How to Plant in Flower Boxes
Flower boxes provide an ideal growing climate your favorite blooms. Their small and controllable ecosystems allow you to manipulate the type of soil and amount of sunlight the box receives. When planting in a flower box, use various colors and sizes of plants to create a full and balanced design. Different heights and textures provide an interesting and stimulating look to the flower box. Don’t forget to add a burst of greenery to set off the blooms and add a stunning pop of color to your outdoor landscape.
Fill the bottom third of the flower box with a layer of packing peanuts. This will allow the water to drain out of the planter slowly, ensuring the flowers remain moist.
- Flower boxes provide an ideal growing climate your favorite blooms.
- When planting in a flower box, use various colors and sizes of plants to create a full and balanced design.
Add a mixture of half potting soil and half compost to fill the rest of the flower box. With a spade, mix the soil together, but don’t pack it down.
Sprinkle a layer of time-released fertilizer such as 14-14-14 over the top of the soil to help the young plants prosper and become fully established in the soil.
Select plants for the flower box. Use large flowers in the back of the window box to frame the box and add height to the planter. Medium-sized plants in the middle provide another layer of color. Grow draping plants on either side and in the front of the box to frame the other blooms.
- Add a mixture of half potting soil and half compost to fill the rest of the flower box.
- Use large flowers in the back of the window box to frame the box and add height to the planter.
Gently pull apart the root structure of the plant so they can more easily soak up the nutrients in the soil. Using a spade, dig a small hole in the soil for the plant.
Place the flower in the freshly-dug hole and cover with soil. Gently press down around the plant to ensure a snug and secure fit.
Water the flower box thoroughly, and until you see water dripping out the bottom. Add a fresh layer of mulch to help the flowers retain moisture, especially in the hot summer months.
Tip
Remember that containers only have a limited amount of soil to use for drawing moisture, so they'll need to be watered more frequently. In warm summer months, water twice a week to ensure a healthy flower box.
Apply fertilizer around the plants every two weeks to ensure a hardy box.
Related Articles
References
Writer Bio
Callie Barber has been writing professionally since 2002. Barber's love for design and writing inspired her to create Design Your Revolution, a blog that shares creative and affordable ways to decorate indoor and outdoor living environments. Her articles have appeared on Travels.com and GardenGuides.com. Barber holds a Bachelors of Arts in international studies from the University of North Carolina.
