The Best Window Box Designs for Your House

Let's start with some inspiration and see just how you can create a fabulous display with only three flowers. P. Allen Smith met with the staff at Stoneybrook Gardens in New Jersey. They recommend vibrant red geranium for a pop of upright color. A cascading torenia to fill in the bottom nicely. Tiny white bacopa plants add visual interest and texture. You should check with your own local garden center to see what they recommend for your climate.

This might seem like an obvious place to start, but you should measure your window to find out the proper window box size that you need. If you live in a new house, you shouldn't have a problem. The builders probably used standard window frames. If you're like me and live in a 200-year-old house, this could be more of an adventure! My windows are non-standard sizes and vary depending on the century that particular part of the house was built or renovated.

Do you want your window box to blend in with your house color or do you want it to be another accent - like your window shutters? Personally my window boxes match my shutters and they are sized to run under both the shutters and window. I think that this creates a cohesive linear unit that can support the abundant numbers of flowers (lots of different textures and colors) that I like to plant in them.

Window boxes can really change the vibe of your home's exterior. So choose the style as carefully as you would your sofa or dining room table. The first two window box designs I showed you were pretty casual. The Mayne Fairfield Window Box to the right is definitely more formal. See the details that remind you of crown molding in your home? This also a much larger window box  design, that is produced in 3-foot, 4-foot and 5-foot lengths. It comes in three basic colors black, tan and white. It also has a special irrigation system that will help your plants take root and keep them watered for an extended period of time. Mounting brackets are also included in the price.

The Mayne Yorkshire Window Box is both formal and modern. It only comes in white, but does have a large variety of sizes available. You can choose from 2-foot, 3-foot, 4-foot, 5-foot, and even 6-foot. The last size is big enough to put under several windows, if you have a grouping similar to what you see in the picture to the right. These window box panels can even be cut to the precise size that you need them. Wall brackets with the screws are also included. As with many other Mayne window boxes, there is a special irrigation system that helps keep your plants moist.

Some folks take their window boxes down for the winter and turn them on their side or storing them in a shed. This prevents water from accumulating in them, freezing, and damaging them. I agree that this is very practical. I just think my house looks so barren with no window boxes.