Instant Curb Appeal
Let’s just face it, many of us don’t have as much space to garden as we would like to. For some, our backyards are only big enough for a small herb garden, for apartment dwellers, we might not even have that luxury. However, some of us without this green space, still have a green thumb. So if you’ve ever dreamed of looking out the window into your garden, dream no more! A hanging window box is the perfect solution to increase your gardening space, and the right one can add a touch of class and color to your windowsill. Window boxes work great for flowers, herbs, and other small plants, but the possibilities are limitless if you are creative enough with the limited space you might have.
Increase Your Garden Space
If you plan on using a hanging window box for your gardening needs, you will want to make sure that you get a durable box that’s going to have no problem hanging onto your windowsill for a while. Your substitute for a large backyard garden shouldn’t be a garden that can barely hang onto the window sill, get a hanging planter box that’s going to be last.
Showcase Your Skills
Secondly, make sure your box matches the character of the gardener. If you were gardening in your backyard, the trellising and other decor in that garden would reflect your personality. Maybe you want to display the fun and wacky side of your personality, maybe you want to show a professional tendency towards gardening, or maybe you just want something that will provide a nice contrast to a window or balcony. Think of this, a hanging window box contains the entirety of the garden in one place. This hanging garden is the garden itself, but its quality will allow you to showcase both your own gardening skills and your gardening personality.
Limitless Choices
Once you have found a window planter box that is everything that you dreamed of, you are going to need to find something to plant in it. While you are going to have plenty of options, the unfortunate reality is that you will not be able to put absolutely whatever you want in the box. Planting an orchard in hanging window boxes isn’t quite feasible, so you are going to have to stay away from planting apple trees in your window box. You will also probably have to cross out planting rose bushes or other large flowering plants such as lilacs or peonies. However, you still have a large number of options to choose from, as plants come in thousands of shapes and sizes, color and hues, categories and genres. Some of the most popular plants for window boxes are flowers, herbs, and other shallow root vegetables.
Flowers, Flowers, Flowers
Flowers are certainly the most popular plant to grow in window planter boxes. With a smaller, shallow root system, these plants just don’t need the same space and depth to grow that other plans will require. This makes smaller flowers a must have for flower gardeners confined to the smaller sized window flower boxes. Some favorites include pansies, geraniums, petunias, and even daffodils among many others. Flowers will often be a little more delicate though, so make sure that shade loving blooms are not placed in direct sunlight.
Or Maybe You Prefer Spicy
Herbs are also among the tried and true varieties of hanging window boxes. These little guys can be used to spice up different meals and provide a green cover in your window box. Like flowers their root system won’t go super deep, so most herbs should thrive in a window box setting. Look for herbs like basil, thyme, mint, parsley or cilantro, among many others to plant outside your window.
Veggies in a Box
Vegetables can be somewhat less common among window box users, however, this doesn’t mean that it can’t or shouldn’t be done. You will certainly have to be more picky about which vegetables you are able to grow in your window box, as some will require larger and deeper root balls that are not sustainable in a hanging planter box. Some of the options you might consider would include vegetables like spinach, lettuce, asparagus, peppers, small onions, and potentially small carrots or radishes. Vegetables can be a fun way to bring an authentic gardening experience to an apartment or back yard-less home, so go ahead and try planting some of these different plants and veggies.
Create Your Garden
In today’s world many gardeners are often confronted with the limitations of their own space. The lack of a true canvas can be a troubling prospect, however, window box planters help to provide the surface for the artist's work. Consider adding a hanging window box to your home and creating your own little garden no matter where you live.Â
Happy Gardening!