These are a Few of my Favorite Things: {Window Boxes}

I *heart* {window boxes}

The collage is a random assortment of window boxes I've planted over the last six years.

Let me give you a little background....

I'm a gardener.  It's in my blood.  Seriously.  I have this special gardening blood running in my veins.  I can't help it!  I swear!!!!  It's Not My Fault!


Plus- my family is from Austria. What does that have to do with window boxes?  Well, have you ever seen photos of the European-style window boxes that are filled with gorgeous clumps of ivy geranium (plus other pretty flowers)?  That would be my Oma's amazing window boxes.  See.  I told you it was in my blood, didn't I?

So when we built this house eight years ago I was HUGELY pregnant with Annika.  And in no mood to garden or do much of anything.  Especially since I was hugely pregnant in the middle of summer.  Summers here are hot and humid in the Midwest.  Did you know that?  Not this Alaskan Girl....so naturally I was also a Very Grumpy and Hugely Pregnant Wife.

After Annika was born my Mama came and stayed with us for a little while.  One of the nicest things she did was weed what-was-to-become my flower bed in front of my house.  While she did that very nice thing it dawned on me that I really need some cheerful, easy-to-plant, easy-to-care-for window boxes .  That way if I did nothing else than plant those window boxes I'll have a happier looking place.  At least says me!  (keep in mind that I also went through a *small* spell of postpartum depression)

My dream became a reality the following Mother's Day (I think that might have been my first Mother's Day!). What a great gift!!!  Thanks Mark!

Over the years many things have changed but the window boxes remain.  Actually, last year Mark made window boxes for my upper windows as well! For Mother's Day, of course!

Now I have a total of eight window boxes to fill.  Therein lies the challenge!  The challenge being filling the window boxes so they're nice and full but not spending $$$ on them in the process.  I don't know about you but I prefer my boxes to be full.  I don't like the look of a single row of lethargic petunias or geranium.  I mean....those could look nice in the right circumstances but not here.  Let's face it- I love my house but it really needs that extra burst of color that only the window boxes can provide.  However, I'm always surprised at how many plants (and hence dollars) it takes to properly fill the window boxes so that they look nice. No puny window boxes for me- thank-you-very-much! :-)

The window boxes also provide a resting spot for birds and butterflies.  We've had so many close encounters with them (being on the other side of the glass helps).  I love using plants that they'll love.  They just keep coming back!

I do try to change the window boxes in the fall (using gourds or whatever else I may have on hand).  I still haven't quite gotten the look I'm after during the winter months (using tiny evergreen shrubs lit up with a string of lights or artfully arranging lots of evergreen branches in the boxes and decorating it for Christmas).  However, I use the window boxes as platform bird feeders during the winter months to encourage close encounters with birds over the long, dark & cold winters.  I think it's a win-win situation for us all!

This year I can't decide what to do.  This is where you come in- got any ideas for me?  The window boxes are facing West so they get the hot afternoon sun.  (no morning sun though)  I'm in zone 4 (although all the gardening catalogs say I'm zone 5). What do you think?  Things that have done well in the past: sweet potato vine, coleus, impatiens (if watered frequently), petunias, and bacopa. 


I was almost wondering if it'd be cost effective to buy already planted hanging baskets and plant them in my window boxes.  Has anybody ever tried doing that?  

I'd love to hear your ideas on what to fill the window boxes with!    

Here are some inspiration photos I've had stashed in my gardening folder....

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