Adding window boxes do for a home what a beautiful frame does for a print… especially for homes where landscaping is sparse.   It’s amazing what that small rectangular box of greenery and flowers will do for the first impression appearance of your home’s exterior.

Window boxes themselves come in a broad variety of materials.  Vinyl, aluminum, brick, pottery, hayrack trough, wood, copper, and bronze name just a few.  However, use care when picking the.  Don’t select it just because you like it – be sure it is made of a material that compliments the structure and decoration of your home’s exterior. 

Start by finding a lightweight potting mix for container gardening. Soilless planting mixes provide excellent drainage, water-holding capability, and aeration.  Do not place pebbles in the bottom of the container.  This will allow for better drainage.

Add your foliage first and then your flowering plants last.  It is highly recommended to use a combination of live and artificial plants for creating your window boxes.  A box on the side of your house, often 10 or more feet in the air, is not the easiest place to access for weekly maintenance.   Also, that way, when the live plants are doing their live plant thing and shedding brown, crinkled leaves or losing blossoms, your arrangement doesn’t lose its luster until the next batch of blooms come along.  By facilitating the use of silk flowers or artificial plants, you can cut your work in half or eliminate it altogether if you’d like.  With hypoallergenic benefits, this is also a favorable option for seasonal allergy sufferers. 

Once your arrangement has been made, fix the box to the intended area and water weekly.  Apply pesticide to keep plant bugs from entering your home through the windows where they are hung.  This is another benefit of choosing to use artificial flowers and silk plants.