If you’re adding some patio containers or window boxes to your home, be sure that you know which flowers are perfect for hot, sunny spots and which grow best in the shade. See our lists of the best flowers for sun versus shade so that you choose the right plants based on your window’s sun exposure!
Why Choose a Window Box?
Window boxes are great for houses and apartments alike! Growing plants in window boxes puts them at eye level, which lends a different perspective than having them in your garden.
From the inside, the plants will become part of your view of the outdoors. And from the outside, the plants and container become part of the architecture.
What to Plant in Window Boxes
Wondering what to plant? 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. Window boxes look their best if they’re packed with plants!
Experienced gardeners can train climbing vines around the window frame for an ensemble effect. Connoisseurs may choose to add topiary forms as a focal point. Ivy or creeping fig topiaries or other identifiable shapes can capture the imagination.
Selecting Plants for Your Sun Exposure
Above all, the most important considerations are sun exposure and which way your window box faces. The leaves of shade-lovers will get scorched in the high light levels of a south or west-facing wall; plants that thrive in full sun will grow tall and leggy in a northern exposure.
Window Box Flowers for Full Sun
(for a sunny, hot, south or west-facing window)
| Upright |
| artemesia |
| dusty miller |
| lavender |
| marigold |
| miniature rose |
| opal and bush basil |
| ornamental pepper |
| periwinkle |
| rosemary |
| rose-scented geranium |
| salvia |
| Trailing |
| sweet potato vine |
| dwarf soapwort |
| ‘Homestead Purple’ verbena |
| nasturtium |
| peppermint-scented geranium |
| petunia |
| pink |
| prostrate rosemary |
| setcreasea |
| strawberry |
| sweet marjoram |
| thyme |
| Climbing |
| Carolina jessamine |
| golden hop |
| honeysuckle |
| jasmine |
| miniature climbing rose |
| moon vine |
Window Box Flowers for Shade
(for a shady, cool, north-facing window)
| Upright |
| astilbe |
| cardinal flower |
| coleus |
| English daisy |
| fern (maidenhair, tassel, Boston, asparagus) |
| garden heliotrope |
| hosta |
| impatiens |
| Johnny-jump-up |
| lamb’s ears |
| lemon balm |
| lenten rose |
| mophead hydrangea |
| pansy |
| parsley |
| snapdragon |
| tropical houseplant |
| wax begonia |
| Trailing |
| creeping myrtle |
| fuchsia |
| peppermint |
| clematis |
| variegated English or Algerian ivy |
| inch plant (tradescantia) |
| Climbing |
| clematis |
| trumpet vine |
Flowering Bulbs
Often overlooked for window boxes are foolproof flowering bulbs. Whether you do a fall planting of miniature daffodils, snowdrops, or hyacinths for springtime bloom, or you do a late-spring planting of lilies, alliums, or dwarf gladiolus for summertime bloom, be sure to tuck a few bulbs and corms into your window boxes for added impact.
Vegetables and Herbs
If you’ve got an accessible location, try planting edibles. Plant herbs like sage, chives, thyme, and mint. Just open the kitchen window when you need some fresh herbs!
Cherry tomatoes, lettuce, and kale mixed with marigolds will do nicely in a window box, too. Like flowers, they will need water every couple of days and fertilizer every two weeks. (Note: since a window box is just a breeze away from your living quarters, you might want to avoid aromatic fertilizers like fish emulsion.) Be sure to cultivate the soil regularly so that the water will penetrate throughout rather than just run off.
Wood, Metal, or Plastic Window Boxes?
There are many window boxes or troughs sold in garden centers than can be easily mounted or hung on a balcony or window ledge. These days, they tend to be plastic.
For a house, a wooden window box can easily be custom-built to fit the length and width of a windowsill, so wood remains the medium of choice. Its life can be extended significantly by using the box simply as a holder for a metal or plastic planter or for several potted plants. Wood is also the easiest for mounting to your house. A word of caution here—do not set the box directly against the siding of your house. Leave an inch or two of breathing space so that moisture does not build up. Make sure the box is securely fastened to your house, too, as you don’t want a strong breeze to send it flying!
Tips for Window Box Care
- Good drainage is essential. Choose window boxes that already have drainage holes, or drill some yourself. It’s important that the soil not stay oversaturated, as this could lead to root rot.
- Use a standard potting mix from your garden center, or mix your own using soil, coconut coir, sawdust, sand, and a little bonemeal. Add compost if growing edible plants. Fill the box to within an inch of the top. It’s important to use enough good potting soil around the plants so they sit firmly.
- Water and mix thoroughly. Add more soil if it has settled, and water and mix some more.
- Make sure to water and fertilize often. Window boxes that are in full sun will dry out quickly!
- Don’t be afraid to replace plants that have finished blooming with others that are fresh!
Do you live in an apartment building or condo? See how to start a balcony, rooftop, or terrace garden!
