How to Plant a Window Box

Planted the right way, window boxes offer gardeners endless options for creative designs

Window boxes are a blank slate for you to design and plant in. ellieanneimages/Shutterstock

Window boxes give gardeners an affordable outlet to do what they love most: experiment. Known as one of the first living walls, window boxes have been a longtime favorite of gardeners. They continue to be a popular landscape element today, and often stand in for front yards at homes that open to the sidewalk.

Although you have a lot of creative freedom with planting window boxes, there is a right way to do it. Window boxes show off the wide range of possibilities a few feet of soil can offer, so use our tips to assemble a floral creation of your own.

Step by Step

The first step is to choose your box and where you want to hang it. Don’t underestimate how heavy a window box can be—it’s filled with soil and plants, and gets even heavier when watered. We recommend buying a sturdy box made of a hardwood such as redwood or cedar rather than pine (which rots quickly), and then securing the box with a window box bracket.