A Summer Window Box
Brighten up your burglar bars and basements with a window box
Add drama to your windowbox with Tulips this spring
Growing up: Basements and Bars
Basements don't have to be dark and dingy. Brighten up your burglar bars and basements with a window box. Using the Iron and Stone liners you can plant in advance in preparation for each new season. And why not use the bars to grow tomatoes and beans, and climbing plants such evergreen Jasmine that will provide interest all year round, varieties of Clematis, Black Eyed Susan or Morning Glory. And for Spring drama some flamboyant and brilliantly-coloured Tulips.
Growing down: Trailing Plants for Summer
Geraniums for summer are great, so tough, hardy and long-lasting but how about trying something a little different? For example trailing Million Bells, mini trailing petunias, which produce countless vibrant flowers all summer long.
Other More Unusual Trailing Flowers
- Purple: Verbena Diamond Merci, Verbena Aztec Violet, Pelargonium Atlantic Burgundy, Fuscia Thamar (blue turning to magenta)
- White: Trailing Silene Uniflora "Swan Lake", Convolvulus Cneorum
- Yellow: Bidens Ferulfolia "Golden Star" Petunia "Prism Sunshine" Antirrhinum Pulverulentum
- Red: Ivy-leaved Perlagonium "Yale", velvety dark red.
Trailing Foliage
- Dichondra "Silver Falls" - thread-like stems and kidney-shaped leaves
- Bacopa "Snowflake" - green with tiny white flowers (also comes with purple and pink flowers)
- Nemesia Denticulata "Confetti" - variegated trailer
- Lysimachia Nummularia "Creeping Jenny" - thread-like stems with heart-shaped leaves
- Lotus Bertholotti - fern-like, trailing foliage
- Helichrysum "Silver" or "Limelight" (yellow) - fast-growing, useful foliage
Get the Children Involved
If children grow vegetables, they are more likely to eat them! Try Rocket Gardens www.rocketgardens.co.uk for instant veg and herb window box gardens. Remember that some herbs like it cool (Mints, Lemon Balm, Chives, Parsley, Sorrel) and some like it hot (Basil, Oregano, Coriander, Tarragon, Purple Sage and Fennel).
Good Enough to Eat
cSome flowers not only look good but can be used for flavour and garnish. Try Ginger Mint, Nasturtium Tropaeolum "Empress of India" and Marigold "Gitana", Chives with their blue flowers and Pansy.Lighten the Load
Window boxes on sills and on balconies need to be light for easy management. Use a lightweight compost with coir or bark content but remember to feed. Reduce the volume of compost by lining the bottom of your container with polystyrene chunks or ceramic beads and place an upturned plastic plant pot upside down over the drainage hole for free water flow.
Water, Water Everywhere
Water, water, and water for a vigorous and happy window box. A good soak is what is needed, much more than you think and as often as you can remember. If the window box is under the overhang of a roof or upper floors, the rain won't get there. There are numerous helpful products to use when you are away. See websites: www.plantminder.com, and www.watermate.com
Company Registration Name: Iron and Stone Garden Products Limited
Company Registration No: 05487975.
Registered address: Paddock Cottage
Murcott Lane
Crudwell
Wilts SN16 9EX
email: sales@ironandstone.co.uk
For Customer Service call: 020 7722 8629.
Member of the Federation of Small Business number: 2003141