Outdoor Plant Boxes
Hello wonderful gardeners!! I am new to gardening and just moved into a house that has plant boxes on the front. They do not presently have anything growing in them though... I would really like to plant something in them but have no idea what kind of plant would be condusive to the restrictions of growing in a box with very limited soil? The other catch to it is I have to hang out of a window on the second floor in order to reach the boxes so it would be best if they are not very high maintenance... does such a species of plant exsist?? Does anyone have any information for me?? Thanks for your time!! Cant wait to get some feedback!
Hi Leah ^^
I found a great resource for containers and flower boxes from a book called "mcGee & Stuckey's: The Bountiful Container" By: Rose Marie Nichols McGee & Maggie Stuckey Under20$
It will give Tons of ideas about aesthetically pleasing as well As functional flower boxes... So you can enjoy it's bounty As well As its looks
I <3 this book!
I found a great resource for containers and flower boxes from a book called "mcGee & Stuckey's: The Bountiful Container" By: Rose Marie Nichols McGee & Maggie Stuckey Under20$
It will give Tons of ideas about aesthetically pleasing as well As functional flower boxes... So you can enjoy it's bounty As well As its looks
I <3 this book!-
rainbowgardener
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Be glad to help, but in order to make suggestions we need to know what kind of sun exposure your window box gets. What direction does the window face? How many hours a day in the growing season is it in the sun? (Are there buildings that shade it, etc).
Plants that thrive in full sun are very different from ones for a shady spot.
Plants that thrive in full sun are very different from ones for a shady spot.
Oh okay... my house faces mainly East and does not have anything that blocks it from the sun. There are no trees or buildings close enough to cast a shadow.
I would say that they get pretty high to maximum sun exposure in the growing season. At least from sunrise to midday... once the sun passes over the top of the house then they are no longer directly in the sun.
I hope that helps you help me
Thank you!
I would say that they get pretty high to maximum sun exposure in the growing season. At least from sunrise to midday... once the sun passes over the top of the house then they are no longer directly in the sun.
I hope that helps you help me
Thank you!
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rainbowgardener
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- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
I don't know of an evergreen plant that would work in a small window box, although there very well may be one I haven't heard of. Usually, though, evergreen plants get larger every year, because they tend to grow all year round. They would quickly outgrow a small window box.
One plant that would be nice, although not evergreen in your area, would be ivy geraniums ... Pelargonium peltatum. Although they would have to be replanted every spring, they are relatively hardy plants. Mine are still growing after 3 or 4 nights when the temperatures dropped below 32º, although they don't currently have any flowers. It's easy to take cuttings in the fall to winter over for replanting in the spring.
I'll continue to look around for other flowers that would do well in small window boxes. Perhaps one of our members will discover one or more species that would be winter hardy in your area, even if not evergreen.
One plant that would be nice, although not evergreen in your area, would be ivy geraniums ... Pelargonium peltatum. Although they would have to be replanted every spring, they are relatively hardy plants. Mine are still growing after 3 or 4 nights when the temperatures dropped below 32º, although they don't currently have any flowers. It's easy to take cuttings in the fall to winter over for replanting in the spring.
I'll continue to look around for other flowers that would do well in small window boxes. Perhaps one of our members will discover one or more species that would be winter hardy in your area, even if not evergreen.
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rainbowgardener
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- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
I didn't mean you should put all of those plants in one window box, just offering some choices to think about. But without pulling things out you can plant things on top of each other. Put the mums in the back with early spring things in front of them, which will be gone before the mums are blooming.
For evergreens, heartleaf bergenia is really nice. It doesn't actually stay green, but it does keep it's leaves all year round. In the winter they turn kind of pink and purple. It does stay low and small, about 6-8" tall, just gradually spreads (in which case you can just pull out some of the extra if the box starts getting too crowded). Hepatica is another one that keeps it's leaves all year round and they are very pretty leaves. And it is small and a slow grower, so won't fill up your box very fast. The bellflower I mentioned keeps its leaves. None of these will keep getting taller, just slowly spread.
Another great window box choice would be Basket of Gold..
The Alyssum Basket of Gold Compacta, 'Aurina saxatilis', is a wonderful water-wise groundcover with dense clusters of golden-yellow spring flowers. This special dwarf variety of Basket of Gold is tight, compact, and very attractive. Combine the Alyssum Basket of Gold with red tulips, blue phlox, and candytuft for a wonderful early spring color display. The dense clusters of tiny, golden yellow flowers are massed on top of the short plant. They will bloom early in the spring for 2 to 4 weeks.
https://www.naturehills.com/product/basket_of_gold_alyssum.aspx
It will just trail down over the edges of your box and get absolutely covered in golden flowers. But stays very neat and nice looking most of the year, pretty much does keep its leaves.
Hope this gives you some ideas, have fun planning (but don't let spring bulb time get away from you, a couple weeks ago would have been better!)
For evergreens, heartleaf bergenia is really nice. It doesn't actually stay green, but it does keep it's leaves all year round. In the winter they turn kind of pink and purple. It does stay low and small, about 6-8" tall, just gradually spreads (in which case you can just pull out some of the extra if the box starts getting too crowded). Hepatica is another one that keeps it's leaves all year round and they are very pretty leaves. And it is small and a slow grower, so won't fill up your box very fast. The bellflower I mentioned keeps its leaves. None of these will keep getting taller, just slowly spread.
Another great window box choice would be Basket of Gold..
The Alyssum Basket of Gold Compacta, 'Aurina saxatilis', is a wonderful water-wise groundcover with dense clusters of golden-yellow spring flowers. This special dwarf variety of Basket of Gold is tight, compact, and very attractive. Combine the Alyssum Basket of Gold with red tulips, blue phlox, and candytuft for a wonderful early spring color display. The dense clusters of tiny, golden yellow flowers are massed on top of the short plant. They will bloom early in the spring for 2 to 4 weeks.
https://www.naturehills.com/product/basket_of_gold_alyssum.aspx
It will just trail down over the edges of your box and get absolutely covered in golden flowers. But stays very neat and nice looking most of the year, pretty much does keep its leaves.
Hope this gives you some ideas, have fun planning (but don't let spring bulb time get away from you, a couple weeks ago would have been better!)