Benoit Ryan - How to window box: small-space plants to grow indoors or out

Resources

WHERE TO BUY PLANTS

Air Plant Shop, airplantshop.com

Altman Plants, altmanplants.com/plant-shop

American Meadows, americanmeadows.com

Annies Annuals, anniesannuals.com

Armstrong Garden Centers, armstronggarden.com

Brent and Beckys, brentandbeckysbulbs.com

California Carnivores, californiacarnivores.com

Ebay, ebay.com

Etsy, etsy.com

Georgia Vines, georgiavines.com

Home Depot, homedepot.com

Logees, logees.com

Lowes, lowes.com

Monrovia, monrovia.com

Old House Gardens Heirloom Bulbs, oldhousegardens.com

Pigment, shoppigment.com

Plant Oddities, plantoddities.com

The Sill, thesill.com

Theodore Payne Foundation, theodorepayne.org

Tropiflora, tropiflora.com

Plus: Plant shows, plant clubs (like The Cactus and Succulent Society of America, CSSA), and your local independent nurseries and garden centers, of course!

WHERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PLANTS (INCLUDING CARE ESSENTIALS!)

Books & Magazines

Air Plants: The Curious World of Tillandsias by Zenaida Sengo

Better Homes & Gardens magazine

The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual: Essential Know-How for Keeping (Not Killing) More Than 160 Indoor Plants by Barbara Pleasant

Country Gardens magazine

The Encyclopedia of Herbs: A Comprehensive Reference to Herbs of Flavor and Fragrance by Arthur O. Tucker and Thomas DeBaggio

Garden Design magazine

Gardening for Geeks by Christy Wilhelmi

Good Bug Bad Bug: Whos Who, What They Do, and How to Manage Them Organically by Jessica Walliser

Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces by Gayla Trail

Indoor Edible Garden by Zia Allaway

Kiss My Aster: A Graphic Guide to Creating a Fantastic Yard Totally Tailored to You by Amanda Thomsen

The New Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide by Editors of Sunset magazine

The Savage Garden, Revised: Cultivating Carnivorous Plants by Peter DAmato

Slow Flowers: Four Seasons of Locally Grown Bouquets from the Garden, Meadow and Farm by Debra Prinzing

Succulents Simplified: Growing, Designing, and Crafting with 100 Easy-Care Varieties by Debra Lee Baldwin

Sunset magazine

The Timber Press Guide to Succulent Plants of the World: A Comprehensive Reference to More Than 2000 Species by Fred Dortort

Urban Jungle: Living and Styling with Plants by Igor Josifovic and Judith de Graaff

A Way to Garden: A Hands-On Primer for Every Season by Margaret Roach

Online

Almanac.com/gardening

AWaytoGarden.com

BHG.com/gardening

Bromeliads.info

Davesgarden.com

DebraLeeBaldwin.com/succulent-blog

Extension.missouri.edu

FlyTrapCare.com

GardenBetty.com

Gardenerd.com

GardeningKnowHow.com

HGTV.com

HomeGuides.SFGate.com/gardening

Houseplant411.com

HouseplantJournal.com

JoyUsGarden.com

Penick.net/digging

TheHorticult.com (Check out our other DIY projects, including how to build your own box.)

Acknowledgments

This book couldnt have bloomed without the care of wonderful people. Thank you to our extraordinary agent, Meredith Kaffel Simonoff, for her sage and powerhouse guidance; to our ingenious editor, Angelin Borsics, for her irresistible vision for gardening anywhere; and to Ian Dingman for giving our book a look and feel beyond our wildest dreams. To Kathy Brock for her spectacular attention to detail, and to Nicole Ramirez, Kim Tyner, Carolyn Gill, and Erin Voigt at Potter. To Tim King for his photographic savvy and assistance. Were also grateful to Pigment boutique, Carol Domanick, David Deitch, Debra Prinzing, Warren Keller, Jill Blumenthal, Michael Tortorello, Laura Joliet, Jacqueline Bonelli Smith, Tina and Craig Stern, Stephen Orr, James A. Baggett, and the brilliant BHG team, Jim Peterson and the stars onboard Garden Design, Green Gardens Nursery, Tiffany J. Davis, Jennifer Gilbert Asher, Julian Mackler, Anthony Rossi, Clity Gordon, Godfrey Gordon, Denise and Robert Benoit, Warren Wilsons MFA Program for Writers, and to the readers of The Horticult, for their gardening wisdom, enthusiasm, and evergreen curiosity.

How to Garden in a Window

Gardening is not an exact science. Its full of hits, misses, and mysteriously heroic flowers that defy the odds. The great thing about window-box gardening is that you can quickly learn by trial and error from plants you try to grow that end up dying, and from those that thrive. For best results, use our care suggestions here and in the chapters that follow as guidelines; be sure to read any instructions that come with your plant, and, if youd like, do some extra research. Youll find a robust community online for every genus under the sun; search for your plant plus your concern, and youll see how other gardeners have made their own darlings prosper. And if a box doesnt do as well as youd hopedor doesnt survive the winterclear it out and start again. Thats the freedom of small-space gardening.

Considerations for Outdoor Boxes

The classic window box mounted below a window can vastly improve the curb appeal of your house. Or, for five square feet of green in an apartment or a condo, mount them on metal balcony railings, wood deck railings, and patio plant stands.

• Expect to find a wide range of stylesfrom simple, decorative, or ornate wood boxes to caged containers made with metal bars and lined with coconut coir. Self-watering boxes are also available.

• Check to see if the window box comes with mounting brackets; if not, youll need to buy or make your own.

• See if your homes exterior already has a box in good condition. You might still want to paint it to your taste or just to freshen it up. If the existing box is in bad condition, replace it. Check the mounting brackets, which you might be able to reuse. Either way, assess the integrity of your homes facade and its ability to support a fully watered window box (which can weigh over 60 pounds when soaking wet!). When in doubt, hire a handyperson for the installation so you can be sure your mini garden is safe and secure.

• Decide on portability. A smaller box can be moved easily inside during winter months if your plants are not hardy in colder temps. A window box can be moved to a plant stand in a protected area over the winter (see ). Also consider color choice when making an exterior/interior box. Painted wood or synthetic boxes will usually last longer in the weather.

• Determine the length and width. Most window boxes line up with the outer edges of the windows trim; measure that span to determine the length of your box.

• Choose the depth. Deeper boxes can insulate plants better and will not dry out or freeze as quickly, but they are often impractically heavy. Be sure that your brackets can support the fully watered weight. Some plants need more soil depth than others, but most will survive and thrive in at least 4 inches of soil.

• Consider your neighbors. If you live in a multistory building, your window box may become a problem for your neighbors downstairsor for passersby on the sidewalk. Be conscientious of your installation and water when theres no one below. If installed on a balcony rail, your box should hang on the inside of your railing to be on the safe side (and so you can better enjoy the view).

Considerations for Indoor Boxes

While there arent as many indoor window boxes on the market, youll find a wide range of styles by searching for rectangular planters, or you can convert an outdoor box. In either case, make sure your container is sealed, has drainage, and includes a water collection tray. See ). A plant stand also works great for raising boxes in front of floor-to-ceiling windows.