What is more pleasing to the eye than flowers in your windows? While maintaining a flower garden may not be everyone’s cup of tea, window boxes make the job easier, more convenient, and of course, more beautiful. You do not need a lot of plants to fill them up. Though it requires relatively less effort, there is no compromise in the visual appeal it adds to your home. And for that, you need to pick the right flower for the right window box.
So, what are the best flowers for window boxes? Let’s find out.
For a great-looking window box, you don’t just need to think of which flowers to add: you also need to consider a few little elements about your window. Elements such as the hours of sunlight the window gets if the window is in a shady area, the season you are installing the window boxes, your flower color preference, and many more. That is why we decided to help you in the process of selecting the best flowers for your window boxes under various factors.
Best flowers for sunny window boxes
When growing a plant, the most essential consideration is sun exposure. Flower plants that prefer full sun grow better in a south or west-facing window. Some of the sun-loving upright flower plants are:
- Artemisia (Artemisia)
- dusty miller (auricula)
- lavender (Lavandula)
- marigold (Tagetes)
- opal (Lachenalia aloides)
- bush basil (Ocimum minimum)
- periwinkle (Vinca minor)
- ornamental pepper (Capsicum annuum)
- rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)
- salvia (Salvia).
Though you do not have to have them all in your box, you can have different plants on different windows of your choice.
How can we make having sun-loving trailing plants that make your window visually more appealing? You must include 2 to 4 trailing plants in your window boxes.
Some of the trailing plants to choose from are:
- sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas)
- nasturtium (Tropaeolum)
- petunia (Petunia)
- dwarf soapwort (Saponaria pumila)
- thyme (Thymus)
- prostrate rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
What is more appealing than trailing flower plants?
Well, that could be climbing plants for you. These surround your structure to give it the best visual appeal it deserves. If that is what you are looking for, you can select from flower plants like:
- Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)
- honeysuckle (Lonicera)
- golden hop (Humulus lupulus)
- moon vine (Ipomoea alba).
Give these a try!
Best plants for shaded window boxes
Don’t have the sun on your windows? Do you have windows both on the south and north side? Don’t feel disappointed; not all plants love the sun equally. There are beautiful-looking flowers that thrive better in the shaded north-facing windows. A combination of trailing, climbing and upright flower plants are preferred by many flower lovers. However, you may also go for only one of the three.
- Astilbe (Astilbe)
- coleus (Coleus)
- English daisy (Bellis perennis)
- hosta (Hosta)
- impatiens (Impatiens)
- garden heliotrope (Valeriana)
- lemon balm (Melissa Officinalis)
- Lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis)
- snapdragons (Antirrhinum)
The above are some great-looking upright flower plants for your shaded windows. Add a few trailing flowers like:
- fuchsia (Fuchsia)
- peppermint (Mentha x piperita)
- creeping myrtle (Vinva minor).
If you also want climbing plants for your shaded windows, you may go for:
- trumpet vine (Campsis radicans)
- sweet autumn clematis (Clematis terniflora)
Summer flowers for window boxes
What else do you need other than flowers in the stunning summer mornings, afternoons, and evenings?
Summer is the perfect time to start installing window boxes if you haven’t previously.
Beautify your summer window boxes with:
- wire vine (Muehlenbeckia axillaris)
- blue daze evolvulus (Evolvulus nuttallianus)
- petunia
- geranium (Pelargonium)
- begonia (Begonia)
- dracaena (Dracaena)
- English ivy (Hedera helix)
- coleus
- sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima).
Spring flowers for window boxes
The spring allows you to play with flowers’ colors, so why not give your window a colorful and appealing appearance.
Make a spring flower box with some of the spring favorite flowers, such as:
- tulips
- daffodils
- hyacinths
- pansies and violas
- crocus
- and more
Another colorful window box for spring can include:
- coleus
- vinca (Vinca)
- million bells
- asparagus fern (Asparagus setaceus).
Vinca and million bells come with long blooming periods that can last up to the fall. With these, you have an attractive design that stays blooming for a very long time.
One more way to play with colors is having a flower box of wave petunia. The pink, yellow, and bright purple flowers will overflow your window box with a stunning visual. You have more color options from the petunias genus to add to different windows of your home.
Fall flowers for window boxes
When fall knocks on your door, maybe it is time to refill your flower boxes to give them a fall exclusive appearance.
One great combo for the fall is the trio of:
- ornamental grasses
- ornamental kale (Brassica oleracea)
- chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum)
If you want to add more colors to your window box, celosia (Celosia) and coleus are a popular choice for a fall vibe.
People who love yellow would appreciate having some marigold and Craspedia (Craspedia) in their beloved window boxes. All of these plants can withstand the shining sun of fall and will never disappoint your visuals.
Do you want an added reminder for fall?
Do not forget to tuck one or two small pumpkins in your window box as Halloween and pumpkin pies are not very far off!
