A Rustic Garden Blog

This weekend I got sucked into watching the HGTV show “Curb Appeal.” The half-hour television show centers around helping homeowners update the outside of their homes. Typically the task includes painting, putting on new shingles, adding a fence, and replanting a garden.

After watching several episodes I went outside and took a good hard look at my front yard. For the most part, I like the way my yard looks, but there’s always room for improvement. I’m thinking that this coming weekend I’ll purchase a wrought iron window box or two to fill with colorful flowers. I believe this will add more pop, depth, and texture to my front entryway.

With annuals fading in most of the country you can keep your home and gardens looking spectacular by adding fall décor to your wrought iron planters. Place some gourds and pumpkins with a few artificial pieces to make your window boxes and garden pots serve you through Thanksgiving.

In December switch to evergreens that can stay through winter. Jazz it up all year long with A Rustic Garden products.

Having fresh herbs is not only delicious but cost effective as well. The prices of food seem to rise and fall. It can be pretty expensive to continually purchase herbs every week. There is a way around spending money on buying fresh herbs.

Creating window box planters for your home herbs are a great way to save money and have the smell of fresh herbs in your home. Purchasing a package of seeds is only 47 cents. You can create your own planters for your windows. It is a pretty cost effective way to have fresh herbs for your recipes.

In January I found the best product to line window boxes and wrought iron planters. This heavy green material is slow to absorb water so the moisture will collect near the roots of your planting longer. After soaking up the excess water will drain  away leaving the perfect balance of water and oxygen needed for beautiful flowering plants.

Click on this link to see our video explaining how to use this planter liner. Moisture Mat Planter Liner  

You know it is not perfect… you will still need a good fertilizer. I like using granular time released fertilizers like Osmocote in addition to the boost you get with Miracle Grow type liquid fertilizers. Gardening is so much fun!

When I design garden landscapes I like to add unusual elements. I’m known for incorporating water features, architectural elements, and height to my designs. In smaller yards I definitely focus on adding height to make the space seem larger. One of my signature pieces is a flower fountain.

A flower fountain is not an actual fountain, it’s just meant to give a flowing effect. What I do is I find a wall or fence and create a focal point. I stack three to five wrought iron window boxes in a pyramid shape. Then I plant bright, colorful, cascading flowers in each bed. The flowers spill from the top box to the one below creating a fountain effect, all while adding much needed height to a space.

Wrought iron window boxes accent your home when planted with beautiful annuals. Christy Alley ordered iron planters from us and told her designer that she wanted the flowers “dripping” from the planters.

I have planted many for customers and begin by wrapping the metal planters with plastic wrap to contain the sphagnum moss. Moss has a natural look that helps retain  moisture. Burlap or coco liners can be substituted to save costs. Keep in mind that moss will last several years and the cheaper substitutes give out sooner.

Use wet potting soil and pack it well to get lots of fertile product to plant your flowers in. I stuff every inch with plants!  Some are flowering  and some have  unique colors of foliage. Of course there will be lots of vining colorful flowers dripping over the edge.

There are several ways to plant your wrought iron widow boxes and garden containers that allow proper drainage for beautiful healthy flowers.  My favorite method is by using sphagnum moss as a liner inside the wrought iron planters.  The sphagnum moss has a very natural look and your flowers will love it too.  Simply soak the moss in water before you line your wire baskets and watch your flowers bloom.

I have always used cocoa liners in the past.  Last year we found this high quality moss and we were thrilled with the difference.  When lining a planter basket with larger openings you can stretch saran wrap around the basket.  Once it is planted you can let it set up over night and then remove.

For another economical option you can use a dark colored burlap fabric found at your local fabric store.  You can just tuck it around the container for a great rustic look.

When choosing a new window box planter it is essential that you have all the information in front of you. First off, there are many materials available to choose from: wood, vinyl, PVC, fiberglass, aluminum, wrought-iron, and copper to name a few. Window boxes planters have been around for centuries and they’re an affordable solution to planting and gardening.

With so many new materials on the market it’s important to understand the advantages and disadvantages to all of your choices. Whether you’re look for affordability, low maintenance, or a distinct look, window box gardening can be a fun hobby that brings lots of joy into your life.