How To Plant in Flower Boxes

First choose your container or flower box. A wide range of zinc, bronze, terrazzo and wooden window boxes will be available from your local garden centres. Alternatively, you can plant up reclaimed containers, biscuit boxes, water containers, even an old sink!

When choosing your container, think about the style of your house. Galvanised zinc is one fo the most popular choices as it is inexpensive, lightweight and tends to suit most situations. Wooden windowboxes can be painted to match the windowframe of the house and this can look very elegant, whilst crisp terrazzo or cream polystone can look excellent in a modern context.

For suppliers, try Windowbox or Garden Boutique.

Next you will need to line your flower box with crocks. These are essentially broken bits of flower pot or crockery - and help to improve the drainage so that your plants do not suffer from root rot.

Then, simply fill your flower box with a shallow layer of compost and you will be ready to plant.

HOT TIP: I like to mix vermiculite or moisture retaining granules with my compost. This lightens the overall weight of the flower box, but also helps to retain moisture within the soil so that you do no have to water it as often!

Now it's time for the fun bit - planting! There are no hard and fast rules when planting a flower box but there are a couple of popular approaches...

For real impact, try using the same plant en masse - Lavender, pelargoniums, anthemis, aster and winter heather all work well. Repetition works particularly well for a modern setting. It allows you to focus on the colour and form of the plant, but you will need to replant seasonally if you want to show the plants at their best and so the costs can mount up...

The second main style is to consider the flower box in the same way as you would approach a flower border. This is a softer, more cottagey look.

First you place your permanent structure of evergreens. Try trailing ivy, topiary or evergreen grasses. These will remain in the flower box all ear round - even when you replace your showstopper or filler plants with seasonal blooms.

Next you add your main showstoppers...Try salvias, petunias, echinacea, in fact any plant you fancy!

Then you add the filler plants, that will froth and trail over the edge. Try lobelia, calamintha, gyspophyllia, verbena, campanula or erigeron.

Finally, arrange the plants to your liking, with their leaves touching and once you are happy with the composition, fill in between the roots with more compost and firm down. Then give it all a good deep watering.