When you fill your window boxes in the spring, consider where the boxes are located. If on the north side of the house, the plants will only get sun late in the day. Of course it depends on where in the world you garden, but there is bound to be one side of the house that gets less sun than others.
Here’s a list of some shade-loving annuals perfect for window boxes. They don’t even mind a little sun.
1. Tuberous Begonias are known for their foliage interest and brightly-colored flowers. They’ll grow to about 8 inches in height.
2. Impatiens come in beautiful bright and cheery colors with reddish-brown foiliage. The plant is quite abundant with flowers.
3. Caladium has big dramatic variegated leaves and will grow from 6 inches to 18 inches tall. This makes them perfect for the back of the window box.
4. Wax Begonias are similar to Tuberous Begonias with green or red foliage and a colorful mix of flowers. The leaves have a waxy look.
5. Coleus is a great plant indoors or out. It’s grown mainly for its colorful foliage of various shades.
6. Ivy can be added to window boxes for that hanging-gardens-of-Babylon appeal. It will grow nicely in full shade or full sun.
7. Forget-Me-Nots are another great shade-loving annual and you can start these from seed directly in the box. For this method, don’t plant anything else with it. Let the seeds germinate and fill the box with bright blue flowers. It’s a stunning look.
There are lots of annuals that grow well in shade and in window boxes. For the best results, fill the boxes well and place the taller plants toward the back. Ivy is a great vine for tumbling over the edge. The flowers will fill in quickly and you’ll have bright color even in the shade.
We bought a home that has 2 30 year old trees with big roots closed. I love gardening, this proved a challenge. Hard ground and roots everywhere. So I began to build boxes with wood left behind by the previous owner. I filled them with good soil and began to plant various shade plants. My project expanded from there to a walkway stepping stones and a bridge. It is possible to work around roots that can’t be cut. To remove the trees would cost $1500 each and besides I love the giant Ash tree. I wish I could post pictures.