The Secrets of Planting a Window Box in Winter

The warm-weather plantings in this Seattle window box will give way to a colorful winter collection. Needled evergreens and ornamental kale make good winter window box plantings. Removing some of the outer soil on the root ball lessens the amount of room it will require in the window box. A deciduous American holly, here in full berry, and a gold-leaf privet also make good candidates for a winter window box. Variegated yucca (Yucca filmentosa 'Variegata') is hardy to Zone 5. The new window box, ready for winter.

Colorful window boxes don't have to be phenomena of spring and summer. Sunset Magazine's Northwest bureau chief Steve Lorton, along with landscape designers Charles Price and Glenn Withey, discuss the secrets of planting a window box in the winter:

• Many cold-hardy plants can be used right through the winter and into the next summer. Dwarf deciduous hollies add a sparkle of winter color. A variegated yucca can provide a bold accent and strong vertical lines. In the summer, the holly--while berryless--will provide foliage interest, and the yucca will not only retain its bright color but will bloom as well.
  
• As the seasons change, add plants that will extend the window box into the next season; a few old plants, such as trailing ivy, can always remain, however.
  
• The larger the planting area, the less frequently you will have to water and the better the plants will do. Small, restricted window boxes provide little room for expansion, dry out more quickly and provide little insulation from the cold. Loosen the roots and allow excess potting soil to fall away when transplanting plants into the window box. This will lessen the amount of space the root ball will take up in the box.
  
• Choose a color scheme that blends with and complements the house. By being adventurous with plantings, you can have a terrific color and textures to look at all year round.
  

Guests
Steve Lorton
Pacific Northwest Bureau Chief, Sunset Magazine
c/o Sunset Publishing Corp.
80 Willow Rd.
Menlo Park, CA 94025-3591
Phone: 650-321-3600
Toll Free Phone: 800-227-7346
Fax: 650-327-7537
URL: www.sunset.com

Charles Price
Landscape Designer, Withey Price Landscape Design
P.O. Box 77321
Seattle, WA 98177
Phone: 206-364-2225
Fax: 206-367-2318
Email: witheyprice@home.com

Glenn Withey
Landscape Designer, Withey Price Landscape Design
P.O. Box 77321
Seattle, WA 98177
Phone: 206-364-2225
Fax: 206-367-2318
Email: witheyprice@home.com
Also in this Episode

Grow It! : Episode GRW-609
•	Chilling Seeds
•	Q&A: Live Christmas Trees
•	The Secrets of Planting a Window Box in Winter