Window Box Advice – Screening a window

 

How to Plant a Window Box for Privacy and Year-Round Interest

Planting a window box is an excellent way to add privacy to your home while enhancing its curb appeal. A carefully selected window box can help screen the lower part of a window, blocking direct views from the street into your property. With the right mix of plants, you can create a year-round display of foliage and colour while maintaining functionality.

Plants for Privacy

For effective screening, consider plants with compact growth and dense foliage. The following evergreens are perfect for providing low-level privacy in a window box:

• Euonymus ‘Jean Hugues’: This small-leafed evergreen is ideal for creating a neat, structured look.
• Pittosporum ‘Green Thumb’: A versatile, vibrant choice with attractive green foliage.
• Euonymus ‘Emerald Gaiety’: Known for its variegated green and white leaves, this plant adds texture and visual interest.

These plants are hardy, low-maintenance, and provide year-round screening.

Seasonal Additions for Color

To complement the evergreen structure and add seasonal interest, incorporate bulbs and flowers.

For Winter Colour

• Cyclamen: Small, vibrant flowers in shades of red, pink, or white that thrive in cooler weather.
• Heathers: Perfect for winter with their delicate, long-lasting blooms in purples and whites.
• Hellebores: Also known as the Christmas rose, these offer soft, elegant blooms in winter.

For Spring and Summer Colour

• Tulips and Daffodils: Plant bulbs in autumn for a cheerful burst of colour in spring.
• Petunias and Geraniums: Classic summer flowers that add bright, bold colours to your window box.
• Trailing Lobelia: A great choice for a cascading effect, with tiny flowers in shades of blue, white, or purple.

Tips for Planting and Maintenance

1. Choose the Right Box: Ensure your window box has adequate drainage holes to prevent waterlogging.
2. Use Quality Compost: A mix of multi-purpose compost and slow-release fertiliser will help your plants thrive.
3. Layer Your Planting: Place evergreen shrubs towards the back for height, with seasonal plants and bulbs in the foreground.
4. Regular Watering and Feeding: Window boxes can dry out quickly, so keep the soil moist and feed plants during their growing seasons.

By combining evergreens for privacy with a rotation of seasonal plants, your window box can be a practical and beautiful addition to your home all year long.