Window Boxes are a great way to add color and life to your home. You can plant window boxes for any season. They can be planted with flowers, vegetables, herbs, or all of them! 

To plant your window box, you will need some soil, compost or fertilizer, and plants (either seeds or seedlings). You should also consider what types of plants you want to grow - flowers for beauty or vegetables for food - and pick accordingly.

Tips on Planting Window Boxes:

• Select an appropriate window box size for the area you have available.
• Consider how much sunlight the window receives during the day.
• Place the window box in an area that has easy access for watering and harvesting.

For this blog post, we are going to focus on flowers you can use in your window boxes under different growing conditions.  These plants can be put in your window boxes now!

Full to Partial Sun Flowers 

Calibrachoa – These cute little flowers are considered mini-petunias and come in just about every color. There are double flowers and ones with patterns. This flower loves the sun and the key to keeping them happy is fertilizing them. They can be cut back to encourage more blooming.

Petunia - Petunias are probably the most popular annual flower around the world. With these flowers, you will have non-stop blooming. Similar to the calibrachoa, they come in so many colors including black.  There are also double flower varieties, ones that are splattered, and striped with darker veins. 

Sweet Alyssum - Sweet Alyssum has a pleasant honey-like fragrance. Alyssum flowers grow in clusters on stems that can reach up to about 18 inches in height. The flowers themselves have five petals and grow in a variety of colors including white, pink, and purple. If you cut the flowers back in mid-summer, they will bloom all over again.

Shade or Partial Shade Flowers

Fuchsia - Fuchsia flowers come in many varieties, but they all have the same common traits. They are bright, colorful, and have a sweet smell. Fuchsias come in different colors like deep purple, red, pink, white, or yellow. The most common color is purple or pink with white accents on the edges of the petals.

Impatiens – Impatiens will thrive in a shady window box. They bloom in many colors including many shades of pink, purple, red, and white. This low-maintenance plant is easy to care for and will brighten up your window box. These plants will continuously bloom for the entire growing season.

Oxalis – Oxalis is known for its shamrock-shaped leaves and tubular flowers that open and close with light exposure. While the flowers are pretty the foliage is the real attraction for the plant. There are many different species including Iron Cross, Purple Shamrock, and Golden Cape.

Drought-Tolerant Flowers

Lantana – Lantana loves the heat and does well even when temperatures start to rise. It will bloom fairly quickly and continue through fall. They grow tiny clusters of solid or multicolored flowers in many hot hues such as red, pink, orange, yellow, or white. This plant doesn’t need to be fed or watered a lot.  Too much water can even decrease blooms.

Portulaca – The flower on this plant resembles a rose and often has double flowers which come in bright or pastel colors. The blooms close in the evening and don’t open on overcast days. This heat and drought-tolerant plant loves the sun. It thrives in high heat and low humidity conditions.

Zinnia – Zinnias are an old-fashioned favorite and are heat-loving and drought tolerant. This plant comes in different colors, shapes, and sizes. They grow quickly and are dependable, making them a great choice for new gardeners.  Zahara Zinnias are a type of zinnias that does not need as much watering.

Trailing Plants

Bidens - Bidens are bright and cheerful daisy-like flowers.  While you often find them in yellow, they are also available in orange, pink, red, and white.  In the last few years, there are many new bi-color and patterned varieties developed by breeders. These flowers are easy to care for and look great cascading over the side of a window box.  Once the plant is established it is also drought tolerant.

Creeping Jenny – Creeping Jenny has leaves that are round and come in vibrant chartreuse green. The foliage takes on a yellow hue in bright sunny conditions and it also produces yellow flowers in the summer. It will do well in partial shade and is generally not bothered by pests or diseases. The plant can be used in pots where it will spill over the edges of the container or weave itself in between other plants.

Trailing Lobelia – Trailing Lobelia has long-lasting flowers that have a delicate texture. The small flowers come in shades of blue (my favorite and the most popular color), pink, purple, and white. Trailing lobelia doesn't need a lot of maintenance. It begins to bloom in spring and continues until it's killed by the arrival of cold weather.

Let us know your favorite flowers for window boxes!

Photos courtesy of Jill Mazur