How to Make a Window Box Container Garden

Create a window box that will beautify the outside of your home and attract wildlife at the same time.

Colorful Window Box Attracts Wildlife with Blooms

DK - Ready Set Grow! , 2010 Dorling Kindersley Limited

From: DK Books - Ready Set Grow

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Opening the curtains in the morning will be a whole new experience with bees, ladybugs and butterflies flocking to your window box. Make your visitors feel at home with colorful flowers, lots of hiding places and a nice drink of water. This project takes two hours to complete.

1. Fill a Crate With Soil

Line a wooden crate with plastic. Cut holes to prevent the wood from rotting. Place rocks over the holes in the base and fill the container 3/4 full with soil. You may also opt for a crate made from a non-rotting material where this step would not be required.

Transform Wooden Crate Into Windowbox With Plastic and Rocks

DK - Ready Set Grow! , 2010 Dorling Kindersley Limited

2. Arrange the Plants

First arrange the plants. Then, make deep holes and place them in. Finally, fill in around the plant with soil, making sure the base of the stem where it meets the root is level with the soil's surface.

Wooden Crate Planter

girl planting wild flowers into window box

DK - Ready Set Grow! , 2010 Dorling Kindersley Limited

3. Water the Plants

Water the plants well to help them settle in. Make sure space has been left at the top of the container so that the soil won't spill over when watering or during heavy rain.

Plant Watering 101

close-up of watering can on window-box flowers

DK - Ready Set Grow! , 2010 Dorling Kindersley Limited

4. Make a Mini Ladybug House

Fold some corrugated cardboard inside a bottle. Tilt the bottle downward among the plants to prevent water from getting inside. Use a flat stone to weigh the bottle down at the front end (Image 1).

Add a small dish or foil tray, sinking it into the soil. Fill it with water and place some small flat stones around the edge to create a tiny pond (Image 2).

DK - Ready Set Grow!, 2010 Dorling Kindersley Limited

Mini Ladybug House in Window Box

Tiny Window Box Pond

5. Add Twigs

Tie together some hollow sticks and dried seedpods. This will allow creatures to crawl around within your container. You can also add a rock or two for them to crawl under. Once completed, place the window box on a flat surface. You might also secure your crate to a sunny window ledge.

Bundled Sticks in Window Box

DK - Ready Set Grow! , 2010 Dorling Kindersley Limited

6. Consider Many Plants

Consider a multitude of plants for your container garden. We used lavender, chives, snapdragons, hebe and ivy. These will attract busy bees and fluttering butterflies — all great pollinators. Lacewings and ladybugs will eat up any pesky aphids. Many other beetles, and maybe a spider or two, may also drop by to pay you a visit.

DK - Ready Set Grow!, 2010 Dorling Kindersley Limited

Snapdragon

DK - Ready Set Grow!, 2010 Dorling Kindersley Limited

Dwarf hebe

DK - Ready Set Grow!, 2010 Dorling Kindersley Limited

Chives

DK - Ready Set Grow!, 2010 Dorling Kindersley Limited

Lavender

Snapdragon Attracts Bees and Butterflies

Snapdragon

Dwarf Hebe Attracts Butterflies and Bees

Dwarf hebe

Chives, An Attractive Herb

Chives

Lavender Blooms

Lavender

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