What Kind of Plants to Put in a Garden Window?

The plants you choose to grow in a window garden depends on a number of factors, including the purpose of the garden and the growing conditions. Window gardens can be used for functional purposes like providing food or they can be merely decorative artistic additions that complement your overall decor. Whether your window receives a significant amount of sunshine or is haunted by shade, plants are available to bring your window to life.

A kitchen window is the ideal spot for an herb garden. Proximity to your cooktop and oven means plucking an herb from the garden and getting the freshest spice available. An herb garden window can also infuse the house with aromatic scents. Basil, chives, dill, coriander, fennel and tarragon are among the plants you can choose for your garden window.

A garden window can provide natural fragrances to enliven the house without necessarily providing sustenance for the table. When you want to use a garden window to make the house smell better, consider plants like spearmint, peppermint and just plain mint.

One aspect of a garden window to be aware of is the effect of sunshine. Those with a grand window that receives plenty of rays should avoid plants that do better in the shade and go with those that thrive best on sunny days. Plants for a garden window receiving plenty of sun include petunias, geraniums, nasturtiums, succulents and cacti and snapdragons.

When you have a job that provides you with more time to enjoy your garden window during the summer than during the rest of the year, you should look to flowers that burst into brilliance during the long, hot days of the beach season. A garden window box is especially suitable for growing plants like impatiens, ivy and cascading lobelia.

A window garden can add much character during the holiday seasons. You have to be sure you pick plants that are hardy enough to withstand both the cold air that may seep through the window and the warmth of a heated indoor climate. Holly and evergreens are obviously suited for a December garden window. Add some pine cones and decorate with a string of cranberries to lend some fragrant diversity to this type of garden window.

Even those with a window that spends more time in the shade than in direct sunlight can boast a varied selection of plants. As long as you avoid plants that absolutely require a certain amount of sunlight each day, you can create a garden window of many colors and scents. Plants that can thrive inside a shady window include begonias, ferns, violets, philodendrons and caladiums.

Herb gardens can produce an aroma that isn't suitable for all olfactory systems, but you can still use your garden window to provide food. While many vegetables are hardly appropriate for the confines of a window, you can still find a handful that present little problem. Vegetables for consideration in your indoor garden include peppers like jalapeno and habanero, cucumber, radishes and even tomatoes.