Planting Window Box Gardens
Say you don’t have anywhere to grow petunias or cultivate cilantro? Try planting a window box. Container gardening is ideal for those who are short on space, time or horticultural experience. In addition to providing a compact space to plant flowers, herbs or vegetables, a window box can dress up a dull apartment or house window.
Getting started is relatively easy. Deciding what to plant may actually be the hard part. As with any type of gardening, be aware of the lighting, wind conditions and seasons when choosing plants.
Best Bets for Valley Gardeners
Vegetables: radishes, leaf lettuce, chile peppers, bush-type peas and small varieties of beets and carrots.
Herbs: feathery dill, basil, chives, sweet marjoram, oregano, parsley, cilantro and thyme.
Flowers: pansies, violets, Johnny jump-ups, fuchsia, candytuft, bachelor’s button, English primrose and French marigold, geraniums, tulips, daffodils and narcissus, impatiens, wax begonias, bulbs, hostas or ferns, geraniums, miniature roses, daisies, bacopa and petunias.
Helpful Hints
Water: Be diligent about watering since window boxes dry out more rapidly than garden beds because they have less soil. Water whenever the soil is dry an inch or two below the surface.
Soil: Change or replenish annually.
Design: Vary the height of the plants in a window box to make it look more natural. Taller plants should be planted in the back of the box, shorter plants in the middle and cascading plants in the front. Don’t plant them in straight rows; stagger them.
Wind: Beware of strong winds created by tall apartment buildings that can damage delicate flowers and plants.
Windowsill: If your windowsill is slanted, level out the window box by placing wedges underneath.
Supplies Needed
Container: The traditional wooden or terra cotta boxes are still popular. Concrete and lighter-weight fiberglass and plastic are also used. The box should be at least 6 inches deep, but preferably 12 inches. Drainage holes are essential.
Plastic liner (optional): Some gardeners prefer to plant in liners that fit inside the boxes, allowing easy removal for maintenance or a new planting. Damp soil in constant contact with a wood or metal box can cause damage over time.
Potting mix and pebbles: Place a small layer of pebbles at the bottom of the box and fill with a high-quality potting mix. Charcoal is unnecessary.
Trowel: To dig holes.
Fertilizer: Use a slow-release fertilizer when planting that will last all season or a water soluble variety every four to six weeks.
Heavy-gauge wire: Some window boxes simply sit on the windowsill. All should be anchored with heavy-gauge wire.
Sources: “Hanging Baskets, Window Boxes and Other Container Gardens: A Guide to Creative Small-Scale Gardening” by David Joyce, “The Window Box Book” by Anne M. Halpin, “Step-By-Step Container Gardening” by Stephanie Donaldson and Sperling Nursery.
Research by STEPHANIE STASSEL / Los Angeles Times
