How to Make a Window Box Garden

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.

For many people, warm weather means growing things in the ground. Gardening is popular activity all around the world.

But what about people who do not have the space to garden? Not to worry! Today, we will give you information about growing beautiful window boxes.

Associated Press writer Beth Harpaz talked to several expert gardeners, and they shared their suggestions.

Location and safety

Window boxes are not just for the outside edge of the window, called the sill. They can also sit on other structures such as, walls, porches, or front steps.

If you live in an apartment without outdoor space, you can garden in a window box. "But safety first: People do get killed by falling window boxes," says Nina Browne. She is the community program manager at New York's Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Make sure your window boxes are secure so they will not come down in a storm. Because of these possible dangers, window boxes are sometimes banned by property owners. If that is the case where you live or if you feel your window box could be unsafe, you can have an indoor window box.

Light and water

Before choosing plants, check your window box location for light and rain. Window boxes dry out faster than in-ground plants. So, they need more water. And if a window box is close to a wall or other structure, it may not get enough rainwater.

Even if all your windows get little sun, do not give up. Browne says one of her greatest successes as a gardener is a beautiful window box in a full-shade spot. She gets a great look using plants and flowers that love the shade.

Many shade-loving plants -- like caladium and oxalis -- have leaves in beautiful colors and interesting shapes. Some vegetables such as sweet potato and peas have vines and add interest to a window box.

Now, let's talk about succulents. These are plants that hold water inside them and are often found in dry environments. Matthew Pottage is an expert gardener at the Royal Horticultural Society Garden Wisley in Surrey, England. His window box full of drought-tolerant plants has "survived the wet and cold of London for some seven years."

Another gardener, Steph Green, is the owner of Contained Creations in Richmond, Virginia. She uses plants that add different colors, heights, and plant structure.

She may select a tall plant such as dwarf¹ Alberta spruce and sago palm for the back of the box. To fill the space, she could use plants such as boxwood or dusty miller². Then she might choose sweet potato vine or petunias³ to grow down from the box.

For shade boxes, she likes to use Kimberly queen fern and Dracaena lemon lime; boxwood, coral bells, and impatiens; creeping Jenny, dead nettle⁴ and English ivy⁵.

You can grow herbs and edible⁶ flowers, like parsley, basil, and nasturtiums. If the window box is big enough you can grow some types of vegetables like peppers. You can even add small, wooden structures for the plants to grow up. Get creative!

The "wow" factor

So, what gives some window boxes their "wow" factor while others are just so-so? Create a theme! This is a central idea for the plants. For example, you may have a widow box that is all cactuses or all edible plants. Or you could have a color-themed window box with only purple flowers and plants.

Gardeners Chantal Aida Gordon and Ryan Benoit turn "window box" into a verb. Their book "How to Window Box" shows how to create eye-catching window boxes. For more ideas you can check out their website, The Horticult.

Besides having a theme, Benoit adds that upkeep is important. "People who have really nice window boxes," he said, cut off anything dead. He adds that they also water their window boxes often and change things a lot.

He suggests knowing which plants look best during each season. That means replacing spring flowers -- for example tulips and hyacinths -- with summer flowers, like petunias and zinnias.

In colder weather, try mums and flowering kale. And Benoit warns to not let quick-growing plants get out of control.

Whether you are an experienced window box gardener or trying it for the first time – this small project might be just what you need.

Words in This Story

garden – n. an area of ground where plants (such as flowers or vegetables) are grown : gardener – n. one who gardens

porch – n. a structure attached to the entrance of a building that has a roof and that may or may not have walls

shade – n. an area of slight darkness that is produced when something blocks the light of the sun

leaf – n. one of the flat and typically green parts of a plant that grow from a stem or twig⁷

vine – n. a plant whose stem requires support and which climbs by tendrils or twining or creeps along the ground

drought-tolerant – adj. Plants that can live in dry climates and withstand not being watered often.

select – v. to choose (someone or something) from a group

herb – n. a plant or a part of a plant that is used as medicine or to give flavor to food

edible – adj. fit or safe to eat

wow factor – adj. a quality or feature of something that makes people feel great excitement or admiration⁸

so-so – adj. moderately well

1 dwarf   

n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小

参考例句：

• The dwarf's long arms were not proportional to his height.那侏儒的长臂与他的身高不成比例。
• The dwarf shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. 矮子耸耸肩膀，摇摇头。

2 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

3 petunias   

n.矮牵牛（花）( petunia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The petunias were already wilting in the hot sun. 在烈日下矮牵牛花已经开始枯萎了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• With my porch and my pillow, my pretty purple petunias. 那里有我的前廊我的枕头，我漂亮的紫色矮牵牛。 来自互联网

4 nettle   

n.荨麻；v.烦忧，激恼

参考例句：

• We need a government that will grasp the nettle.我们需要一个敢于大刀阔斧地处理问题的政府。
• She mightn't be inhaled as a rose,but she might be grasped as a nettle.她不是一朵香气扑鼻的玫瑰花，但至少是可以握在手里的荨麻。

5 ivy   

n.常青藤，常春藤

参考例句：

• Her wedding bouquet consisted of roses and ivy.她的婚礼花篮包括玫瑰和长春藤。
• The wall is covered all over with ivy.墙上爬满了常春藤。

6 edible   

n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的

参考例句：

• Edible wild herbs kept us from dying of starvation.我们靠着野菜才没被饿死。
• This kind of mushroom is edible,but that kind is not.这种蘑菇吃得，那种吃不得。

7 twig   

n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解

参考例句：

• He heard the sharp crack of a twig.他听到树枝清脆的断裂声。
• The sharp sound of a twig snapping scared the badger away.细枝突然折断的刺耳声把獾惊跑了。

8 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。