What Are The Best Flowers For Window Boxes?

What is more pleasing to the eye than flowers in your windows? While maintaining a flower garden may not be everyone’s cup of tea, window boxes make the job easier, more convenient, and of course, more beautiful. You do not need a lot of plants to fill them up. Though it requires relatively less effort, there is no compromise in the visual appeal it adds to your home. And for that, you need to pick the right flower for the right window box.

So, what are the best flowers for window boxes? Let’s find out.

Best Flowers For Window Boxes

For a great-looking window box, you don’t just need to think of which flowers to add: you also need to consider a few little elements about your window. Elements such as the hours of sunlight the window gets if the window is in a shady area, the season you are installing the window boxes, your flower color preference, and many more. That is why we decided to help you in the process of selecting the best flowers for your window boxes under various factors.

Best flowers for sunny window boxes

When growing a plant, the most essential consideration is sun exposure. Flower plants that prefer full sun grow better in a south or west-facing window. Some of the sun-loving upright flower plants are:

• Artemisia (Artemisia)
• dusty miller (auricula)
• lavender (Lavandula)
• marigold (Tagetes)
• opal (Lachenalia aloides)
• bush basil (Ocimum minimum)
• periwinkle (Vinca minor)
• ornamental pepper (Capsicum annuum)
• rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)
• salvia (Salvia).

Though you do not have to have them all in your box, you can have different plants on different windows of your choice.

How can we make having sun-loving trailing plants that make your window visually more appealing? You must include 2 to 4 trailing plants in your window boxes.

Some of the trailing plants to choose from are:

• sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas)
• nasturtium (Tropaeolum)
• petunia (Petunia)
• dwarf soapwort (Saponaria pumila)
• thyme (Thymus)
• prostrate rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

What is more appealing than trailing flower plants?

Well, that could be climbing plants for you. These surround your structure to give it the best visual appeal it deserves. If that is what you are looking for, you can select from flower plants like:

• Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)
• honeysuckle (Lonicera)
• golden hop (Humulus lupulus)
• moon vine (Ipomoea alba).

Give these a try!

Best plants for shaded window boxes

Don’t have the sun on your windows? Do you have windows both on the south and north side? Don’t feel disappointed; not all plants love the sun equally. There are beautiful-looking flowers that thrive better in the shaded north-facing windows. A combination of trailing, climbing and upright flower plants are preferred by many flower lovers. However, you may also go for only one of the three.

• Astilbe (Astilbe)
• coleus (Coleus)
• English daisy (Bellis perennis)
• hosta (Hosta)
• impatiens (Impatiens)
• garden heliotrope (Valeriana)
• lemon balm (Melissa Officinalis)
• Lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis)
• snapdragons (Antirrhinum)

The above are some great-looking upright flower plants for your shaded windows. Add a few trailing flowers like:

• fuchsia (Fuchsia)
• peppermint (Mentha x piperita)
• creeping myrtle (Vinva minor).

If you also want climbing plants for your shaded windows, you may go for:

• trumpet vine (Campsis radicans)
• sweet autumn clematis (Clematis terniflora)

Summer flowers for window boxes

What else do you need other than flowers in the stunning summer mornings, afternoons, and evenings?

Summer is the perfect time to start installing window boxes if you haven’t previously.

Beautify your summer window boxes with:

• wire vine (Muehlenbeckia axillaris)
• blue daze evolvulus (Evolvulus nuttallianus)
• petunia
• geranium (Pelargonium)
• begonia (Begonia)
• dracaena (Dracaena)
• English ivy (Hedera helix)
• coleus
• sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima).

Spring flowers for window boxes

The spring allows you to play with flowers’ colors, so why not give your window a colorful and appealing appearance.

Make a spring flower box with some of the spring favorite flowers, such as:

• tulips
• daffodils
• hyacinths
• pansies and violas
• crocus
•  and more

Another colorful window box for spring can include:

• coleus
• vinca (Vinca)
• million bells
• asparagus fern (Asparagus setaceus).

Vinca and million bells come with long blooming periods that can last up to the fall. With these, you have an attractive design that stays blooming for a very long time.

One more way to play with colors is having a flower box of wave petunia. The pink, yellow, and bright purple flowers will overflow your window box with a stunning visual. You have more color options from the petunias genus to add to different windows of your home.

Fall flowers for window boxes

When fall knocks on your door, maybe it is time to refill your flower boxes to give them a fall exclusive appearance.

