As a general rule, beauty is the result of alotta work. Right? Wrong. Window boxes are a great-looking alternative to a full-blown garden -- and they aren’t at all difficult to create or maintain. If you don’t have the time or space for a garden and you still want to brighten your home with some flowers, this is a fun and very low-stakes way to explore the territory.
1. First, pick out your plants. You’ll want pretty flowers of all different shapes with nice leaves of varying sizes. 2. Decide on a color scheme that complements whatever the box is surrounded by. Keep in mind that warm colors like pink, red, yellow, orange, and white look nice from far away while cool colors like blue, purple, and dark green look better up close.
3. Find a container that has at least an eight-inch width and depth. If the box really is going under a window, it should be shorter than the window’s width. Make sure it has drainage holes -- if not, you can drill your own.
4. Regular soil won’t do here. You’ll need a sterile potting mix that is specially formulated to improve drainage, fertility, and moisture retention. Fill the box halfway, and add water if the soil is dry.
5. Put your plants about two to five inches apart, depending on how big they’ll get. Taller plants go in the back, trailing plants go over the sides and fluffy plants fill in any spaces in between.
6. Water your plants frequently to keep them thriving. If you live in a hot and dry climate, this might mean once a day. Make sure the soil gets totally soaked every time you water.
-- The Nest Editors
May 17, 2010
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