Modern window boxes provide old-fashioned charm

by Melissa Martin

For an instant boost to your home’s curb appeal, nothing beats a classic window box. While mass plantings and carefully designed planters enhance landscapes, the simple charm of a well-planted window box delivers immediate visual impact.

Rob Cowie, general manager for Suncrest Gardens, emphasizes that the planting design is what truly creates the captivating effect whether it’s a single outside a kitchen window adorned with fresh parsley, basil, rosemary and thyme or a grand display of flower boxes across a home’s front.  

“The best thing about window boxes is that they can be so versatile,” he said. “You can do ones for full sun, but my favorites are the ones that are planted in the shade.”

Cowie said the key to planting a window box that not only looks aesthetically pleasing when planted but stays that way all season starts with selecting the proper box for the location. While traditional window boxes come in a variety of materials, sizes and colors, he recommends home gardeners consider using hay rakes, which consists of a steel frame lined with a coco fiber or moss liner. Those natural liners, he said, tend to hold more moisture, which is particularly beneficial during warmer temperatures.

Equally helpful, Cowie said, is that the liner accounts for less waste that goes to the landfill as the frame itself can be used year after year.

“All you have to do is replace the liner and the soil used inside every year or two,” he said. 

When it comes to keeping plants thriving, Cowie suggests home gardeners utilize the highest quality, professional-grade soil they can afford.

“You never want to use topsoil or any dirt out of your garden,” he said. “You need to choose a soil that contains vermiculite, which allows for the better circulation of air. … Roots do not do well in wet soil and plants need air, as well as water, to thrive.”

As far as the flower themselves are concerned, the options are endless, Cowie said, noting that gardeners first need to consider the light conditions where the basket will be located.

“There are different plants for different locations,” he said, noting that shade plants do not tolerate sunny locations.

While he typically recommends planting approximately 12 plants in an average-sized 30-inch box, he cautions that some annuals can grow quite large only midway through the season.

Among some of the plants Cowie recommends for a striking view are begonias, geraniums, ferns and trailing ivy. He also said lantana, New Guinea impatiens and dragon-wing begonias – a trailing flower that looks like dragon wings in bloom – can offer an unusual twist.

“One of the more unique window boxes I’ve seen lately was comprised of all succulents and it was definitely a pretty choice,” Cowie said, noting that trailing plants are recommended for the corners of the boxes, with taller, specimen plants in the center behind mid-sized plants.

Just as sunlight dictates the placement of window boxes, location also determines watering frequency. 

“Full sun locations are always going to need more water because the soil will dry out faster, especially during warmer temperatures,” he said, noting it’s always best to water daily and early in the morning so the roots of the plants aren’t soaking in water overnight. “That’s just a recipe for disease.”If temperatures get too high, Cowie said to move flower boxes to more shaded areas to prevent wilting and drying out. He also advises the use of Osmocote fertilizer, a controlled-release brand of fertilizer to keep the plants looking their best.