Garden and Flowers

Window box gardening offers apartment dwellers the enjoyment of gardening without a yard. Even if you have an actual yard to plant whatever you wish, you can still have a window box garden to enliven your windows and balconies.

For the best results in a window box garden, the box should be at least three to four feet long but not more than six feet. If larger, it will be way too heavy to suspend and secure properly and it cannot be lifted easily. Boxes resting on broad window ledges and on firm porch railings might be eight feet long, but hardly more since moving them becomes too hazardous.  Keep to a minimum depth of eight to nine inches, with a width of ten to twelve inches across the top. Of course, lengths must vary according to the window or series of windows or railing.

The most common material for window box gardens is wood. California redwood becomes a neutral gray if not painted, and cypress will last for years. Cedar is recommended, as is a good grade of white pine. Other materials include metals, which are attractive and, for the most part, light in weight. However, they have the disadvantage of conducting heat, thus overheating the soil in your window box garden. Other suitable and durable lightweight materials are plastic, fiberglass, spun glass, and Gardenglas.

If you want to make your own window boxes out of wood, you can follow instructions from your nursery or garden center. Get wood boards that are at least one to one and a quarter inches thick. Thinner boards will warp and will offer little insulation against summer heat. To fasten, use brass screws rather than nails because nails will rust and push out causing the box to fall apart. To make corners secure, reinforce with angle irons. Be sure to provide enough drainage holes in the bottom for water to pass through freely. Space half-inch holes six to eight inches apart when building your window box gardens. Treat the insides with preservatives to prevent the wood from rotting. Cuprinol or some other non-toxic material is excellent, but avoid creosote which is poisonous to plants. After the preservative has dried, apply at least two coats of good paint or stain.

The color of the window box should not detract from the plants that will be planted in it. Have in mind the colors of the flowers, especially of plants that trail over the sides. Dark flowers do not show up against dark paint. The same is true of white flowers against light surfaces, as white petunias against white or pale yellow boxes.

To hold window box gardens securely, use bolts or lag screws and treat them beforehand to prevent rusting. Leave an inch or so of space between the window box garden and house for the movement of air. If the box garden is to rest on a terrace or other solid surface, raise them on cleats or set up on bricks or blocks of wood so drainage holes won’t become clogged. Some space under boxes is also important for air circulation, which will dry up run-off water.

When your window box is ready for planting, put an inch layer of broken flower pots, crushed brick, small stones or pebbles over the bottom to enable water to escape freely through the openings. Above this, spread a piece of wet burlap or a layer of moist sphagnum moss, old leaves, hard coal clinkers or cinders to prevent soil from washing into the drainage area.

All plants in window box gardening need rich soil for luxuriant growth. Space larger kinds like geraniums, coleus and fuchsias, eight to ten inches apart. Smaller kinds like lobelias, annual phlox, wax begonias, sweet alyssum and browallia, six inches apart. An eight-inch-wide box accommodates two rows of plants, with the tall ones in back and the low ones along the front. Boxes, ten inches wide, take three rows of plants, tall, medium, and low for edging. After planting, spread an inch mulch of peat moss or other mulch over the soil to delay drying out and keep weeds in check. In a month, give a liquid fertilizer and follow up with feedings every seven to ten days. Foliage fertilizers can also be applied, but only as a supplement to root feeding.

DURACO WINDOW BOX Indoor/outdoor: Indoor/outdoor. Clay look matte finish. Optional punch-out drainage. Ccan be used with or without tray. 36″L x 7-1/2″W x 5-3/4″H .

English Horse Trough Windowbox – 36 Inch by Windowbox: This Windowbox.com favorite is crafted out of a rust-proof vinyl-coated steel that makes cleaning a snap. It mounts easily to any wall or sill, and comes with a thick, hearty coconut liner that keeps dirt and water off your floor while maintaining a steady oxygen and moisture level for your plants’ health. Available in 36″ in Black. Product Dimensions: 36″L x 9″W x 7.75″H.

Novelty Model 27482 48-Inch Windsor Flower Box White with Brackets by Novelty Manufacturing: Windsor Flower Box Planters These elegant window, porch and patio planter boxes are made of durable maintenance-free PVC plastic. They are far lighter than wood with an extra-deep design and internal Water-Minder insert to promote healthy plant growth. The natural white PVC material will not turn yellow, fade or flake. Can even be painted with any exterior paint to match home decor. Includes brackets for easy mounting. 48 long x 9 wide x 10-1/2 high.

Smith & Hawken® Window Box Planter – Large: Against a burnished copper backdrop, the iron frame’s scrollwork pops with elegance. Made of mild steel and iron. Frame is treated with a powder coating for long life. 10.6Hx36Wx8.4D”.

DMC Products 70808 36 Inch Standard Window Box – White: In addition to creating a great-looking window area, our window box planters make an excellent free-standing planter. Pre-assembled solid wood brackets are offered separately as an accessory for easy mounting onto any horizontal surface. Each planter comes fully assembled and includes a durable plastic liner for direct planting. Plastic footpads help prevent absorption of moisture from patio surfaces.

All Maine Bucket 572 36 Inch Scalloped Cedar Window Box: ll Maine Bucket has a broad line of products manufactured from pine and cedar. Our line includes barrels and barrel products, cedar planters and window boxes, patio and deck furniture, as well as storage containers, all made of wood. Beautiful scalloped cedar window boxes.Made of northern white cedar with brass screws.36″H x 7.5″H x 9″DEasily stained or painted, but will weather to a beautiful silver gray, if left in it’s natural state.Includes a cleat hanger mechanism, no brackets necessary.Rot resistant cedar allows for direct planting with no liner necessary.

48″ Window Box, Wall Trough with Coconut Liner by HomePlaceDirect: Elegant flat steel 48″ planters with weather resistant black vinyl coating. Complete with all natural, pre-formed coco liner. Excellent for home or business; approx. 48 x 7″ x 6.5″. Fastener holes are in the back of frame for easy mounting.

Nantucket Wooden Window Box Planter – 30 x 11 x 9 by Windowbox.com: Create a beautiful window area! Also makes an excellent free-standing planter. Pre-assembled solid wood brackets available for easy mounting on a ny vertical surface. vailable in White, Hunter Green or Natural Wood Finishes, as well as 24, 3o and 36 inch lenghts. Finished planters are painted with durable UV-rated paint.