Gardening with Gary

Gardening Advice from an Expert

Window Boxes

Q. Can you give me some ideas of plants for my window boxes--I would like some good plants that look good together as well as some different combination plants that you wouldn't usually put together but do well. I also need some ideas of vines that I can use in the boxes--maybe some I can start from seeds. I live in southern east Wisconsin--so its still pretty cold here but I am just looking of ideas for some great color combinations and ideas...something different.

A. It is good to be looking for combinations that you have not done before. I like bright red geraniums with bright dark blue and sky blue lobelia. Vines that are great are myrtle, variegated dwarf ivy and creeping thyme.

Mixing violas of blue, yellow, purple with white flowers of alyssum is nice [or try the golden alyssum for fun]. Sweet William in pink, red and white look good with dwarf white and yellow marguerite daisy and cascading candytuft. Blue ageratum with dwarf French marigolds, mixed with brick and gold portulaca, offer bright bold colors missing from many garden boxes.

For shady areas, try the wonderful new coleus that are green, red, yellow and pink. Mix in some impatiens and balsam [with fat rose-like flowers]. Cascading from both boxes and baskets will be the new petunia called Liricashowers, from Park Seed Co. [a hanging tiny-flowered petunia] or the Cascadias in magenta-rose, white or ones mixed with yellow eyes and veins! They have also introduced the most double petunia ever, Marco Polo Odyssey [rich pink].