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In our previous post we discussed great window box plants and flowers, but if you aren’t one of the lucky people blessed with green fingers, how can you know what works with what?

Just like there are many types of window design, window glass and window frames, there are window boxes suited to each and every differentiation. Let’s look at a selection of the most popular ones and cover some window box suggestions that we think work rather well:

Dormer windows

Sometimes a dormer window is slightly overshadowed by the surrounding structure, so to lift the window and make it the centre of attention, there’s nothing better (or brighter) than a blend of:

  • Tuscany Violet for vibrant colour
  • Kale for shape and volume
  • Coral bells for that different touch
  • Sedge for texture

Feature windows

The sheer width and height of a main feature window can sometimes seem overwhelming when it comes to choosing a selection of fauna and flora to fill a compatible window box. But when it comes to a statement window, a statement window box is essential. Big is better:

  • Bacopa’s blooms come in calming shades of lavender, blue, white, pink and the rarer, more vibrant, coral red. Although Bacopa is an annual plant, it blossoms speedily and is often flush with tiny flowers from June through October.
  • Calibrachoa with its trumpet shaped flowers is a perfect passenger for an expansive window box, as it can grow to heights of 15cm and spread over the same distance in width.
  • Heliotrope (or the Cherry Pie Plant) gives off an aromatic fragrance, akin to vanilla and cherries, hence the name. This coupled with its pretty purple flowers makes it a beautiful addition to  a large window box, guaranteeing that the focus is on the box and not the window.
  • Daisy for a touch of simplicity, home comfort and all round flower power.
  • Shrimp plant for a touch of variety. Named because of its likeness to the sea creature, this coral coloured, tubular shaped petaled plant is known for its subtropical existence as well as a window box feature.
  • Licorice vine adds essential green texture and depth and although it is predominantly an annual, if treated with care it can be grown successfully as a perennial.

Shabby chic windows

Round and/or small windows cope considerably better accessorised with a touch of elegance and simplicity, as opposed to big and bold. Windows with shutters, tempered glass or even stained glass windows will possibly clash with a window box packed to the brim with pick and mix flowers. Keeping it white and elegant works best:

  • Geraniums (Kashmir white) are hardy, prolific bloomers and repeat flowerers.
  • Bacopa, as already seen in the recipe for the larger window box, really does shine during its white bloom.
  • Impatiens ‘Xtreme white’, really is extreme in its abundance of flowers. The short thick stems of foliage produce bright blooms that pop up right until hard frost appears.
  • Ivy adding the silver grey variety of the Ivy plant gives depth and provides the perfect background for the wedding-like spray of white flowers delicately framing the bold designs of the ‘busy windows’.

Whatever the window and whatever the window box arrangement, it’s good to research what plants marry best.

[Photo by marybettiniblank]