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There has never been a time in my life, to date, that I have not been a sucker for a window box. As an artist they have great appeal to me. As a traveler I am awed at the millions of window boxes that adorn the homes though out Europe and the Mediterranean.
When our middle son Fred was alive I could get him to build me just about any container for a window box and he would always build them out of salvaged wood that he always managed to have around. The minute the big wooden boxes came in containing the stained glass and they were unloaded I snagged them.
There is a joke in our family that the Hapsburgs had their gold color and that I had the Correll Blue! Every one of my containers eventually got a coat of the Correll Blue.
When you decide to put up some window boxes there are a myriad of types and styles to choose from including, but not limited to, plastic, terra-cotta, wrought iron with coco mat, metal and even concrete ones. These are usually expensive and a bit harder to work with. I like the old softwood and hardwood boxes that Fred made for me.
A good size to make your boxes is that they should be about 8 inches wide so your plants have room for top growth and 8 inches deep for the roots and your box should either be a couple of inches longer than your window or a couple of inches short to give a good look to the overall appearance. Remember to drill some drain holes in the bottoms.
Make sure your window boxes get plenty of sun. Fred made some for the shade side of our home and after two years I stopped spending the money to fill them. My daughter-in-law’s three cats use them to sleep in now.
We also have really deep over hanging eaves on all our houses when we build them, so our window boxes usually do not get a lot of rain unless it is a driving rain and we have to water them ourselves most of the season.
I mostly plant directly in the window box, but you can also drop in potted plants and will around them with sphagnum moss, bark or whatever other light weight material you may have. Remember when your boxes are long then you will to put supporting brackets under them because they will become very heavy when they are filled. Another way to work with your window box is to put plastic or metal liners in them and that way you can lift them out and replace the plants when needed.
When you are ready to fill your window boxes cover the drain holes with some old screening and put about a one inch layer of gravel on top of the screen so the water can drain down without losing the soil.
Your window boxes once filled and blooming will need constant attention such as a good organic liquid fertilizer, lots of water and removal of dead blooms and leaves to encourage new blooms and leaves.
I like to choose plants that compliment each other, but my most favorite window box plant are Geraniums. All different colors of them, pinks, purples, reds, whites and I mix in some of the following plants to compliment them. Sweet Alyssum, lobelia, pansies, petunias, especially the cascading ones, impatiens (where they get shade), dianthus are all great annuals for window boxes.
I sometimes use the following perennial plants such as Dwarf bulbs, ground ivy, again Geraniums and especially Ivy Geraniums, all colors (but if it gets really cold then consider the geraniums to be annuals), English Ivy and miniature roses.
Not only do my window boxes brighten up the outside of our home, but we love to sit besides the long great room window at meal times and look out at the flowers showing through the window.
Consider building some window boxes for your home.
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Author Bio Box: Arlene Wright Correll
 For more gardening or cooking information click http://www.learn-america.com/
To see Arlene’s Gardens and to read her gardening diaries or click on Arlene’s Books where you can download or buy her gardening & cook books. Arlene says, “All my royalties from the sale of my books go to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and I thank you for visiting my site.”
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