When saluting the beauty and grace of Charleston, South Carolina, one of our readers» favorite destinations, you’ll soon discern the town’s signature signs of welcome—window boxes overflowing with flowers.
Window Box Essentials
Charlestonians favor window boxes for two very practical reasons. One, Charleston is a tourist destination, and residents like to dress up for the visitors. Two, many homes in the historic district don’t have front yards. Window boxes provide the only gardening space available.
Tips For The Best Window Boxes
There is a right and wrong way to start a window box and then nurture the plants you choose. Let’s focus on what is right and beautify those windows just how you want them.
Ensure Proper Drainage
Be sure the window boxes have drainage holes. Leave at least one-half of an inch between the window box and the side of the house for water to drip through. This setup is essential for houses with wood siding. You want your window box to be in a good position, visible on the outdoor surface of your home, but not too close that it will do any damage.
Watch The Weight
Ensure the filled window boxes are light enough and the support brackets can hold the box’s weight when attached to the house. You can significantly reduce weight by filling fiberglass window boxes with potting mix, not soil.
Variety Is The Spice Of Window Boxes
One simple rule to make window boxes more interesting: variety. Plant a combination of plants. Choose a thriller (something tall), spiller (something to trail over the sides), and colorful fillers. One thriller option is the spiky cordyline, which pairs with a white bacopa spiller, and fillers such as yellow million bells, coral twin spur, and orange snapdragons.
Plant Seasonally
Plant a million bells, lobelia, bacopa, twin spur, snapdragons, violas, nasturtiums, and flowering kale for cool weather. Switch to lantana, verbena, begonias, angelonia, impatiens, coleus, sweet potato vine, fan flower, narrow-leaf zinnia, and Wave petunia for warm weather.
Keep The Box Hydrated
Remember to water. Plants in window boxes dry out faster than those planted on the ground. Fertilize every two weeks with a water-soluble fertilizer such as Miracle-Gro. Or incorporate a granular slow-release fertilizer, such as Dynamite, into the potting mix before planting.
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