Best winter plants for window boxes
While you need to keep your doors shut in the winter, the same is not necessary for your winter boxes. If you plan ahead of the season, you will be ready to have a beautiful looking window up until spring. But do not get stressed: you’ll have plenty of options for the winter, too.
In the winter, add these to your window boxes:
- junipers (Juniperus)
- false cypress (Chamaecyparis)
- spruces (Picea)
- arborvitae (Thuja) for the winter
For colors, you may use pansies (Viola), or snapdragons. You can also plant cabbage (Brassica oleracea) and kale (Brassica oleracea) to add some white, pink, and purple to your gorgeous window boxes for the winter season.
Red flowers for window boxes
You can never go wrong selecting red flowers for your window boxes. After all, red is the most attention-seeking color for every season. Some red flowers are Amaryllis (Amaryllis), tulips (Tulipa), dahlia (Dahlia), red marigold, begonia, chrysanthemum, salvia, and much more. Add these red flowers with other colors for a vibrant window box.
Blue flowers For window boxes
Blue is the next must-have color in your garden after red. Often mixed with white flowers, it adds an appealing visual to your window.
Some of the best blue flowers for your window boxes are morning glory (Ipomoea), cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), delphinium (Delphinium), viola, petunia, salvia, geranium, Grape Hyacinth (Muscari), dwarf morning glory (Convolvulus triclor), bellflower (Campanula), and iris (Iris).
White window box flowers
White is always used to add contrast to your window boxes. Some widely used white flowers are petunia, begonia, sweet alyssum, sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum), tulips, and many more.
Purple window box flowers
Often mixed with blue and white, purple adds a classy touch to your window flower collection. It is a must-have color in the fall and a beautifying element in the spring. Vinca, petunias, kale, cabbage, million bells, nemesia (Nemesia), coleus, and fuchsia will add a beautiful purple flavor to your window boxes.
FAQ
We understand you have plenty of queries regarding window boxes. Below, we’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions to help answer your questions.
How do you arrange flowers in a window box?
The arrangement of a window box is very crucial to make it look appealing. You don’t just want to put plants here and there, but rather in an arrangement that looks beautiful and satisfying. You need to use your main plants like geraniums, salvia, or Angelonia in the background in the sun.
If you are using begonias put your box in the shade. Add filler annual plants like petunias in a wide range of colors, blue lobelia, or vinca in between the main plants.
Add trailing plants like sweet potato vine, ivies, or vinca vine in front of your main plants.
How many flowers should I plant in a window box?
The answer to this question depends on the size of your window and how many plants you want to place in the window box. As long as the plants have a good amount of light and are placed in a good location, they will be fine.
Are petunias good for window boxes?
Petunias are one of the most appealing additions to any window box. They come in various colors and textures to enhance the appearance of your window in any season. You can always add a pop of color with petunias!
Why add window boxes to your home?
In addition to offering a curb appeal to your structure, a window box has several benefits. Window box planters can be of any size and shape based on your choice and requirements. They are also easy to maintain. In addition to that, you can grow a wide variety of flowers and plants in a window box throughout the year.
What color should flower boxes be?
When it comes to selecting the color for your window box, go with a color that fits the style of your window and the house. The box can be a matching color to your window or your home as well. Of course, you can use a neutral color flower box, and let the color of your flowers make your box pop up. Use green foliage, as well as colorful flowers. I love adding pink flowers to mine, to give my boxes a romantic look.
What can you plant in a window box in winter?
Window boxes offer you a variety of options in the winter. You can plant junipers, false cypress, spruces, and arborvitae, pansies, violas, or snapdragons. You can also plant kale and cabbages to add some color variation to your winter window box.
What can you put in a window box besides flowers?
Window boxes are not limited to flowers alone. You may plant cabbages or other vegetables that require less space and work, conifers, berries, and even artificial flowers if you don’t have the time and energy to keep up with live flowers. You can also create a herb garden by your kitchen window.
Window Box Flowers for Sun
Regardless of your home’s size, style, or neighborhood vibe, there are few houses that would not be complemented by a window box. Unlike a container planter on the porch or a hanging basket, a window box is an extension of your home, an accessory that marries living plant material to your architecture.
Flowers are usually the central feature of the window box for most gardeners, and if your home’s façade is sunny, you can have a large range of blooming choices. Whether you prefer a substantial wooden trough or a series of hayrack planters, your sunny window box will draw attention throughout the growing season.
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The Edible Window Box
Photo: Alison Miksch/Getty Images
Home grown salads just got prettier. Vining cherry tomatoes and mini pepper plants act as colorful and tasty anchors for a window box bursting with marigolds and herbs. Keep flowering vegetable window boxes moist and fed with a liquid fish emulsion every week to keep them productive throughout the season.
