Window Box Flowers – Best Plants for Window Boxes

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A window box planter is an extension of your home that can display stunning organic plantings. They also add to the value of your home and curb appeal. However, flowers are the main feature of most window planer boxes since they add color and the combinations of colors and textures are vast for all seasons.

This spring, I built two window planter boxes for windows on opposite sides of my studio, with one being mostly shaded and the other one is in the sun. This created a dilemma for choosing my window box flowers. Therefore I had to select my plants with sun exposure in mind; thus, the two boxes would have diverse plants.

Window Box Plants

When selecting plants for your flower boxes or container gardens, my rule of thumb is to choose some for filler, some for spiller, and some for thriller. In other words, the filler adds fluffy volume, the spiller offers amazing cascading vines, and the thrillers are the gorgeous blooms or variegated leaves that add the wow factor to your container garden.

These plants are not the same for different sun exposures, so I had to select other plants for both locations. It is important to select plants that are hardy in your growing zone. To find the best plants for window boxes in your growing zone, check out the USDA growing zone map. You can also find the ideal time to plant in your zone in the Farmer’s Almanac.

Supplies

• Gloves
• Watering spike
• Trowel
• Plastic flower container 
• Sun hat 

Shade Plants for Flower Boxes

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Flower box and container gardening plants for partial sun or shade are a little more challenging to find in my neck of the woods. Since I live in Florida, the full sun is very different from New York’s.

For my filler plant, I used Impatients Walleriana; it fills in a mound and adds some color with flowers, too. The focal point of the thriller is your showy plant. For my thriller, I planted Caladium bulbs. Then, for the spillers, I choose

Silver Falls Dichondra argentea and Creeping Jenny. I also planted a few Morning Glory and Moon Flower seeds. These may not bloom since they require more sun to bloom, but I am trying it out this year. This is my first year growing plants in this partial-shade area, so I will be keeping a journal about what works.

 

Plants For Full Sun Flower Boxes and Container Gardening

On the sunny side, I am using sweet potato vines and creeping Jenny for the spillers in my planters. I am also using ornamental grass and Dusty Miller as filler plants. For the thriller plants, I am using the Crown of Thrones.

 

Containers

My handmade window flower boxes were designed so that the plastic containers would fit inside them. I chose this plastic container since the size was perfect and they had drainage holes and a drip tray. Self-watering containers are a great choice, too.

Another easy idea is to use inexpensive plastic pots inside your planters.

The best pots for container gardening and flower boxes have drainage and a drip tray. If your pot does not have a drainage hole, you can add one with a drill. Select the appropriate drill bit for your pot.

Potting Soil

Selecting potting soil is one of the most essential elements for a beautiful container garden. Since containers dry out faster, it is best to use good-quality potting mix, not soil from your garden. A pro tip is to add moisture-absorbing granules that store and release moisture to your plants.

Maintaining Plants

Regular watering and fertilizing will keep your plantings healthy, growing, and blooming. My favorite fertilizer is a fish emulsion. Check the package for instructions.  I add an adorable frog watering stake to moisten my flower boxes, containers, plants, and hanging baskets. 

 

How to Plant

I start by filling the garden pot planters with a mix of garden soil and moisture-absorbing granules that last all season.

This photo was taken the day I planted this planter. The image under this one shows it a few weeks later as the caladiums are sprouting.

Some Other Container Garden Ideas

Grow vegetables and herbs right outside your kitchen window in a window box as a mini herb and vegetable garden. This would sure make harvesting a breeze.

You can see more about hanging planters in this earlier post HERE.

I started this super-easy herb garden with upcycled cans and jars. You can see how I did these in this video HERE.

Do you enjoy a beautiful garden and yard? Please join me HERE for everything you need to create one project at a time. 

See you soon,

Kippi