Blooming with Charm

This  window box is brimming with beautiful blooms that thrive in the hot sun of late summer. Sherry Davis, merchandise coordinator of Greenscape Gardens & Gifts, combined purple Scaevola, pink zinnias, yellow marigolds, red pentas, ‘Diamond Frost,’‘Black Varnish’ and moss to create an eclectic mix of color and texture in a wrought-iron planter. According to Sherry, designing flower boxes is a creative process. “The possibilities are endless,” she says. Best of all, they transition easily as the seasons change. By planting kale and ornamental mustards, and then adding a bit of fall flavor – such as sticks, twigs, gourds and pumpkins – flower boxes transform into autumn arrangements, perfect for the harvest season, in no time. (During the warm weather months, water flower boxes up to twice a day – especially those that receive full sun – and apply a liquid fertilizer once every two weeks to keep your greenery looking gorgeous.)

Window boxes do wonders for a home’s curb appeal, says Alex Peters, store manager of Sherwood’s Forest Nursery & Garden Center, who especially recommends them to urban homeowners living in high-rise developments. Hanging flower boxes from a balcony is a savvy and chic solution for loft and condo dwellers without a garden or yard. To create this stunning summer design, Alex mixed white geraniums, purple salvias, dusty miller, several varieties of ferns, Vinca vine and Hypericum ‘Brigadoon’ in a lovely Victorian wall trough.

Lynn Chasteen, exterior plantings designer at Ahner’s Garden & Gifts, suggests bringing indoor plants outside if the window box is located in a shady spot. Shade-loving plants – such as bromeliads, coleus, prayer plant, rabbit’s-foot fern and caladiums, which are used in this arrangement – are beautiful as well as versatile. “I like to incorporate houseplants into arrangements with exterior plants,” she says. In doing so, the window box will last throughout summer and fall, up until the first frost. Once cold weather arrives, transferring the houseplants from the outdoor arrangement into indoor containers allows for year-round enjoyment.

Resources
Greenscape Gardens & Gifts, 2832 Barrett Station Rd., 314-821-2440, www.greenscapegardens.com.
Sherwood’s Forest Nursery and Garden Center, 2651 Barrett Station Rd., 314-966-0028, www.sherwoods-forest.com.
Ahner’s Garden & Gifts, 11697 Manchester Rd., 314-822-2180, www.ahners.com.