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Grow Vines in Window Boxes
Mark Swick/Getty Images
Cultivating vines in window boxes is an interesting twist for a container garden. Many window box designs employ trailing plants; the addition of vines draws the eye up. You can use a small trellis to support vines in window boxes, or take advantage of architecture as in the shutters used here. Even a few strategically placed strings can support a delicate vine. Choose small flowering vines that will not take over the limited space in a window box, like cypress vine, cardinal climber, or morning glory.
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Trailing Window Box Flowers
JoLynnemusings / Flickr / CC By 2.0
A window box gives gardeners the opportunity to make ample use of delicate trailing flowers that might succumb to mud splatters and insect pests on the ground. While petunias will always be popular, explore unusual trailing flowers like the tropical red chenille plant (pictured).
Other trailing flowers that will spill handsomely over the edges of your sunny window box planter include trailing ivy-leafed pelargoniums, black-eyed susan vine, and euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’. Intersperse your trailing flowers with trailing foliage plants like sweet potato vine or creeping jenny for textural interest.
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Window Boxes for Urban Gardens
ilovebutter / Flickr / CC By 2.0
With the help of a window box exploding with flowers and trailing plants, even an urban garden without an in-ground planting area can be transformed into a stare-worthy garden. To achieve this densely planted look, choose a moss-lined wire window box or hayrack planter, and plant top, sides, and bottom with closely spaced pelargoniums (annual geraniums). Add a few licorice plants at the bottom for foliage interest.
Continue to 5 of 11 below.
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Window Box Full of Color and Texture
Valerie Everett
You can design a window box that is a triumph of color, texture, and form. Chartreuse sweet potato vine and the spiky purple foliage of false red dracaena ensure visual interest even when the flowers of blue lobelia and yellow million bells are between blooming cycles. The pink leaves of showy perilla plants are coleus look-alikes, but are much more vigorous and sun-loving.
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Fall Flowering Window Box
Valerie Everett
When the gardening season winds down, do not let your window box display end with a whimper. Rip out tired summer annuals and replace with autumn flowers like mums. You can create your fall finale with gourds and ornamental kale as filler or create a densely blossomed look with other mums and asters.
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Winter Window Box
lillisphotography/Getty Images
The gardening season does not have to end when the snow flies. Pansies are the quintessential cold weather flower, and they are even hardier in a window box. No need to wait for half-frozen soggy winter soil to yield to your trowel with a window box planting. Even when a hard freeze is expected, pansies can bounce back, meaning you can display the first flowers on the block in early spring. Pansies will rebound from temperatures of 26 F with ease. Pair them with equally cold hardy violas, ornamental cabbage, scented stock, or sweet peas.
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Window Box Care and Maintenance
Rachel Kramer
The prominent position of a window box makes it important to give the flowers a bit of extra TLC. Some flowers, like vinca and profusion zinnias, need little or no deadheading, but petunias always look better with a weekly snipping to remove spent blossoms and to maintain a compact plant. You should also fertilize every other week, and remove yellowing or dead foliage as needed.
Continue to 9 of 11 below.
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Hay Rack Window Box Planters
Jamiesrabbits / Flickr / CC By 2.0
You may have thought you would never say the “M” word again if snails and pill bugs make Swiss cheese out of your marigolds year after year, but growing these plants above ground level will give you a new appreciation for this classic bedding plant. A trio of hayrack planters adds elegance to the monochromatic planting and provides excellent drainage as well.
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Starting Seeds in a Window Box
Teesha Dunn
If you have hesitated to start flowers from seed in the past, try direct seeding in your window box with a flower that resents transplanting, like the forgiving nasturtium. The large seeds are easy to work with, and some varieties have bluish (‘Empress of India’) or variegated (‘Alaska’) foliage. As the flowers appear, you will not be able to resist cracking the window to take a few blossoms for a peppery salad addition, or for a small nosegay bouquet.
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Seaside Window Box
Photo: Juliette Wade/Getty Images
Coastal gardens benefit from floral cheer, but you must pick hardy plants that can withstand never-ending sun, wind, and salt spray. This window box features the white flowers of sea thrift (Armeria maritima ‘Alba’ paired with Festuca glauca ‘Sea Urchin’ and Artemisia ‘Nana’).
If you love flora and fauna, a window box cascading with colorful blooms is a sure dream. Imagine how beautiful the scene of your house will be with window boxes positioned at the front of your window. The floral scents will capture the breeze of your home, rejuvenating every time you pass by. Isn’t all this so appealing?
Window plantation is the solution if you do not have outdoor space for plants. These plants are perched directly on the outside of the window, letting you feel and enjoy nature. Let us explore window boxes more.
Do you love gardening but regret not having an outdoor space? Do not worry, as window boxes will give you a mini garden feel at your home. There is no thumb rule as to what types of plants you have to include in your DIY window box planter. However, consider the time of year and location before the plantation. For the summer season, grow zinnias, petunias, and geraniums, and in the other half of the year, try mums, pansies, and purple fountain grass.
