If you think you don’t have enough room for a garden this spring, think again! If you have a window, you can have window boxes and therefore, a garden!
If you’re new to planting window boxes, there are three terms that are common to these and all planter flowers: Thrillers, fillers, and spillers. Thrillers are those pops of color that bring all the neighborhood attention. Fillers are the shorter plants that surround those beauties, and spillers are the flowers that grow over the edge of a planter to create a beautiful cascade that is unique to many window boxes. These gardens are a low-maintenance way to bring your home to life this spring, and they’re easy as 1-2-3-(and 4):
- Determine what direction your windows face to help you decide which types of flowers and/or greenery to plant. Sunny windows afford more options for brilliant color, but there are beautiful options for any location. (See below for some ideas of both sun-loving and shade-loving plants.)
- Use a quality potting mix. Now is NOT the time to use the dirt from your backyard! Because these plants are encased, it’s critical to use potting soil and fertilizer according to the types of plants you choose and amount of sun the plants receive.
- Choose the correct size of the container and drill holes in boxes if none exist. Experts (Martha Stewart, of course!) say that a container should be at least two inches larger than the diameter of the plant to allow for root growth and maturity. It is critical to have drainage holes in window boxes, so if there are none, be sure to add some.
- Hang and ENJOY! You and your neighbors will love the splashes of color and beauty you have added to your home. And if you have wisely chosen some aromatic plants, be sure to open your windows and let that beauty inside as well!
Sun Lovers
Thrillers – Geraniums, Zinnias, Parilla, Vincas, Salvia, Verbena
Fillers – Sweet peas, Violas, Ornamental Cabbage, Dusty Miller, Sweet Alyssum, Lantana
Spillers – Cypress vines. ivy-leafed Pelargonium, Potato vine, Creeping Jenny, Chenille
Shade Lovers
Thrillers – impatiens (great colorful fillers as well, dependent on size), Hydrangeas, Primrose, Vinca, Persian Shield
Fillers – Coral bells, diamond front Euphorbia, any small variety of Fern
Spillers – Lantana, Fuschia, Lobelia, English ivy
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