Window Box Edibles

Keep fresh herbs close at hand with a wooden window box filled with culinary favorites, like mint, cilantro, tricolor sage and spearmint. An edging of thyme alternating with silver thyme finishes the box with a flavorful flourish. Wood gives a rustic look to any window box garden. Untreated lumber offers an inexpensive option for a wooden window box. Treat wood to extend its life with two coats of cheap cooking oil. You’ll detect an odor the first season that will fade in subsequent years.

Look for window boxes that come with a sturdy stand when mounting a box beneath a window isn’t possible. This box bursts with flavors that can season salads and soups or spice up the grill. Plants include, left to right: Tuscan kale, basil, pansy, sage, leaf lettuce, lavender, eggplant and rosemary.

Fill your salad bowl with homegrown lettuce from a window box. Using the cut-and-come-again harvest technique, you can enjoy a healthy, homegrown lettuce supply for several months. Plant lettuce seed thickly in rows. Within each row, snip alternating clumps to harvest, leaving a short stub. After harvesting, apply a water-soluble fertilizer to jump-start stub re-sprouting.

Create your own twist on traditional window boxes by mounting yours on the inside of a bright, sunny window. Many herbs grow well indoors, such as basil, sage, rosemary and thyme. For the most flavorful leaves, provide the brightest light you can.