Window box planting guide

Measure first

Run a tape along the inside of the box, then measure its depth from the rim to the floor. Most window boxes are 24, 30, 36 or 48 inches long and 6 to 8 inches deep.

For a full box, plan on a bundle every 3 to 4 inches of length. That is six to eight bundles for 24 inches, eight to ten for 30, ten to twelve for 36 and fourteen to sixteen for 48. A box seen from both sides needs about a third more.

Give the stems something to hold

Artificial stems stand straight only if they are pushed into something firm. Floral foam cut to the box is the neatest choice. Packed garden soil works too and adds weight in wind. In a deep box, fill the bottom with packing peanuts in a bag and put the foam on top.

Stop about two inches below the rim. The stems then sit low enough that the rim hides the base of every bundle.

Set heights from back to front

Plant the tallest things first along the wall side: lavender at about 14 inches or the 15.8-inch impatiens. Then set the rounder 13.8 to 14.2-inch bundles in front of them, leaning a little toward the street.

Finish with the edge. Bend the outer stems of the front bundles down over the rim so the box itself nearly disappears. Trailing vines at the two ends soften the corners.

Mix color like a planter would

Three colors are plenty for one box. A strong one (fuchsia, red, orange), a softer one (pink, yellow, lavender) and a quiet one (white or green) keep a box from looking like a paint chart.

For a row of windows, repeat the same mix in every box. Single-color packs make that easy: a 24-bundle pack of one color splits evenly across two or three boxes.

Check it from the street

Walk out to the sidewalk and look back. Gaps show up from there that you do not see at the window. Fill them by fanning the neighboring stems before you reach for another bundle.

Bundle counts by box length

Counts for a full box seen from one side, at a bundle every 3 to 4 inches. Our outdoor packs come in 6, 16, 20, 24 bundles.

Ready to pick flowers? Start with the outdoor flowers or the flowers sized for window boxes, all from the Bassion approach.