What are the Best Flowers for Window Boxes?
The best flowers for window boxes are a delightful way to instantly enhance the aesthetic appeal of your home with bursts of vibrant beauty.
For a delightful enhancement of your home’s aesthetic appeal, consider flowers or greenery in your window boxes; the chosen colors will undoubtedly uplift your surroundings, eliciting smiles from passersby.
Even with a minimal number of plants, window boxes have a remarkable impact, creating an eye-catching display that can be enjoyed both from the outside and within your home.
Wondering what to put in your window boxes? Keep reading to find out the best flowers to make them look great.
Best Flowers for Window Boxes
Here are some of the best flowers for window boxes for a beautiful display:
1. Calla Lily Combo
Imagine a box by your window bursting with colors! There are tall yellow flowers in the back, big fluffy yellow and white ones taking up most of the space, and tiny white flowers spilling over the sides.
Yellow, white, purple, and green stand out against the black shutters. The plants are of different heights, making the box look nice and full.
2. Verbena
Sun-loving verbena spills out of window boxes and containers, bringing lively colors to your space.
There are various types, like the Violet Ice with its bright purple blooms and the Candy Cane, showing red and white stripes. These plants love to add a vibrant touch to your outdoor areas.
3. Easter Lilies
Easter lily plants stand tall with their trumpet-shaped blooms. They’re surrounded by English ivy and pink hyacinths.
These Easter lilies and hyacinths grow from bulbs and can be swapped out for summer flowers when they’re done blooming. The English ivy remains attractive adding beauty to your window boxes.
4. Vibrant Colors
Spring doesn’t have to be all about light, soft colors. Some great flower box ideas make use of rich and deep colors.
In this lush window box, we’ve got a mix of plants like variegated coleus, million bells (which are like small-flowered cousins of petunias), vinca, and asparagus fern.
The million bells and vinca bloom for a long time, usually from spring until the first frost in the fall.
5. Playful Window Boxes with Mixed Shapes
In this picture by Laura Harley, petunias create a lovely blend with the more defined foliage layered behind them.
Mixing different shapes adds a playful touch, ensuring your window box is always a delight to behold.
6. Cheerful Daffodils in the Sun
Planting a single type of bulb, like daffodils, in your window box has its benefits. They all burst into bloom simultaneously, creating a spectacular display.
Choose a window box with decent depth and proper drainage, as daffodil roots prefer to stretch downward and don’t enjoy sitting in waterlogged soil.
7. Petunia Party
This window box is a lively gathering of petunias in vibrant purples, pinks, and yellows.
The petunia family offers a wide range of choices, from single and double blooms to smooth and ruffled petals, and a variety of patterns like stripes, veins, and solid colors.
With so many choices, you can customize your window box to match your taste perfectly.
8. Simple Elegance in Green and White
In this window box, a neat arrangement of plants with white flowers, such as petunias, begonias, Angelonia angustifolia “Archangel White,” and sweet alyssum, creates a symmetrical and calming effect.
The white blooms stand out against the backdrop of black shutters and white-painted brick houses with white wood trim, adding a touch of contrast while maintaining a natural feel.
9. Beautiful Variegated Ivy
Variegated ivy is a versatile plant that flourishes in various light conditions and can withstand periods of drought.
When planted in a window box, it gracefully spills over the edges, creating a lush and leafy backdrop that beautifully complements the vibrant flowers in the box.
10. Box of Boxwoods
Achieve a sophisticated appearance by featuring petite, precisely trimmed boxwoods in your window box.
This charming home opted for neatly shaped, ball-like pruning, creating an elegant visual harmony that complements the overall aesthetic of the residence.
11. White With Purple Pops
Here’s a charming window box arrangement featuring cascading white bacopa alongside dusty miller, daisy-like fleabane, and purple million bells.
This mix results in a lush, spreading box that becomes fuller as spring unfolds. The combination of purple and white colors offers a simple yet refreshing spring-like palette.
12. Black Beauty
For a distinct and equally appealing presentation of boxwoods, consider a slightly more relaxed style with a striking black window box, as shown by this residence.
This choice adds a touch of drama and modernity to the traditional boxwood arrangement, creating a chic and elegant aesthetic.
13. Abundant Blooms in a Window Box
This window box celebrates the arrival of spring with a profusion of blooming flowers that fill the box to the brim. Pansies, geraniums, and snapdragons all come together in a vibrant display.
This type of window box is especially ideal if you don’t have existing foundation plants beneath your window, as the abundance of flowers won’t feel overwhelming.
14. Bountiful Begonias
Begonias offers a variety of options for window boxes. Some types have a trailing growth, creating a beautiful cascade over the box’s edge. Others are more compact with a rounded shape.
These flowers will keep adorning your window box until the arrival of fall frost, making it a rewarding choice.
15. Dusty Miller
Dusty Miller boasts textured silver foliage, providing a stunning backdrop that contrasts beautifully with vibrant blooms.
This plant is not only visually appealing but also drought-tolerant and low-maintenance, making it a great choice for the window box.
16. Spring Succulents
Imagine a window box filled with a mix of succulents planted in the fall.
These hardy plants not only survive but thrive throughout the winter, reaching their peak beauty by early spring, with some even producing flowers.
The succulent lineup in this box features kalanchoe (felt plant), pink echeveria, crassula, and pencil cactus.
17. Pretty in Pink
If you’re looking for a burst of color to herald the warmer days, consider the myriad hydrangea varieties available.
