9 Best Window Boxes for Effortlessly Enhancing Your Curb Appeal

Adrienne Jordan
·6 min read

Courtesy of Target

Looking for a cost-effective way to dress up your home's exterior with some eye-catching color and texture? One option that never fails to make an impact is to install window planter boxes, which also increase your available gardening space. Then you can fill the boxes with beautiful greenery, such as succulents, herbs, or your favorite flowering annuals. The colors, materials, shapes, and sizes of window boxes are seemingly endless. The following selections are all affordably priced at $50 and under (with one splurge for a custom-made option), while offering sturdy construction and stylish design. Shop for the best window box that will coordinate with your home without breaking your budget.

Perhaps even more diverse than the boxes themselves are the combinations of plants that they can hold, says Gary McCoy, a Lowe's store manager from Charlotte, North Carolina. "If you have a sunny windowsill, you'll be surprised to see how many herbs you can raise in a window box," McCoy says. "Creating a mix of thyme, purple leaf basil, variegated basil, Cuban oregano, sage, and lavender is ornamental and will achieve full growth in bright sunlight." No matter your preference on plants to grow, starting with a well-built, decorative window box is key, and these 10 top choices are sure to make a statement.

Best Overall: Hevea Window Box Planter

Plastic never looked so elegant. The high-quality Hevea Outdoor Window Box Planter seems to have it all: not only is it stylishly designed, it's also lightweight and durable, thanks to the patented recycled plastic composite it's molded from. Even in extremely sunny regions, you don't need to worry about fading because the BPA-free plastic is treated with UV inhibitors. You can choose from a black, brown, or gray finish, and three sizes (18-inch, 25-inch, or 36-inch long).

Buy It: Hevea Outdoor Window Box Planter (from $50, Pottery Barn)

Best Trough: Kartz Metal Railing Planter

Equally at home as a window planter box in a country garden setting or as an urban balcony railing planter, the Kartz Metal Railing Planter has a classic look. The rust-resistant 24-inch-long trough has a replaceable coconut fiber liner, a natural material that holds in soil, but allows water to drain out. The included mounting brackets make it easy to attach this planter to walls under windows or over railings.

Buy It: Kartz Metal Railing Planter ($27, Wayfair)

Best Lightweight: Bloem Dura Cotta Terra Cotta Window Box

With a color and design that mimics clay planters, the Bloem Dura Cotta Terra Cotta Window Box has a classic look but can stand up well to the elements. And there's no need to worry about breaking, cracking, or chipping this box because it's made from lightweight, UV-treated plastic. It includes a removable tray to catch any water that drains through the box. Choose from 18-inch, 24-inch, 30-inch, or 36-inch sizes.

Buy It: Bloem Dura Cotta Terra Cotta Window Box (from $25, Overstock)

Best Wicker: Galiamelon Flower Box with Holder

Because they are handmade, each Galiamelon Flower Box from IKEA is unique. This white wicker-style planter is right at home in a cottage garden, and can be used indoors or outside. According to a reviewer, the 20-inch-long container is large enough to hold three quart-size potted plants. The decorative loops around the rim impart extra feminine flair, and the waterproof plastic liner protects surfaces underneath from water that may drain out.

Buy It: Galiamelon Flower Box ($15, IKEA)

Best Value: Ocean Blue Recycled Plastic Window Box

Budget-friendly and also earth-friendly, the Bloem Recycled Plastic Window Box is made from plastic removed from oceans as well as curbside recycled plastic. The fade-resistant, durable, 24-inch-long window box with attached drain tray is simple yet gets the job done. Its ocean blue color looks especially eye-catching when planted with bright yellow or orange flowers such as marigolds or zinnias.

Buy It: Bloem Recycled Plastic Window Box ($9, Lowe's)

Best Indoor: Monarch Abode Metal Window Box

Made from solid galvanized steel, the Monarch Abode Yellow Metal Window Box is easy on the wallet and the eyes. This 18-inch-long rectangular planter box was designed for growing smaller plants such as succulents or herbs indoors on your windowsill. It comes in a stonewashed blue finish, too.

Buy It: Monarch Abode Yellow Metal Window Box ($27, Lowe's)

Best Wooden: Cedar Window Box with Brackets

The handmade Cedar Window Box from Premier Wood Studio not only looks attractive on your home but is also long-lasting because the wood is naturally rot and insect resistant. The planter comes with a set of two brackets as well as drainage holes to allow water to drain through for optimal plant growth. You can choose from 12 inches in length, up to 72 inches, and the shop can customize to your specifications if desired.

Buy It: Cedar Window Box with Brackets (from $49, Etsy)

Best Metal: Galvanized Steel Flower Box

A versatile choice growing a variety of plants, the ACHLA Designs Galvanized Steel Flower Box comes in four colors: white, copper, green, or blue. And depending on the size of your window, you can choose from either 24 inches or 35.25 inches in length. The box does include drainage holes, but the coordinating brackets and mounting hardware are sold separately.

Buy It: ACHLA Designs Galvanized Steel Flower Box ($48, Target)

Best Custom-Made: Wood Window Box

If your window or your style needs a custom design to get the look you want, consider splurging on this Wood Window Box from the Good Wood Creation Shop. Each one is hand-crafted from 3/4-inch pine wood. Then the woodworker will stain and seal your window box to your color and size preferences (you can even request a different size or stain than the numerous listed options). Your purchase also includes a kit with everything you need for easy installation (if you need to mount onto a brick surface, a kit is sold separately).

Buy It: Wood Window Box (from $80, Etsy)