The selection of plants based on season can be cumbersome. So here we have brought on some plants that you can grow all year round. You will only have to rotate the plants in the boxes, so you have something growing throughout the year.
Golden Sword Yucca
It is a grass-like plant often seen in containers and is a hardy plant that grows all year round without much maintenance. Mostly, it is grown along with petunias as a beautiful centerpiece and is sold as decoration in the winter season, around Christmas. So why not grow your decor? It is an evergreen plant that grows all year round, and no seasonal rotation is required. Although it grows two to three feet high, its leaves are only two inches wide. This small width makes them grow in containers with ease.
Golden Creeping Jenny
Golden Creeping Jenny is an excellent choice that you have to plant once and then enjoy year after year. This beautiful perennial evergreen plant changes its color throughout the season. So one day you will have pink flowers and the next day you can expect them to turn purple. It grows not just inside the containers but trails over the edges as well. Its height is two to four inches, and its width is 12 to 18 inches. It might seem to be a spreading plant, but it grows slowly. You will easily control it once it spreads, which will only enhance the beauty of your window boxes.
Blue star juniper
Blue star juniper is a colorful plant that sits low in the container. It grows slowly and acquires a height of only three feet and a width of one to two feet. The slow growth ensures that you need to prune it occasionally and brings down the required maintenance. It comes under the category of evergreen shrub with long and slender needled leaves. If you do not want a plant that spreads much and grows across all your windows, then blue star juniper is a perfect choice in this case.
Ivy
Ivy is a rapidly growing plant that will soon fill its box and return year after year. Plant ivy can grow in all window boxes and then add bursts of seasonal choices amidst the ivy. It will give a nice appearance to your mini garden. The leaves come in different colors, varying from yellow to dark green. You can choose plants with one feature or a mix of features accordingly as you want more colors or fewer. Also, plant features will depend on the climatic conditions at your place. Reach out to any local nursery near you to identify which variety of ivy will grow the best at your location.
Bergenia
Grow bergenia if you are thinking of keeping large window boxes. This plant is not suitable for small containers like wooden boxes. Its green leaves and pink flowers blossom in the early spring. The glossy leaves and flowers spread quite a lot and thus need sufficient space to grow properly. This plant blossoms well in partial and full shade. It is a perfect plant if you want an overhanging setup. It remains green in winter and purple or bronze during the fall season. The color variations ensure to add another level of beauty to the window boxes garden.
Fuldaglut Sedum
This plant is another option that will add colors to your mini garden. The leaves turn deep red during the winter months. Plants grow in the summer season, lasting for about a month or longer. You can use a width of 10 to 12 inches to cover the surface of the window box. It works very well with plants that flower in late spring and early summer. During the summer season, flowers will add colors to your scene, and then in winter, the job will get done by the leaves.
Sweet Potato Vine
Many varieties of this plant do not flower. It grows well at all locations and thrives during the summer heat. In winter, it shows trailing foliage of colors ranging from green to purple. The vines of this plant are about 6 feet high and spread in boxes without difficulty.
Coleus
You can grow coleus with other flowering plants. It grows without the hassle and adds exceptional texture to the flowers. Sometimes after planting the flowers, there are many spaces left in the boxes. Coleus is the perfect way to cover such spaces. It acts as a filler and adds a visual appeal to the base of flowers. Its leaves come in shades of green, pink, and purple, contrasting well with the grown flowers. Coleus is a versatile plant that grows equally well indoors as well as outdoors. You can also grow some vails of it as an indoor plant.
Licorice Plant
The licorice plant is another filler option in your window boxes that add a subtle appeal when planted with other colorful flowers. The silvery-white leaves give this plant a unique appeal. It grows partially in low sun and needs less maintenance. It has fuzzy leaves that not only look pleasurable but also keep garden pests away. This feature of keeping pests away is one of the primary reasons for planting it with flowers. You can pair this plant with shrubs in pots as they act as an outstanding complement to each other.
Snapdragon
This plant is known for attracting hummingbirds. It is an upright flower with many bright colors like yellow, orange, red, white, and pink. Flowers grow in clusters and have blue to green foliage. These flowers will grow in partial to full sun and when planted in well moist soil. To get the most benefit out of their tall appearance, plant them in the rear of a flower box. The flowers store sweet nectar that attracts hummingbirds and bumblebees.
Vinca
Vinca flowers have a delicate array of glossy foliage and bright flowers. Flowers bloom from summer to fall. The height of this plant is nearly eight inches, so they cover a good amount of space in the window box. Flowers have different colors like pink, purple, red, and white. It grows best in summer and is drought tolerant. Vinca can survive even the hottest days of summer without water, making it a low-maintenance plant. There is no other plant like vinca that gives big blooms at such low care. If you are a beginner gardener, then plants are good to start with. It will provide continuous dainty giving your garden a pleasant feeling and gardening experience.
