Window Box Beauty Basics

May 14, 2019

Window boxes bring the flower power color of spring and summer right up under your front windows and make it part of your house – viewable from the inside and out. Maybe that’s why we love window boxes – the explosion of hues is a happiness catalyst during warm weather. What’s more beautiful than a burst of color to bring your home curb-appeal perfection? But before you go hanging heavy boxes on your house, and filling them with nutrient-rich soil and your favorite flowers, take a look at some of these window box tips, pros and cons.

Window Box Materials

The Xerxes make a case for PVC window boxes because they won’t rot, maintain air flow in the soil and regulate temperature. Plastic is more durable and absolutely child and pet-friendly – unless they’re made of the more toxic variations (#3PVC, #6PS and #7 polycarbonate) – let’s face it cedar window boxes do have a lot more charm. And if you follow this easy-peasy, step-by-step DIY tutorial from Shades of Blue Interiors, its handy supplies and wood cut list will enable you to make one or more box the right length of your window(s). 

Better Homes and Gardens has a tutorial for a galvanized steel window box made of a hen tray and buckets. Believe us, it looks way cooler than we just made it sound! You can always pick up a window box or two from the nearest Lowe’s or Home Depot – both less than 10 minutes from Southshore – or order one from Wayfair or Etsy. 

Consider the following pros and cons from ASCEDU.com, whichever material you choose. A window box may block light coming inside from a window, they can be hard to get to for food-and-water maintenance, you may not be able to spray them with insecticides, and dirty water may stain your window ledges and/or siding.

Window boxes are not only simple to DIY, they’re also relatively simple to install and uninstall if necessary. If your windows open, the flowers can be easy to take care of, you can grow herbs and vegetables in the boxes (away from rabbits and deer)! and you can check on plant progress and health from inside your house. And if you feel like the maintenance is too discouraging – get a self-watering window box from Gardners.com and call it a day!

Which Flowers Box Best?

Now let’s get to the window box basics for people whose green thumbs are itching to plant a pretty box. Which flowers will you pick to liven up the façade of your exterior and give you daily pleasure to gaze at? Bob Vila starts off with the lush foliage of sweet potato vines, which come in many colors – from deep purple to gray/green/pink varieties. They are low maintenance (the best part!) and easy to grow. Sweet potato vines cascade over the edges and add visual interest to both window boxes and planters.

Ornamental grasses add height, color, and texture to a window box and visual interest through the fall. Choose a grass like Pennisetum setaceum “Fireworks”, which has delicately frothy fronds and a vibrant purplish-pink color.

For window boxes in the shade, choose impatiens, petunias, coleus, ivy, forget-me-nots and caladium, suggests the Garden Lovers Club. 

The Spruce recommends its favorites for window boxes including bacopa, million bells, verbena, lobelia, pansies, coral bells, heliotrope and begonias. Use the thriller, filler, spiller formula for arranging – taller plants in the back (thriller); medium height, densely packed plants in the middle (filler) and trailing plants on the edges and at the front (spiller). The Old Farmer’s Almanac has lists of thriller, filler and spiller plants. Check it out. Take a look at a bevy of awesome ideas from Botanical Blitz for container, garden and window box inspiration!  

Bursts of Color in Southshore

The residents in the master-planned community of Southshore love giving their homes a burst of color in the form of flowering plants. Check out our “away-from-it-all” ambiance with access to Life at the Lake, and convenient to dining, shopping and lots of entertainment. Tour the model homes from Century Communities, Richmond American Homes and Toll Brothers — in ranch and two-story designs – and priced between the $400s and the $700s.