Welcome to Best Flowers for Window Boxes, an instructional piece on how to compose beautiful window flower box creations in the cooler seasons. The emphasis here is on colour.

Autumn Window Boxes

As summer, with its bright-hued flowers gives way to autumn's russets, golds, and purples, Golden Rudbeckias come into bloom, staying well into autumn's cooler months. At this time, too, Crysanthemums are prolific, presenting masses of rust-coloured, maroon, red, orange and gold - blossoms that last for weeks. Good for window boxes? Yes, the dwarf varieties are ideal.

Michaelmas Daisies and autumn Heathers come into their element at this time, presenting purple to pink flowers. Heathers often have interesting foliage shades, too. Depending on the variety, all these bushy plants will supply flowers throughout the autum season. In addition, Blue Gentians and bulbs such as Colchicum and pink Amaryllis Belladonna, will provide some unexpectedly bright highlights with their wide range of colours.

Desirable window box planting partners are those contrasts which seem 'just right.' An example of these might be red-tinged foliage plants that tie in well with autumn's hued flowers. Here, I'm thinking of Red or Rust Coleus, and Bronze or Purple Heuchera to complement the season's flowers.   And if you have the space for it, a container-grown, Japanese Maple somewhere outside your window.

Many long-flowering summer plants continue well into autumn, providing warm, wonderful and exciting colour. Asters and Kaffir lillies (Schizostylist) bridge the gap from summer into autumn. Then, as these start to fade, introduce ice plants (Sedum), heathers and autumn-flowering bulbs such as nerines and sternbergias for the middle of this season. Chrysanthemums will continue to show until the cold of winter finally arrives. And Autumn crocuses can flower right through the season.

Michaelmas daisies and chysanthemums are prone to grey mould (Botyritus) and powdery mildew.  This can disfigure them. Remove same and destroy the affected areas. If the problem persists, spray with a fungicide, or remove the plants completely.

Berries attract birds.  Many birds rely on them for their autumn food. They gorge on them. But though you may resent their gluttony, view it as "a spectacle olf joy" from inside your window. This is their food. Don't begrudge them. And, of course, the more berry plants you have, the longer brightly coloured fruits will last for both you and your visiting friends (birds) to appreciate.

For larger containers, low-spreading Cotoneasters can be a real boon with their fiery-red berries.

Amaryllis belladonna

Aster novae-angliae

Aster novi-belgii

Calluna vulgaris

Colchicum

Cyclamen

Fuchsia

Impatiens

Nerine

Rudbeckia

Schizostylis

Sedum

To dispel winter gloom, you'll need robust plants with plenty of colour and picturesque foliage in your window boxes. Evergreen plants come into their own this time of year. Evergreens provide permanence of structure and colour that lasts. Yes, no matter what the weather throws your way, there are many shades: beautiful, greens with blue, siver-grey and golden hues as well as creamy and yellow variegations; colours that become almost magical in the crisp winter light.

Winter-flowering pansies often endure right through winter. Varieties of Cyclamen Persicum also bloom throughout the winter months. While C. coum continues into spring. Others that flower towards the end of the season are the multi-coloured Polyanthus, Yellow Winter Aconites, Snowdrops, Iris, and Erica carnea, in shades of pink and white. All look good.

If you're using individual pots in your window boxes, plant up with winter-flowering pansies. They'e available in a bright array of bold colours, polyanthus or cyclamen coum in shades of red, pink or white.

You can also plant hellebores Helleborus niger (the Christmas rose) ans H. orientalis and produce their delicate white, pink or purple flowers in winter or early spring. Also, when they've finished flowering, you can remove them from their pots and plant them in the open garden.

Danger Zones

Cold, wind, and rain are combined perils in winter. Any terracotta containers you have must be 'frost proof' if you live in a frost zone, otherwise they will absorb moisture which will freeze causing frost damage. If strong winds are expected, you may need to protect taller plants from breakage. Also, self-watering containers should be drained before winter to prevent frost damage. Sucking up icy cold water then having it freeze - how'd you like to have your feet in that lot!

Bergenia

Buxus sempervirens

Cyclamen

Dwarf conifers

Erica carnea

Euonymus fortunei

Galanthus

Hedera

Heuchera

Primula polyanthus

Viola

I hope you enjoyed my article best flowers for window boxes for Autumn and Winter. You find bellow more relative information on window boxes, for all seasons plus a wide range of tips and ideas.

Happy Gardening, Marty

PS: If you liked this, you will love How to Grow Indoor plants http://hubpages.com/hub/how-to-grow-indoor-plants and the rest of the reference links below!