These particularly delightful bright pink hydrangeas add a pop of vibrancy. Mixing them with simple green foliage plants can create a stunning window box display.
18. Creeping Jenny
Discover the beauty of Creeping Jenny, a vigorous ground cover that adds a stunning touch to window boxes.
With shades of green and gold, its densely packed, rounded leaves cascade gracefully from planters, resembling trailing vines.
19. Bright and Cheery
Coming out of a lengthy Boston winter, this vibrant window box is the perfect pick-me-up.
A skillful blend of vivid colors and lovely greenery, housed in an elegant black container, creates an ideal choice for window box flowers.
20. Tulips in Spring Colors
Embrace the variety of colors tulips offer, spanning the spectrum except for true blue.
For a vibrant spring welcome, consider grouping diverse tulip varieties in bright and pastel shades within your window box.
21. Plants on Display
In this beautiful arrangement, you can’t see the box because it’s hidden, and all the attention goes to the lovely plants inside.
There are pretty purple petunias hanging down, making a lively contrast with the other green plants.
22. Red Strawberry Plant
The red strawberry plant is not only a treat for your eyes but also for your taste buds. These thriving plants are simple to cultivate, featuring vibrant green leaves and charming pink or white flowers.
Also, you get to enjoy delicious strawberries that dangle down from your window box.
23. Million Bells Window Box Delight
For a continuous burst of color from spring to frost, consider planting a million bells in your window box.
These plants have a trailing growth pattern, gracefully draping over the edges without looking scattered.
24. Marigold Magic
Marigolds are a go-to option for window boxes, thanks to their vibrant and cheerful flowers, as well as their low-maintenance nature.
Once these flowers take root, they can handle dry spells quite well. To keep the show going, consider removing old blooms, as this encourages the marigold to keep producing beautiful flowers all season long.
25. Hydrangeas
In a north-facing window of a Charleston home where direct sunlight is scarce, finding the right flowers for a window box can be challenging. However, hydrangeas manage to thrive in this condition.
Nicole suggests a simple strategy for window box arrangements including a focal point, a filler to add volume, and a spiller to gracefully cascade over the edges.
26. Calibrachoa
Resembling petite petunias, these flowers are calibrachoa. With their charming bell-like shape and a spreading growth habit, they are an ideal choice for window boxes.
Calibrachoas don their vibrant blooms from late spring to late autumn, showcasing a variety of colors to suit your preferences. They bring a burst of beauty to your window box throughout the growing season.
27. Sweet Potato Vine
If you want to mix in some greenery with your flowers, consider adding sweet potato vines from a nearby nursery. Plant them where they can soak up six hours of sunlight.
These lush vines can gracefully hang over the edge of your window box, adding a flowing touch to the overall display.
28. Busy Lizzie
Busy Lizzies are a well-loved pick for window boxes, celebrated for their lively and colorful blossoms as well as their preference for shady spots.
These plants are easy to care for, reaching heights between 6 to 30 inches, making them a versatile choice for window boxes.
29. Lavender
Lavender stands out as a popular and enchanting choice for window boxes, showing delightful purple colors and emitting a calming fragrance known to alleviate stress and anxiety.
They are a great choice for busy city areas. It not only looks nice but also makes your place feel calm and relaxed.
30. Geranium
Geraniums are a fantastic pick for window boxes, bringing a resilient burst of color to your garden.
With various types available, you can opt for the vibrant ‘big red’ variety, as shown in the picture, or go for something with a trailing effect, such as a geranium Rozanne or a pelargonium.
31. Dichondra Silver Falls
If flowers aren’t your preference or you’re looking to create a striking contrast with your upright blooms, consider Dichondra Silver Falls.
The elegant, pale green foliage gracefully spills over the edges of a planter, making it an ideal choice for window boxes.
Flowers act like friendly stress relievers, making them easy companions to grow. Their soothing fragrances can create a calming atmosphere.
What Material is Ideal for a Window Box?
Naomi Robinson, the founder of Houseplant Authority, shares insights on different materials for window boxes that regular people can easily understand:
1. Wood
Wood is the classic choice and her top recommendation. Go for durable types like cedar or teak to avoid issues like rotting from moisture. Wood is affordable, looks nice, and lasts well.
2. Terra cotta
Although terra cotta is beautiful, Robinson warns that it might crack in freezing weather. Also, it’s heavier than wood, making it challenging to lift back onto the window after placing it on the ground.
3. Metal
Robinson suggests metal as a durable but pricier option. Be on the lookout for rust and dents, which are common concerns with metal window boxes.
Considerations Before Setting Up a Window Box
Before you start your window box garden, consider a couple of important things. First, figure out your hardiness zone, which helps you know what plants will do well in your area.
Also, think about how much sunlight your window boxes will get. If your window box faces north, it might not be great for plants that love lots of sun.
Classic flowers for window boxes are petunias, geraniums, and begonias. But nowadays, people are getting creative and using roses, tulips, and hydrangeas too.
Taking care of your plants depends on what you choose, but here are some general tips.
Make sure the soil drains well, and be careful not to let too much water touch the walls your window boxes are attached to.
For watering, you can use self-watering planters or set up a schedule, as regular hoses and sprinklers might not reach these types of planters easily.
No matter if your space is bathed in sunlight or shaded, whether it’s a flower box, planter, pot, or any kind of plant container, there are plenty of flowers and plants that can thrive in these conditions.
With the right choices, you can create a beautiful, low-maintenance garden that injects vibrant colors and lively energy into your outdoor surroundings.
