Summertime Window-Box Planter Ideas

Window box planters are a great way to liven up your windows and add a temporary splash of color to your home. It only takes a few plants, knickknacks, or other decorative items, and you can create a whole new vibrant look for summer--one that can last long into the fall, or be easily replanted and reconfigured for later seasons.

• Leafy Accents
  • Coleus is a leafy plant that starts to come into its own in late summer and can last long into fall. The reds, whites, lime greens and purples that splash these leaves provide excellent additional color to your planters.
  • Ornamental cabbage are perfect for filling space and providing subtle color. With broad fancy leaves and rich colors such as purples, pinks, greens and whites these hardy plants add a bold statement to any planter.
• Flowers in Bloom
  • Verbena comes in a variety of hues and is a hardy plant that will flower from late spring into fall. Choose this versatile flower to fill in empty spaces, add vibrant color or to spill over the edges of your planter.
  • Dahlias and zinnias create a dramatic impact with their impressive blooms. Dahlias will bloom through late fall, giving your planter fantastic color all through the season. For more temperate climates, zinnias will also provide a shock of color through fall, but may not last as long in northern states.
• Edible Plants
  • If your new planter needs some height or filling in, consider planting rosemary. Not only does rosemary smell fantastic, it’s also an evergreen and can last into late fall. During that time you’ll have fresh rosemary for your kitchen needs right outside your window!
  • Sage is another great addition to summer planters. Filled with graceful blooms in the first part of the summer, sage’s soft green leaves are a great filler and an excellent deer deterrent. Because sage is a hardy herb, you can use this fragrant plant in cooking for months to come.
• Etcetera
  • Is your green thumb not so green? Or maybe you want a combination of plants and other, more durable items. Try mixing in decorative items like birch logs, battery-operated LED mini-lights, Christmas decorations (a great way to add orbs of color--year round), or fairy garden pieces. There's no right or wrong, and it's easy to change it up!

Get creative and give those window planters the attention they deserve! For more window decorating ideas, visit our Curb Appeal Pinterest board.