Marigold
Marigolds are easy to grow flowers and give a great filling texture to your window garden. These flowers give vibrant splashes of colors varying from yellow to orange to red. The scent of these flowers is pleasurable to the human nose but acts as a repellent to insects, thus protecting other garden flowers. Marigold is another low-maintenance flower category that does well as a backdrop in a window box.
Window boxes are not only for flowers. Although many people grow only decorative plants in these boxes, you are free to grow other plants. Other plant choices can be small gourds or pine boughs. You can also grow edible herbs like basil, oregano, thyme, and chimes. Get yourself a mini organic plantation by growing leaf lettuce, kale, spinach, and green onions.
Final Words
Plants for window boxes are not limited to the options mentioned here. To decide how many plants you want to include in your mini garden, check the size of the planter. The general rule is to include four plants for a 12-inch planter, six plants for a 16-inch planter, and so on. It ensures proper spacing for the roots to grow. We hope that you will pick some plant options from this article for your window box. Happy gardening!
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- Rare and Unusual Terrarium Plants to Grow
- How to increase humidity for indoor plants without a humidifier?
- Best Pruning Shears for Indoor Plants
- The Guide to Organic Gardening for Beginners
- Lemongrass Care for beginners: 101
- Philodendron xanadu propagation and care
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Want gorgeous window boxes? These plant lists by Proven Winners tell you exactly which flowers and vines you need to create these gorgeous combinations.
If you would like tips, see these suggestions for successful container gardening all season long.
Window Box Ideas
Window Box Recipe No. 1
Thank you to Proven Winners for providing the images of these plants and window box planters.
I love bright, contrasting colors in the garden where the plants play off each other, vying for attention.
Plant List
All plants are by Proven Winners.
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Luscious® Berry Blend™ Lantana camara Exposure: sun Hardy Zones: 9-11 |
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Sweet Caroline Sweetheart LimeSweet Potato Vine Ipomoea hybrid Exposure: part sun to sun Hardy Zone: 11 |
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Helena’s Blush Euphorbia amygdaloides hybrid Exposure: part sun to sun Hardy Zones: 6-9 |
Window Box Combination No. 2
This next one works with dark purples playing off the green planter box. Mono-color container plantings are my new favorite.
Plant List
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Angelface® Blue Summer Snapdragon Angelonia angustifoliaExposure: sun Hardy Zones: 10-11 |
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Sweet Caroline Raven Sweet Potato Vine Ipomoea batatas Exposure: part sun to sun Hardy Zone: 11 |
Window Box Combination No. 3
I once visited a garden on a tour where every single plant or flower was either green or white. When I read the description, I expected it to be kind of boring. But, as soon as I stepped into the yard, I was enchanted. It was glorious. This window box brought back that happy memory.
Plant List
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ColorBlaze® Alligator Tears™ Coleus Solenostemon scutellarioides Exposure: sun or shade Hardy Zones: 10-11 |
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Luscious® Pina Colada™ Lantana camara Exposure: part sun to sun Hardy Zone: 9-11 |
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Sweet Caroline Light Green Sweet Potato Vine Ipomoea batatas Exposure: sun Hardy Zone: 11 |
Also see this guide to growing ornamental sweet potato vine for more tips.
Tips for Gorgeous Window Boxes
Planter Size
- Choose a planter size that is the full width of your window, including the frame.
- If the window is really wide, use several window boxes to keep the weight manageable.
- If your windows have shutters, use planters that run the width of the window plus half the shutters.
- Planter not wide enough? You can disguise it by using trailing plants over the sides to make the box appear wider.
Practical Considerations
- Make sure your supports or brackets can support the weight of the planter when watered and filled with soil and plants.
- Is your planter accessible for watering and care? Will you water through the open window (without crushing the plants) or reach with a watering wand? Most planters need daily watering so it should be easy to do.
Watering Wand with Thumb Control on Amazon
Container Gardening Complete
by Jessica Walliser
This has everything you want to know about growing plants in containers: flowers, herbs, veggies, and more.
It’s packed with useful information, creative container projects, and lots of beautiful photos.
I hope you have found some ideas you like. Or, use these as starting points and see where inspiration takes you at your local garden nursery.
~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛
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Because windows are a popular cultivation spot for urban gardeners, knowing the best plants for window boxes is important! Due to their small size and efficient location right outside the window frame, window boxes offer an additional growing space that even those without a balcony can employ.
But the options for what to plant window boxes can overwhelming to you, so we are here to help! Window boxes serve multiple purposes, from pure decoration and aesthetics to practical gardening on your home’s exterior.
In this article, we’ll look at three herbs and three decorative plants you should consider planting in your window boxes.
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Fantastic Herbs For Window Boxes
If you love to cook, you probably also love fresh ingredients. The best way to get fresh ingredients? Grow them yourself. And what better way to grow your own than have a supply of fresh herbs in a window box right outside the kitchen window? Now ingredients are within arms reach whenever you need them.
