Whether it’s for work, family or the love of the hurly burly lifestyle, life in the confined spaces of the city is ideal for many people. The lack outside areas doesn’t mean that a love of plants has to be sacrificed, as a window box packed full of bright flowers and oxygen boosting plants can be just as therapeutic to our wellbeing as it is enjoyable on the eye.
It’s important to get the right size and shape of window box, but it’s vital to get the correct mix of plants and flowers for the season. Here is an example of some great flowers and plants that work well in window boxes:
Sweet Potato Vine
This is commonly used in container boxes as it climbs over the edge and grows downwards, spreading its bright yellow flowers along its path. Perfect for window boxes as it grows fast and needs little maintenance.
White Licorice Plant
The perfect plant for the front spot in any window container. This silvery-white plant grows low and wide, adding character and texture amongst a blend of fauna and flora.
Summer Snapdragon
These lovely purple flowers add impressive height and a beautiful aroma of grapes to a summer window box. As they thrive amongst a south or west facing window box arrangement, the cuttings offered are exceptionally long lasting.
Fiber Optic Grass
Although this may not be to everyone’s taste, these wiry grass blades with tiny silvery bud-like flower heads adorning the tips give a window box a lovely, decorative feel. Likened to the fairground glowsticks, these plants should not be in easy reach of small children or pets, as if ingested all parts of the plant can be poisonous and can cause an allergic reaction.
‘Blazin Rose’ Iresine
This hardy South American plant can reach heights of up to 18 inches tall. It provides a spark of real colour with its large green, burgundy or bronze leaves, peppered with fluorescent pink veins.
Frosted Curls
Not only does this grass have a fabulous name, the plant’s silvery-green leaves shimmer with the slightest touch, making it a wonderful addition to a window box.
Babylon Red Verbena Hybrid
This plant is perfect for attracting butterflies with its stunning posies growing from 5 to 9 inches tall and trailing up to 35 inches in length. The mildew resistant red blooms make this the perfect window box flower as it’s simple to grow, needs little maintenance and offers vibrant red flowers all year round.
Dracaena
When you need to fill up the back or sides of the window box with something green and spiky, look no further than Dracaena. This intensely dark green foliage can grow really tall but it takes some time, so weekly pruning isn’t a necessity.
Coleus
The beauty of this plant is its variety. There really is something for everyone amongst its many colours, sizes and shapes. Easy to grow, easy to look after and easy to propagate – what more do you need?
Salvia
Although some people choose to grow herbs in their window boxes, some people prefer their first cousins. Salvia is related to the sage family and grows into beautifully tall shoots of warm purple. Take note though, these plants are susceptible to bugs so thoroughly check them before planting next to other plants and flowers.
It’s important to get the right mix of plants and flowers for the size and shape of window so in our next post we shall look at some recipes for window boxes.
[Photo by Spencer Means]