
A window box (sometimes called a window flower box or window box planter) is a type of
flower container for live
flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...
s or
plant
Plants are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic eukaryotes of the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all curr ...
s in the form of a
box attached on or just below the
sill
Sill may refer to:
* Sill (dock), a weir at the low water mark retaining water within a dock
* Sill (geology), a subhorizontal sheet intrusion of molten or solidified magma
* Sill (geostatistics)
* Sill (river), a river in Austria
* Sill plate, a ...
of a
window
A window is an opening in a wall, door, roof, or vehicle that allows the exchange of light and may also allow the passage of sound and sometimes air. Modern windows are usually glazed or covered in some other transparent or translucent mate ...
. It may also be used for growing herbs or other edible plants.
Description
A window box is usually placed on a window sill, or fixed to the wall immediately below it, so the owner(s) can easily access the plants in it. When installed under a window, it is usually supported by
bracket
A bracket is either of two tall fore- or back-facing punctuation marks commonly used to isolate a segment of text or data from its surroundings. Typically deployed in symmetric pairs, an individual bracket may be identified as a 'left' or 'r ...
s on the wall below. Some materials, such as PVC or fibreglass, use a
cleat mounting system from behind to attach it to the building, or it may be bolted directly to the building without the use of support brackets.
Wood, brick, terracotta, metal, fibre glass, vinyl, and cellular PVC may all be used in window box construction. A typical wooden window box lasts 3–5 years before showing deterioration, though with painting and maintenance can last 10–15 years.
Window boxes are usually accessed from indoors, and are often used by people who live on upper floors without access to gardens or other plantable areas. They enable plants to be seen by those inside as well as outside. Larger boxes, 10–12 inches in height, can be used to plant items that need more root space, and to allow flowers and plants to be grown in multiple rows.
Images
Image:2000 Valparaiso Chile 4665212086 5519a3ae2b o.jpg, Valparaiso, Chile, 2000
Image:2006 Tokyo 164160974 30332e8d6e o.jpg, Tokyo, Japan, 2006
Image:Black Horse Inn patio window box in Nuthurst West Sussex England.jpg, Nuthurst, West Sussex, England
Image:2008 windowbox Hungary 3132397339.jpg, Eger, Hungary, 2008
Image:2008 Boston USA 2437704212 3cda768104 o.jpg, Boston, United States, 2008
Image:2008 Tel Aviv 2750345462 764f9b0d6f o.jpg, Tel Aviv, Israel, 2008
Image:2009 West Yorkshire England 3698905473 herbs.jpg, West Yorkshire, England, 2009
Image:Bonsai on window.jpg, Paris, France, 2009
Image:2010 flowerboxes StPetersburg Russia 4932697448.jpg, St. Petersburg, Russia, 2010
Image:2010 windowbox NewZealand 4588514662.jpg, Wellington, New Zealand, 2010
Image:Window in Porvoo.jpg, Porvoo, Finland, 2010
Image:2011 Cartagena Colombia 6082738472 63ac89ba46 o.jpg, Cartagena, Colombia, 2011
Image:Window box planter - Denver 1.jpg, Denver, Colorado, 2021
See also
*
Container (flowers)
*
Container garden
*
Flower box
*
Flower pot
*
List of gardening topics
*
Urban horticulture
*
Windowfarm
References
Bibliography
*
External links
Winning Window Boxes
{{Lawn and garden ornaments
Garden vases
Types of garden
Garden features
Gardening aids
Windows
Urban agriculture