One great combo for the fall is the trio of:

• ornamental grasses
• ornamental kale (Brassica oleracea)
• chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum)

If you want to add more colors to your window box, celosia (Celosia) and coleus are a popular choice for a fall vibe.

People who love yellow would appreciate having some marigold and Craspedia (Craspedia) in their beloved window boxes. All of these plants can withstand the shining sun of fall and will never disappoint your visuals.

Do you want an added reminder for fall?

Do not forget to tuck one or two small pumpkins in your window box as Halloween and pumpkin pies are not very far off!

Best winter plants for window boxes

While you need to keep your doors shut in the winter, the same is not necessary for your winter boxes. If you plan ahead of the season, you will be ready to have a beautiful looking window up until spring. But do not get stressed: you’ll have plenty of options for the winter, too.

In the winter, add these to your window boxes:

• junipers (Juniperus)
• false cypress (Chamaecyparis)
• spruces (Picea)
• arborvitae (Thuja) for the winter

For colors, you may use pansies (Viola), or snapdragons. You can also plant cabbage (Brassica oleracea) and kale (Brassica oleracea) to add some white, pink, and purple to your gorgeous window boxes for the winter season.

Red flowers for window boxes

You can never go wrong selecting red flowers for your window boxes. After all, red is the most attention-seeking color for every season. Some red flowers are Amaryllis (Amaryllis), tulips (Tulipa), dahlia (Dahlia), red marigold, begonia, chrysanthemum, salvia, and much more. Add these red flowers with other colors for a vibrant window box.

Blue flowers For window boxes

Blue is the next must-have color in your garden after red. Often mixed with white flowers, it adds an appealing visual to your window.

Some of the best blue flowers for your window boxes are morning glory (Ipomoea), cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), delphinium (Delphinium), viola, petunia, salvia, geranium, Grape Hyacinth (Muscari), dwarf morning glory (Convolvulus triclor), bellflower (Campanula), and iris (Iris).

White window box flowers

White is always used to add contrast to your window boxes. Some widely used white flowers are petunia, begonia, sweet alyssum, sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum), tulips, and many more.

Purple window box flowers

Often mixed with blue and white, purple adds a classy touch to your window flower collection. It is a must-have color in the fall and a beautifying element in the spring. Vinca, petunias, kale, cabbage, million bells, nemesia (Nemesia), coleus, and fuchsia will add a beautiful purple flavor to your window boxes.

FAQ

We understand you have plenty of queries regarding window boxes. Below, we’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions to help answer your questions.

How do you arrange flowers in a window box?

The arrangement of a window box is very crucial to make it look appealing. You don’t just want to put plants here and there, but rather in an arrangement that looks beautiful and satisfying. You need to use your main plants like geraniums, salvia, or Angelonia in the background in the sun.

If you are using begonias put your box in the shade. Add filler annual plants like petunias in a wide range of colors, blue lobelia, or vinca in between the main plants.

Add trailing plants like sweet potato vine, ivies, or vinca vine in front of your main plants.

How many flowers should I plant in a window box?

The answer to this question depends on the size of your window and how many plants you want to place in the window box. As long as the plants have a good amount of light and are placed in a good location, they will be fine.

Are petunias good for window boxes?

Petunias are one of the most appealing additions to any window box. They come in various colors and textures to enhance the appearance of your window in any season. You can always add a pop of color with petunias!

Why add window boxes to your home?

In addition to offering a curb appeal to your structure, a window box has several benefits. Window box planters can be of any size and shape based on your choice and requirements. They are also easy to maintain. In addition to that, you can grow a wide variety of flowers and plants in a window box throughout the year.

What color should flower boxes be?

When it comes to selecting the color for your window box, go with a color that fits the style of your window and the house. The box can be a matching color to your window or your home as well. Of course, you can use a neutral color flower box, and let the color of your flowers make your box pop up. Use green foliage, as well as colorful flowers. I love adding pink flowers to mine, to give my boxes a romantic look.

What can you plant in a window box in winter?

Window boxes offer you a variety of options in the winter. You can plant junipers, false cypress, spruces, and arborvitae, pansies, violas, or snapdragons. You can also plant kale and cabbages to add some color variation to your winter window box.

What can you put in a window box besides flowers?

Window boxes are not limited to flowers alone. You may plant cabbages or other vegetables that require less space and work, conifers, berries, and even artificial flowers if you don’t have the time and energy to keep up with live flowers. You can also create a herb garden by your kitchen window.

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