Hanging window boxes make beautiful decor for the outside of your home, dressing up your windows with healthy, rich foliage and flowers. As beautiful as they are, you want to do your best to maintain them and care for them so they will look their best and stay with you for a long time. Keeping your hanging window boxes thriving is a process that goes from bringing all of the elements together in the first place to treating them well once they are out for display. You want to give yourself a good starting point so that whatever you choose for your hanging window boxes will be easy for you to maintain from then on. From beginning to end, here is the basic rundown of things you want to consider when setting up your own hanging window boxes.
Choosing the Plants
When you start off thinking of what you want for your window planter boxes, you want to give some time for the plants themselves. Of course, you will want plants you find visually appealing with colors you like, but you have to choose ones that suit your lifestyle as well. Look for plants that thrive with what your home can provide for them. That is, think of the natural environment you live in and make sure the plants you choose will grow well in that climate. Look at where your windows face and take note of how much sunlight and rainfall they will receive. You want plants that are fit for the area where you live.
If you get more than one type of plant for your window boxes, you also need to be sure that they get along well with each other. Research the needs of the plants you are interested in and choose ones that will be happy where you are and have similar needs. Understanding the basic needs of your plants also helps later on as you try to maintain them.
Choosing the Planters
Once you have an idea of which plants you want, you can look around for the window planter boxes that will house them. For your planter boxes, you want to find ones with sufficient drainage holes at the bottom to allow excess water to flow straight through. This will be healthier for your plants and keep them from getting overwatered, especially if too much rain passes through. Besides this, you will generally want a good, high-quality planter that will last you for a long time, even if you swap out the plants inside. Metal planters like ones made of copper are great in this case as they will hang on without wear and tear and stay in good shape for years. Aside from these more practical concerns, you can choose planters that fit the style of your home and suit your tastes.
Maintaining Your Plants
When you have your plants already set up in their planter boxes, you will just have to keep up with them. This is where your research on the plants you chose comes in handy. Follow the guidance for your plants as it relates to sun exposure and frequent watering. If you start with rich potting soil, you will only want to fertilize on occasion. Keep an eye on your plants to note any changes so you will be able to respond to them quickly in case your plants need more water, less sunlight, etc.
Once you are ready to start looking for plants and window planter boxes, you can look around online for inspiration and things you might like. For your planter boxes, you will want to visit hpotter.com to shop for high-quality, long-lasting planters. When you feel comfortable setting up your planter, everything should fall right into place.