The Best Flowers and Plants for Window Boxes: The Complete List! (2024)

FAQs

The Best Flowers and Plants for Window Boxes: The Complete List!? ›

Petunias, geraniums, zinnias, nasturtiums, and begonias are good choices for main-theme flowers. Fill in with things like inch plant, ivy, euonymus, heather, or vinca, which will cascade over the edge of the box. Impatiens do well in shady locations. More subtle choices include coleus, heliotrope, and salvia.

Petunias, geraniums, and begonias are classic window box flowers, but you may be surprised to find options like roses, tulips, and hydrangeas being used in these set-ups now too. Maintenance, soil, and watering certainly depend on the plants you choose, but there are a few good general rules of thumb.

Sue recommends using 5 to 7 plants in a 24” window box, depending on the varieties you select. 2) Variations on a theme: Play with a single variety or color. “Great looking planters can be created using a single variety of plants, such as petunias, in one or more colors,” says Sue.

Ivy geranium, asters, dianthus, miniature roses, salvia and various spring bulbs are excellent perennial flower choices to plant in window boxes. Herbs like lavender, sage, rosemary and even chives can also make great additions to window boxes.

Lobelia: a trailing plant that produces small blue, purple, or white flowers. Verbena: a trailing plant with clusters of small blossoms in shades of blue, purple, pink, and red. Fuschias: with pendulous flowers in shades of pink, red, and purple, fuschias make a great trailing accent for window boxes and planters.

You can put a few small, trimmed boxwood plants that will survive every season, surround them with delicate white flowering plants, and add a pretty overhanging “spiller” like ivy or sweet potato vine. By the way, sweet potato vine is easy to root from a clipping, so one plant can go a long way in your other pots.

Make sure your plants are placed a few inches apart to give them room to fill out. If you want immediate impact, you can plant closer, but know that you will need to pinch or prune your plants to prevent overcrowding. Once your plants are in place, fill in the gaps with more soil and lightly pat down around the plants.

Dianthus: Dianthus are low-maintenance, drought-tolerant flowers that bloom in shades of pink, purple, and white. They are a great option for sunny flower boxes. Impatiens: Impatiens are low-maintenance, heat- and drought-tolerant flowers that bloom in shades of pink, purple, red, and white.

One of the best things to put at the bottom of a planter for drainage is broken pieces of pot. You can use any unwanted plant pots or chipped crockery for this – simply smash them up into small to medium-sized pieces.

What are some low-maintenance outdoor potted plants that are hard to kill? Herbs like sage, rosemary, and thyme are great plants that require little maintenance and continue to grow despite neglect. They are all hearty plants that will repeatedly return, no matter how much you cut them back.

What time of year do you plant window boxes? ›

For best results, plant your window box before the coldest weather arrives so your plants have time to get established; avoid choosing anything tall or wide enough to block your view.

Generally, using three or four plants in 10 to 12-inch planters, four to six plants in 14 to 16-inch planters and six to eight plants in 16 to 20-inch planters will fill out containers nicely while allowing room for the plants to grow without excessive crowding.

With a stunning combination of radiant orange and yellow blooms, Marigolds will make any dull colors of your home or window box pop. Planting these flowers is a breeze, and so is maintaining them. For all their delicately loud beauty, Marigolds are significantly more hardy than you might expect.

Talking about potted plants, whether or not you can leave it in the container it comes in depends on the container, the potting mix, and the plant. Yes, at least for a short time & depending on the plant. For instance, I've taken annuals & simply tucked the entire pot into my window box for the entire summer season.

If you're something of a serial killer when it comes to window box plants (you're not alone), then you're probably not watering them enough. In this case, a window box with a built-in water reservoir will really help to prolong their ability to withstand neglect.

Window boxes are a great way to add some greenery, flowers, even fresh herbs without a lot of space for a garden, but when you plant, put your window box plants in individual pots so they don't compete for water and soil, and so you can swap plants quickly whenever you need to.