How to Create Your Own Window Box

Indoor window planters offer a gentle start into the world of gardening. If you lack the time, energy or space, you can still enjoy greenery in small yet striking ways with window boxes.

The key to a fresh and colourful interior décor is to use indoor plants. Indoor plants instantly change the atmosphere of a room and add that vibrant kick your décor needs to stand out and feel complete. Indoor plants are available in an endless amount of choices of colours, textures and sizes, you are sure to find one that is a perfect fit for you and your space.

Do you ever buy fresh herbs from the supermarket? Stack them up beside the kitchen sink window? And then watch them wilt… well this project is meant for you! Herbs are a popular choice for window boxes because of their usefulness, nothing beats having fresh herbs on hand. For a well filled window box that will provide you with all the herbs you need picking all summer long, try planting these culinary favourites:

Chives

Salad friendly chives are an early and fast grower, capable of filling the back or middle section of a window box nicely. if you have a small plant, center it in the box, or place it towards the back because chives will fill out and grow upwards.

Parsley

There are a lot of different varieties of parsley, but all of them are good for a window box – just select a variety you are familiar with and plant it on one end of the planter. The long stems will have the tendency to droop and hang over the sides of the container so you’ll be able to get a trailing effect.

Lemon Thyme

Another fast filler and creeper, thyme is a herb that is great for any box, but needs to be kept in check so that it doesn’t try to take over the growing space of the other plants. Plant it towards the front and edge of your window boxes so that it can grow over the sides and take up as much room as it wants in this way.

Basil

Basil is a great container plant, but it does require more water than other herbs, so putting it in a section of the window box where it can spread out on its own without other herbs planted in front or behind is necessary. As a fast grower, your basil plant will need to be constantly trimmed and pinched so get cooking!

Coriander

Plant coriander near any basil plants because they are comfortable with frequent watering or drier conditions, making them a great soil buffer to have between the basil and other herbs. Coriander (or cilantro) will grow outwards and upwards and can be planted in any portion of the window box without getting in the way of other plants.

Window Box Tips:

1. Drainage

It is important to have a box with drainage. If your window box does not have drainage holes, layer the bottom with stone or gravel ( or old broken delph) to create drainage. Charcoal is good for minerals.

2. Prune and snip

Don’t be afraid to clip and cut. Regular pruning keeps plants in restricted space, healthy and happy. Herbs especially benefit from constant harvesting. Pruned plants grow back more thickly and compactly, too.

3. Leave room for growth

Don’t cram plants in too tightly. Leave room for roots to breath, and plants to grow.

Repotting

Spring is the best time to report and prune your plants, before the summer growth season starts. Plants typically need to be repotted every 12-18 months. A common misconception: repotting does not necessarily mean putting the plant in a new planter, but rather, changing its soil of potting mix. If you do change boxes, try not to go more than 2 or 3 inches larger than the current pot.

Signs you need to repot:

Roots are growing through the bottom drainage hole.
Roots pushing the plant up and out of the container.
Slow growth.
Plant becomes top heavy and falls over.
Plant dries out more quickly than usual.
Noticeable salt & mineral buildup on plant and/or container.

Plants/Flowers suitable for window boxes

Petunia
Trailing Ivy
Geraniums
Ferns
Pansies
Primroses