5 Easy Tips for Adding Beautiful Window Boxes

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Adding a window planter box to your home will not only add curb appeal but is an excellent way to create beauty and charm to your home; with these 5 Easy Tips for Adding Beautiful Window Boxes, it will be the focal point of your home!

A black Nantucket style window box with red geraniums and ivy mounted onto a red brick house with marble windowsills and two cats looking out the window.

If you remember, I shared the window boxes we installed a few months ago. I have been so happy with them, and I just love how these gorgeous window boxes look under our windows on the front of the house and the back window from our laundry room. You will find that these 5 Easy Tips for Adding Beautiful Window Boxes take little effort and is an easy way of bringing color to your outdoor space.

A black Nantucket style window box with  geraniums and ivy mounted on a brick house under a marble window sill.

When my husband and I were chatting about what kind of window boxes to install, he was adamant about not using wood. My husband usually gives me free rein on pretty much everything else, so when he wants a say in a matter he feels strongly about, he gets it. So we both agreed on the resin material for longevity. When the seasons change, the planters will hold up longer, which made total sense, so I agreed and was very happy with the idea.

A black Nantucket style window box with red geraniums and ivy mounted onto a red brick house with marble windowsills and two cats looking out the window.

I was so delighted when we finally added the window box plants. I was pleased with my plant choices, I chose red geraniums, and for the filler plants, I then added ivy and I just love how the red contrast against the brick on the front of my house and the tan siding on the back of the laundry room. Sometimes it’s just the little things that make all the difference on the exterior of your home.

Here are 5 Easy Tips for Adding Beautiful Window Boxes

1. Use fresh soil

You always want to use fresh new soil to keep your plants healthy and help promote more flower buds; then, at the end of the season or when you are changing out for seasonal plants, it’s a good idea t to replace the soil with fresh potting soil.

2. Proper installation

When installing your window boxes, the important thing to remember is to be sure you install the sturdy brackets that come with your window boxes. You will need a masonry drill bit ti to install them. This will also help support the weight of wet soil as a lot of weight needs support.

3. Ensure proper drainage

Your window boxes will more than likely come with drain holes. It’s essential to have good drainage to prevent root rot. If you find that you do not have drain holes in your window boxes, take a drill and use a 1-inch paddle to create several holes for proper drainage.

4. Choose hardy plants

When it comes to choosing your plant selection, the types of plants to look for are hardy plants that will provide colorful blooms, such as geraniums, zinnias, petunias, and Red Strawberry Plant inpatients, and trailing plants like Variegated ivy and sweet potato vine. You also want plants that can withstand partial sun to full sun. Choosing the right plants for your window box planting will indeed be a beautiful window box display.

5. Choose your window boxes wisely

When choosing your flower box, you want your window box to last through all the seasons. So with proper care and whichever one you choose, such as resin material, plastic, or wooden planter boxes, select the one that will handle the heat of summer and the cooler months.

Can I line a window box?

Yes, you sure can. Window box liners will make it easier to remove the soil when you change it out for the season. The fun part is you can use your creativity for beautiful window box planters.

What should I line a window box with?

You can use a waterproofing liquid to ensure moisture does not harm your planter box. All you need to do is apply a coat of waterproofing liquid on the insides of the planter box, then let it dry for a day and repeat the process. But if you use a plastic liner, moisture can still seep between the liner and the planter material, damaging your window box planter. 

What do you put at the bottom of a window box?

In addition to drilled holes, stones and gravel are essential for proper drainage windowboxes. Add about three inches of gravel or pebbles to the planter’s bottom. This will allow water to filter through the soil and gravel before passing through the drainage holes.

How often should you water window boxes?

Depending on your choice of plants, you may need to water less or more often. However, suppose you have plants such as a spiller plant or new guinea impatiens that should have moist soil. In that case, you will need to water often, especially in the hot summer months, as your plants will dry out sooner. Eary mornings and early evenings tend to be the best for watering. You never want to add too much water to your plants because it will create muddy soil, so be sure to check your soil first before watering. However, if your window boxes are full of succulent plants, they require minimal water.

How much weight can brackets for window boxes hold?

Providing that the mounting brackets are installed correcting with the proper hardware and tools, give or take, about 300 lbs. This is based on the brackets used for the Mayne Nantucket 36 in. x 11.5 in. Self-Watering Black Polyethylene Window Box that we have installed on our home.

Do window boxes cause damage?

As long your window boxes have been installed correctly, you should not have any damage to where your window box hangs from. However, if it has not been installed correctly, it can cause water damage. To prevent any damage to the exterior of your house, take care of any issues that arise.

Should window boxes be bigger than windows?

Your window box should be at least as wide as the window but should not extend more than three inches beyond the trim on each side. This will create a pleasing visual effect.

What is the best soil for window boxes?

You want to use a lightweight mix that contains compost and peat moss and mix with a good potting mix. Also, add a handful or two to your potting soil if your mix does not have pearlite added.

What do you put in the bottom of a window flower box?

In the window box, place 2 inches of organic material like wood chips, straw, bark, or sand at the bottom of the box; this will help prevent soil from seeping out, then use a landscape fabric to cover the material. Once you add your soil halfway with potting soil, add your plants and finish it off with topsoil.

Can you put potted plants in window boxes?

Potted plants can be placed directly into the window box; just be mindful that you will have to fill in the gaps with a filler material such as moss, wood chips, and pine cones to fill those empty spaces.

5 Easy Tips for Adding Beautiful Window Boxes, one of them is a black window box mounted under a window against tan siding. In the window box is ivy, red geraniums & American flag,.

Whatever plants you choose to create your pretty window box, I hope these 5 Easy Tips for Adding Beautiful Window Boxes will help you!

Until next time y’all!

Name image for Dusty at Linen and WildflowersIf you want to follow along on our home restoration/renovation plans and all of our exciting antique & thrift finds, be sure to check out Linen and Wildflowers on FacebookInstagram, and Pinterest! And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter to receive updates.

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