| 1. Determine the Purpose of your box garden | | | | Pansies, tulips, daffodils, crocuses, primroses, lilies, and |
| window: | | | | violas. |
| Let's be honest, window gardens are still something | | | | If you want flowers in the Spring, but you also want |
| of a rarity in America, unless of course you live in | | | | to continue seeing flowers through the summer, |
| brownstone houses or in hoity-toity neighborhoods. | | | | plant: |
| However, this is not the case for most of the rest | | | | Geraniums, lavender, impatiens, salvia, petunias, |
| of the world. In places like Japan-where most terrain | | | | daisies, begonias, zinnias, fuschias, and nasturtiums |
| is steep and uninhabitable, causing populations to | | | | (Nasturtiums have an added bonus in that their |
| crowd in small areas-window gardens offer aesthetic | | | | leaves and flowers are edible and add a peppery, |
| and spiritual relief. So, if you want to find the same | | | | cress-like taste to salads and sandwiches). |
| aesthetic and spiritual relief in a place like New York, | | | | For permanent window boxes and year-round |
| San Francisco, or even if you just want to cover | | | | greenery, a "winter interest" window garden can |
| something ugly on your home, or try your hand at | | | | include evergreen such as:dwarf Alberta spruce, |
| growing a garden, a box garden window is a great | | | | bristlecone pine, mugho pine, and small cacti |
| way to go. So, to grow the best box garden window | | | | If you want plants that grow down your window, |
| you can, your first major decision should be to figure | | | | and are great for year-round greens try the following: |
| out the purpose for your garden; from there, you | | | | Ivy, myrtle, creeping Jenny, sweet potato vine, and |
| can choose the right plants for your garden to get | | | | vinca. |
| the best appeal. | | | | 3. Determine which Fragrance you want |
| 2. Figure out Ornamentation | | | | Sometimes homes have smells, and many times they |
| After you figure out your purpose you can figure out | | | | are smells you just can't get rid of, like the musty |
| your ornamentation. For many people window | | | | smell of an old house. So, if you want to plant things |
| gardens are purely there to spruce up their home | | | | with fragrance to cover the small try mints, or lemon |
| and neighborhood. If this is your purpose, then your | | | | smelling plants. There are also options for other |
| ornamentation may be different then if you have | | | | smells, and honey smells from flowers in great as |
| another purpose. For example, you may be satisfied | | | | well. |
| to have just one burst of color in the spring and then | | | | 4. Determine what else you want |
| allow trailing plants such as to dominate the window | | | | You can always plant herbs, food, etc. Many people |
| garden for the remainder of the growing season. So, | | | | use box garden windows for growing an herb or |
| you want to plant flowers and other plants that will | | | | vegetable garden. It is a great way to supplement |
| bloom in different seasons so that you have good | | | | the things you use in your cooking through out the |
| growth all year round. Take a look at the following | | | | summer months. So, if you want to have a small |
| lists to get some ideas for what grows well and | | | | vegetable garden, grow the plants like cucumbers, |
| when: | | | | tomatoes, etc. Try growing sage, thyme, rosemary, |
| Some spring followers include: | | | | dill, etc. |