
It all looks beautiful to me. Hope all was well in the playroom!
As well as it ever is with my two crazy kids ha ;)
I love the colors, so pretty! I wish window boxes were more of a ‘thing’ here in the Southwest. One of the many decorating-related things I wish!
Well you will just have to start your own trend :) or just enjoy all the sunshine for us poor midwest people come winter!
hi!! I LOVE YOUR HOUSE! quick question- how will you transform your window flower boxes once fall/winter comes? I’m planning on doing some window boxes for our home and would love your thoughts for the upcoming seasons! Thanks!!! :)
Hey Erin! So typically in winter I do pine boughs, sometimes faux berries or poinsettias too. I’ve done pumpkins and wheat like looking grass in the past for fall as well. thanks!
I think they look great. This has been the worst year for our deck plants. We were excited since it was our first summer in the new house. It has been nothing but humid and hazy. Nothing grew. This has never happened in my 27 years of marriage.
Cindy
Hi Cindy, let’s cross our fingers for a better summer next year!
They are gorgeous. My sister who has the lake house said the same thing. Bad summer for flowers however when I visited last week I was blown away how beautiful it all was. Enjoy your few weeks left of gorgeous weather. Hinsdale colors are turning slightly. I smell Fall right around the corner.
Thanks Maggie! Things are starting to turn here too, it’s freezing today!!
These are beautiful! Ever since my hobby turned into a full blown business, I’ve been searching for a new hobby. I think I want to give a shot to gardening. And I love the flower box idea! A few questions: 1. What do you plant in the boxes during the fall/winter? 2. Do you have to prune back petunias? Or just let them grow wild and long? 3. I’m also in Michigan (Detroit) and am wondering when you start planting!
Thanks in advance! Look forward to following your blog!
Hey Rebecca, so sometimes in fall I stick grasses and pumpkins in there although last year I was lazy and skipped it :) in the winter I put pine boughs. If you search my blog “search box” for window boxes you will find photos from years past. I usually don’t prune petunias back but this year they got out of control and I did cut them back the beginning of July. They just got a little too leggy this year and started to look scrawny. I haven’t had to do that before though so I think the weather was just nuts. I always plant right after mothers day which seems to be safe. If there is any type of frost advisory I throw a sheet over them at night.
The petunias still look pretty Kelly regardless of the rain. Summer in Fl is our rainy season. I don’t even want to show you some pics of my flowers. Yikes! What did well for me was the urns around the pool and the front porch. Instead of flowers, I planted flowering shrubs, and ferns. They still gorgeous. Looking forward to your regular schedule of blogging. I’ve missed you! Can’t wait for your Autumn inspiration!! You’re the BEST!
Oh I love the idea of ferns in urns so pretty! I’ve missed you all too, I’m frantically searching for some early pumpkins so I can get started on some of that Autumn inspiration :)
What kind of petunias did you use this year? I’ve used petunias before, but all the dead heading was such a chore! Your boxes are really pretty.
Hi Barbara they are wave petunias, they don’t require dead heading usually although this summer I did cut them back because they got crazy leggy with all the rain we had.
I’m impressed they look as good as they do. Here in Indiana we had rain for most of June and July. We had a few tomato plants and two just plain keeled over and died :-( The others are so so. We do have a patio tomato plant that is doing an impression of Jack’s bean stalk. By the way, do you just stick your arm out the window to water the second floor plants or do you have to grab an extension ladder :-) ?? Or do you have a rope and pulley system whereby you tie up one of the kids, hand them the watering can, then hoist them up?? Your plants really look good.
I hang out the window like the crazy person I am to water the upper ones ha!