New Shade Foliage Plants for your Copper Window Box

Posted by on April 22nd, 2010in Charlotte Germane, Copper Window Box, Gardening Products, Window Boxes | No Comments

by Charlotte Germane

Shady Chic!

Light up the shade and delight your neighbors with copper window boxes and this cutting-edge combination of foliage plants.

Sophisticated and subtle, this group of plants was put together by the California landscape designer Susan Morrison during the 2010 San Francisco Flower & Garden Show.

These foliage plants thrive in part-shade and the stylish apricot, burgundy, and yellow-green leaves make a statement. Contrasting with each other in shape, each one has a dynamic relationship with the shine and color of the copper window box.

• Heuchera ‘Caramel’ (Coral bells) Hardy in USDA zones 5-8, the foliage will grow 12” to 18” tall and 1’ to 2’ wide, with pale pink flowers in spring. This variety is in demand for its new color and its heat tolerance.
• Weigela ‘Midnight Wine’ Hardy in USDA zones 5-8, this dwarf form will be 12” to 18” tall and wide, with dark purple leaves and pink tubular flowers.
• Hakonechloa macra ‘All Gold’ (Japanese forest grass)  Hardy in USDA zones 4-9, 18” tall and wide, this is a new, golden variety of a popular plant.

How to plant shade window box plants

Fill your window box planter almost to the top with rich potting soil. Place the weigela in the middle and flank it with the heuchera and the hakonechloa.

Water well with a fine spray and keep the soil moist.

The plants will be tall enough to be seen and enjoyed from inside the house, and will be a distinctive touch for the exterior.

Shade window box plants through the seasons

The plants bloom in part-shade but many gardeners prefer to grow them only for foliage. Feel free to snip off the flower stems as they appear.

The heuchera sends up a pale pink flower in June, and the hakonechloa has a brighter pink flower that attracts hummingbirds.

When you want a new look in your window box planter, move this trio to a part-shade area of your garden and create a groundcover vignette. Transplant them into soil that is enriched with compost.

Watch a new video of a favorite copper window box.

A Copper Window Box that Says Spring!

Posted by on March 18th, 2010in Charlotte Germane, Copper Window Box, Gardening Products, Window Boxes | No Comments

By Charlotte Germane

Spring Copper Window Box

Are you still shoveling snow? Or shaking your fist at the gray skies?

This bright copper window box with its trio of flowers is guaranteed to cheer you up and assure you that spring is here.

Daffodils, pansies and rock cress are comfortable with the early spring weather in most of the country (USDA zones 3-8, find your zone here). All these flowers should be waiting for you at your local garden center.

• Classic yellow trumpet daffodil, Narcissus ‘Dutch Master’
• Pansy, Viola cornuta ‘Sorbet™ Beaconsfield’
• Rock cress, Arabis caucasica ‘Snowcap’

The energy of this floral group comes from the mix of colors. The yellow daffodils and blue-violet pansies have intense hues. The foaming white flowers of rock cress pack a punch—white always calls attention to itself. The yellow daffodils echo the warm color of the H. Potter copper window box and the blue-violet pansies complement the copper

This collection of flowers wants full sun or part-sun. Plant them in window boxes on the south and west sides of your house.

These spring blooms will dress up your home, delight your neighbors, and gladden the hearts of dog-walkers. The view from inside your house, looking out through the yellow daffodil petals, will be an unexpected pleasure.

Spring window box flowers through the seasons

The plants can move into your flowerbeds when you change your window box display.

• Buy blooming daffodils in pots and place the pots inside the window box. When the flowers fade you can choose to save the bulbs for planting in your garden. To do so, remove the potted daffodils to a sunny spot, snip off the spent flowers, and water the plants until the foliage turns brown. Store the daffodil bulbs for fall planting, following the advice of the American Daffodil Society.
• Pansies are short-lived perennials and will persist until the weather warms up. Plant them in part-sun.
• Rock cress is perennial in USDA zones 3-9. Plant it in your garden when you’re ready for a new window box design. If you have hot summers, keep the rock cress out of afternoon sun. Prune after flowering and divide it every two years.

Watch a new video of this copper window box and see if it’s the right one for you.