Basil
Basil is one of the most popular herbs to cook with which makes it just as popular to grow. If you are starting after the last frost before spring, then you can plant the seeds directly into your window box. To get a head start on growing basil plants you can start the plants inside a few weeks earlier. As with many of these plants, you will need moist, well-draining soil.
Trim the flowers off as they show up to increase the number of leaves you can use as well as preserve the flavor of the leaves.
Peppermint
Peppermint is useful for more than just cooking. As many people know, garden pests often do not like the smell of peppermint. By growing mint in your boxes, you get a great herb to use in the kitchen and a way to keep pests away at the same time. Peppermint (and it’s oil) can also be used in tea or other home remedies to help with congestion, digestion or relaxation.
You can also use it in many different desserts. This plant is beneficial on so many levels and it should thrive in your window box.
Thyme
The thyme plant is similar to peppermint in that it has many useful applications. It has similar medicinal value, and it is also frequently used to season along with other kitchen herbs. You can use it in soups or stocks to help bring out the flavors of the additional herbs and spices.
Thyme will not grow too tall in your window box and overwhel your home’s exterior. It grows similar to a ground cover, which can help fill in a window box.
Parlsey
Although its considered by some to be an underutilized herb, parlsey is a plant that has so many culinary uses. Perfect in tabbouleh, chimichurri, and various soups and salads, you’ll be so happy you chose growing parsley in a window box.
Because parsley is a host plant for the stunning black swallowtail butterfly, you don’t even have to eat it to get a sense of enjoyment from this voracious herb. It’s an excellent addition to container gardens of all kinds.
Hyssop
If lovely blue and purple flower spikes match your garden aesthetic, growing a hyssop plant in your window box is a great choice. The leaves of this plant are lend a touch of anise or mint flavor to teas, depending on the variety you grow. You’ll also have the added benefit of attracting bees and predatory insects to your garden.
Society Garlic
Perhaps you’re more interested in growing alliums for their sharp, spicy flavors in your window box. Society garlic is one of those perennial alliums that blooms lovely purple, white, or pink globe flowers in spring, and provides you with those aromatic flavors you love. Bees love it too!
Take leaves at your leisure, and enjoy them in soups. Remember to divide the tuberous roots occasionally, and you’re set.
Calendula
While it’s not an herb valued for its leaves alone, the colorful flowers and soft leaves of calendula offer any window box lovely orange blooms from summer to the first frost. If orange isn’t your favorite color, there are plenty of pink, yellow, white, and reddish varieties out there.
New gardeners can try growing calendula from seed, to get a sense of what its like to cultivate tender perennial flowers in their garden.
Chamomile
Growing chamomile right outside your window ledge is sure to bring some peace and calm to your kitchen. Add the flower tops to teas and baked confections, or cut them and throw them in floral arrangements to include their soft fragrance and appearance.
This super cute flower is easy to cultivate, and especially suited for temperate climates. Its self-seeding nature means it may die back in frost, but these window box flowers will return in the following spring.
Decorative Plants For Window Boxes
If you don’t want an herb garden, or you have one and you are looking to add additional window boxes, then these next suggestions are for you. Ornamental window boxes are perfect to give your house a face-lift. Choose windows that are highly visible from the outside of your house to take advantage of the visual beauty these plants provide.
Blazin Rose Iresine
This plant looks gorgeous and adds some incredible color to the window box. Its bright red color and broad leaves are perfect to break up the green in your small garden. This plant can serve as an end cap to the window box, or a perfect backdrop.
It will bloom in the spring and summer and help add color to the side or front of your house. It grows quite large, so plant this in a window box that can handle the growth. If there’s room, include a dusty miller plant to add some contrasting light color.
White Licorice Plant
While iresine brought a bright and unusual red to your window box, white licorice plant does something more subtle. This plant, much like bright pink petunias, has small, fuzzy leaves with a brilliant silver color that grow along the front of your window box. It serves as a great base as it overflows the front and sides of the planter. It stands out from the rest of the plants and help fill in the gaps at the same time.
Angelface Blue Angelonia Hybrid
Angelonia helps add more color to your window box, similar to the iresine mentioned earlier. It’s a tall narrow plant that has a brilliant purple color. This addition of a bright color and different shapes can help bring together the different plants in your window box.
Bright purple blooms poking out above the rest of the plants offer the perfect finishing touch. Angelonia is low-maintenance and it can survive dry conditions. Its scent will attract pollinators that can help your perfect window box flourish.
Coleus
When it comes to foliage plants, coleus is king! These plants with their exciting and vibrant leaves are found in pretty much every garden center and big box store around. You have lots of options when it comes to color scheme and hardiness, as coleus is one of the most cultivated plants in the world.
