Spruce Up Your Home or Balcony With These Stylish Window Boxes

Amber Dowling
·7 min read


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Spring is right around the corner, which means it’s time to visit your local hardware shop to stock up on all of your favorite outdoor supplies and gardening tools. But, as you’re power-washing that grubby siding or manhandling the disgustingness in your gutters, it’s also time to start thinking about ways to spruce up your home’s exterior with some fresh plants or flowers.

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You could keep things to a flower bed or shrub, sure. Or you could take your outdoor home landscaping to the next level with some handy window flower boxes. Whether you attach one to a window, porch railing or balcony, they’re guaranteed to pretty up your space, make your home look loved and give you even more growing options than a regular old outdoor vase or garden bed would.






Window Box Dos and Don’ts

DO choose the right types of plants. Figure out how much sunlight your window box will receive and then match plants, flowers or herbs accordingly.

DON’T forget to measure. If you want maximum impact, choose a window planter box that is roughly the same length as your window.

DO choose a material, color and design that matches your house or balcony. You want the window flower box to blend in as though it’s part of the overall design.

DON’T forget to ensure your window box has proper drainage or units installed against the house could cause water damage. If there are no drainage holes in your flower box, simply drill a few holes into the bottom.

DO consider how high your plants will grow — you want to add to the esthetic without blocking that natural sunlight.

DON’T forget to take allergies into consideration. If you plan on opening the windows during the summer, you want to make sure the plants you choose don’t have too strong of a scent.

DO take time to plan out your mini window box “garden.” Minimizing plants to three or four varieties is a good rule of thumb when you’re just starting out.






Installing Window Flower Boxes

How you attach your window box depends largely on the type of box you purchase and where you’re installing it. Some boxes will sit easily on a railing or sill, while others may need to be drilled into brick or siding. If you don’t want to damage your siding (and really, who does), you may want to opt for some vinyl siding hooks, which slide into the seam of your siding, instead. It also goes without saying, but it’s also always a good idea to read any included directions first.






The Best Window Planter Boxes

1. Home Depot White Plastic Window Box

BEST OVERALL

Take your indoor colonial-style outdoors with these stylish window boxes, which come in three colors and are made of strong polyethylene. They come with four wall-mount brackets or you can also purchase accompanying decorative brackets for that extra bit of flair. This planter includes a sub-irrigation water system that encourages root growth (and is handy for the newer plant parents out there), and we also love that these are backed by a 15-year warranty.

Window box with wainscotting
Window box with wainscotting


Buy: Home Depot White Plastic Window Box $88.00

2. Hevea Outdoor Window Box Planters with Brackets

BEST SPLURGE

We’re really into how stylish but practical this design from Pottery Barn is, but it gets even more bonus points for the fact that it’s made from recycled plastic composite. The finish is designed to never fade and there are three colors to choose from, which makes this a reliable window box planter for homes of all shapes and sizes. Each piece includes a drainage hole and can be left out year-round in most areas, while the accompanying brackets help to achieve the easiest possible installation.

Sleep window box with hooks
Sleep window box with hooks


Buy: Hevea Outdoor Window Box Planters with Brackets $149.00

3. Bloem Dura Cotta Charcoal Gray Plastic and Resin Window Box

BEST BASIC

This durable but basic design works well with a wide variety of plants, herbs and even edible plants like tomatoes or peppers thanks to its lightweight but durable design. Each box comes with a removable saucer tray in case you want to use it indoors, and the plastic resin coating is UV stabilized so that it won’t fade even in the harshest summer sunlight.

Basic window box
Basic window box


Buy: Bloem Dura Cotta Charcoal Gray Plastic and Resin Window Box $26.15

4. Devon Window/Deck Planter with AquaSav Coconut Liner

BEST NATURAL LOOK

We like the natural look of this coco-lined window and deck planter, which is designed to help healthy root growth and prevent fertilizer run-off. That makes it ideal for those flowers or herbs that need a bit of added nutrients to the soil. We’re also fans of the fact that the natural latex coating is made from recycled plastic and is naturally pest- and fungi-resistant, plus it comes with the required mounting hardware so that you can get growing ASAP.

Window box with coco
Window box with coco


Buy: Devon Window/Deck Planter with AquaSav Coconut Liner $29.88

5. Mayne White Plastic Self-Watering Window Box

BEST SELF-WATERING

If you plan on traveling this summer but want to ensure the front of your home looks maintained, a self-watering window box could help you achieve those goals. This unit also offers an east-coast design fabricated from high-quality vinyl that looks like wood but without the muss and fuss of an actual wood box.

Self-watering window box
Self-watering window box


Buy: Mayne White Plastic Self-Watering Window Box $214.76

6. Jaimee-Lea Galvanized Steel Window Box Planter

BEST FARMHOUSE DESIGN

Blue remains one of the most popular home design colors in 2022, as does the farmhouse look. Why not combine both with this galvanized steel window box planter, which is designed to stand up to harsh UV rays and rainstorms alike. It comes with drainage holes and a distressed finish, adding an immediate wow factor to any space you install it. The only bummer is it doesn’t include brackets.

Window box in blue
Window box in blue


Buy: Jaimee-Lea Galvanized Steel Window Box Planter $49.99

7. Apollo Exports International Adjustable Railing Planter

BEST PORCH

If you’re looking for a basic planter for the porch or a fence railing, these adjustable flower boxes work on everything from wrought iron, to composite, to good old-fashioned chain link fences. They also come with a hidden tray to reserve up to six cups of water at a time, allowing the roots to stay hydrated without drowning even during heavy rains.

Basic window box in black
Basic window box in black


Buy: Apollo Exports International Adjustable Railing Planter $29.99

8. Wendover Self-Watering Resin Window Box Planter

MODERN DESIGN

It’s hard to beat the sleek, resin look of this window flower box, which comes in grey or black to perfectly complement your equally stylish home exterior. It’s rust-resistant and comes with drainage holes and a removable rubber stopper, and it’s also self-watering and weather-resistant, making it highly functional when placed on the windowsill or on a porch. The downside is this box doesn’t come with drill holes, so you’ll need a separate hanging kit or holding hooks to do a proper install.

Window box in grey
Window box in grey


Buy: Wendover Self-Watering Resin Window Box Planter $39.82

9. Classic Home and Garden Wood Window Box

BEST INDOOR BOX

This wood-and-galvanized design is completely on trend with some of the more modern looks out there, but it’s also highly functional in indoor and outdoor spaces. There’s a plastic liner included to help the box from drying out, but it is lightweight so beware if you plan on hanging this window box in high-traffic or windy areas — it will need to be firmly secured. For that reason, you may want to use this window box for the inside of your home instead.

Window box in wood and metal
Window box in wood and metal


Buy: Classic Home and Garden Wood Window Box $16.99

10. Hanging Flower Plant Pots

BEST WINDOW BOX ALTERNATIVE

Looking for something a little more whimsical, colorful or low-maintenance than a regular old window flower box? These hanging flower plant pots are a bright and fun idea. The durable metal iron design comes in 10 different colors and can be hung on fences, balconies and even some windows depending on the design.

Colorful window box pots
Colorful window box pots


Buy: Hanging Flower Plant Pots $19.99

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