Flower window boxes are a perfect way to add beauty not only to your home’s facade but inside your home as well. By simply planting tall flowers in your window boxes, you can add a floral view to any room. Moreover, by interspersing silk flowers with your natural plants, you can have flower window boxes that bloom year round. So consider spending one afternoon installing flower window boxes beneath the main windows of your home. This small investment of time and money, will add great beauty to your life.
Selecting the Right Flower Window Boxes
Like all beautiful things, flower window boxes should follow some symmetry guidelines. To begin with, if you have three windows on the front of your house, don’t hang a flower window box just on one. All three should get a flower window box to keep a symmetrical look.
In addition, the size of your windows should dictate the size of the flower window boxes you choose. Ideally the two will be close in size. However, if you are buying ready-made flower window boxes, you might have to be flexible about the size. Therefore, choose boxes that are either the same size or smaller than your window.
Plastic versus Wood Flower Window Boxes
Plastic flower window boxes are cheaper and hardier, but they are less attractive. Consider instead either making your own flower window boxes out of wood or buying ready made wooden window boxes. Be sure to paint the boxes with weatherproof paint or stain, to guard them from the elements. It’s a good idea to use a paint that acts as a beautiful accent to the exterior colors of your home. For example, paint the flower window boxes with the same color as your front door.
It’s very important to line the inside of your flower window boxes with plastic, to protect the wood from the soil and water. Take a heavy duty garbage bag and staple it along the inside walls, until your flower window boxes look all black or white on the inside.
Planting Your Flower Window Boxes
Choose a rich potting soil and fill your flower window boxes 3/4 of the way. Do not fill to the top, to avoid overflow when you water your window boxes. Choose only hardy plants, ones that will not have to be watered more than once a week. Also, choose two types of plants for your flower window boxes, ones that will dangle like vines, and ones that will grow up high, like flowers. This will ensure that your flower window boxes add beauty both inside and outside your home.
It’s important not to crowd the plants, since flower window boxes are typically very narrow. Better to have three plants only, then to enrich the look with silk plants and flowers. These will remain beautiful year-round and require no watering or care.
Attaching Your Flower Window Boxes to the House
If you buy flower window boxes they might come with hardware for attaching the boxes to the house. If not, or if you are building your own flower window boxes, simply buy metal supports, such as would be used to attach a shelf to the wall. Make sure that the boxes are firmly attached. It’s better to be over-cautious, given that the flower window boxes will hang up high and pose a considerable threat if they ever came lose and fell down.
Protecting Your Flower Window Boxes From the Elements
Flower window boxes tend to be exposed, without trees or shade to protect them. Therefore, it is a good idea to build a small cover over the box. A simple strip of wood with two supporting legs can do the trick. Make sure the strip of wood is shorter than the flower window box, so its legs can be stuck in the soil of the box. Paint this cover with a color that matches your window box colors, for added beauty and durability. The small cover will protect from both wind and sun. But if you live in a particularly gusty area, consider hammering the cover to the flower window box itself for added security.
Your new flower window boxes will add charm and beauty to your home that your neighbor will enjoy, and you will love coming home to.
Read more fantastic curb appeal ideas, or how to turn your old windows into French windows with a can of paint.