It’s probably the best starter plant for newer gardeners on this list as well. Plant these with creeping jenny to offset their colors.
Lantana
Similar to coleus in its availability and versatility, is the lantana plant. Instead of just foliage, though, you have compound flowers that come in white, purple, yellow, red, or multiple colors in one. You do not need a green thumb to grow this one.
Lantana is another plant that brings in solitary bee species and butterflies, and it blooms from spring through the first frost. It is prolific, though, so look for a vining variety, and be prepared to prune it regularly.
Vining and Hanging Plants for Window Boxes
While they may not seem like they would work in a window box, vining plants spill over the sides and trail down, adding extra interest to the urban garden. Let’s talk about some of the unsuspecting vines that work well in window boxes.
Sweet Potato Vine
Growing a tuber in a window box? Is that even possible? Yes, it is, and though you might not get a huge tuber harvest, you’ll have a lovely and luscious sweet potato vine trailing over the side of the window box. Like coleus, there are several choices of foliage color and shape of sweet potato vine to choose from, and many sweet potato vines are well-adapted to high heat.
If purple isn’t your style, try a chartreuse sweet potato vine! That makes the drought tolerant plant known as the sweet potato vine great for southern gardeners or behind stands of purple fountain grass. Trailing vines of sweet potato are great in any garden, though.
Butterfly Pea
In a similar vein, we have the trailing flowers of butterfly pea. This is yet another plant that vines and produces flowers that are great in teas and cooking. The blooms add a lovely purple color to teas they’re added to, and true to their name, they attract butterflies.
There are some purple and pink species, but growing a vine that has stunning cyan blooms in your window box is sure to dazzle the eye. Pair it with a little dusty miller and you’re set.
Swedish Ivy
Specialized for hanging baskets and window boxes is the Swedish ivy plant. This mint family member has snapdragon-like flowers that come in whites and pinks. The leaves are leathery, round, and toothed, which adds variety to the vertical garden.
If you like growing this plant, you can easily propagate it via cuttings, and plant it in your other window boxes.
Burros Tail
We certainly love succulents, which is why we couldn’t leave out burros tail! The plush spiraling leaves of this plant work well in hanging baskets and window boxes alike. Especially suited to gardeners in arid climates, you can back your front xeriscape garden with window boxes full of trailing sedum plants.
In optimal climates, you’ll even have a few of the unique red burros tail flowers in summer. In hot regions, plant it in a north facing window box.
Nasturtium
You may already be growing nasturtium alongside your container garden full of potted plants, but did you know there are vining varieties that work very well in window boxes? Try the vibrant red and orange colors the Yeti climber lends to the garden.
Not only will you have a place to rest your eyes, you’ll also have peppery flowers to add to your salads. You can even try planting multiple types of these sun loving flowers in each of your window boxes.
Black Eyed Susan
Similar to nasturtium, there are black-eyed Susan trailing plants. This plant is sure to please any gardener with its fast growing habit and plentiful flowers and foliage. That being said, get ready to prune this baby, so you don’t have it propagating at the ground below your window box.
Even the buds of this plant are lovely. Careful growing it in tropical and subtropical regions, though. It’s invasive in some US states.
Peppercorn Plant
Yet another edible plant that grows nicely in window boxes is the peppercorn plant. Not only do tropical gardeners get the benefit of gorgeous vertically veined leaves, they can also harvest their own peppercorns! The only thing to look out for with this plant is root-boundedness. Ensure you’re dividing it regularly if it has perennialized in your garden.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many plants should I put in a window box?
A: For the plant listed above, stick to one per container. While it may be possible to throw a couple in one, you want to see how the plants you’ve chosen grow before throwing them together.
Q: What can I plant in a full sun flower box?
A: Many of the plants listed above enjoy and need full sunlight. Several window box flowers need full sun, and so do many herbs. Creeping jenny and the sweet potato vine love full sun too.
Q: Can you plant perennials in window boxes?
A: Absolutely! If they are fast-growing perennials or flowering plants, you’ll want to ensure you’re dividing them regularly to keep them from becoming root-bound.
Q: What can you put in window boxes besides flowers?
A: Herbs and several foliage plants are perfect for window box planting. The sweet potato vine is a great choice!
Q: What do you put in the bottom of a window box?
A: Some people put pea gravel or rocks in the base of a window box for drainage. However, this can create a water table that can put your plants in a stressful environment. It’s better to incorporate the gravel throughout the growing medium to increase drainage.
Q: How do you pick plants for a window box?
A: Simply head to the nursery and grab some plants that work well in hanging baskets (like variegated ivy), or choose some of your favorite herbs.
Q: What is the easiest flower to grow in full sun?
A: On this list, lantana and calendula both love full sunlight. Variegated ivy is another good choice.
Q: What flowers can you plant in a window box?
A: There are so many flowers for window boxes. Every flowering plant on this list can be your choice for window box flowers!