How to Window Box | The Horticult

10 Oct Need window box ideas? Get our new book!

Posted at 05:00h in Design, DIY, Gardening, How To, Style by Chantal Aida Gordon 1 Comment

That sound you hear? That’s our very loud sigh of relief as we wrap up edits on our very. First. Book. Published by Clarkson Potter (also home to Ina Garten, Martha Stewart, and David Chang, and an imprint of Penguin Random House), How to Window Box shows you how to grow your favorite plants in even the smallest of spaces. We show you how to plant 16 window boxes with arrangements ranging from classic (like South Carolina style) to prickly (cactus!) to sultry (with monstera, pothos and more). Plus even more exciting window box ideas. ~~Our book ships on February 27, 2018, but you can pre-order your copy now~~ Update: Our book is out now! You can order your copy right here.

We’re proud of it, and thrilled that we could put a fresh spin on the timeless pursuit of gardening in your window.

Ryan vs. the ribbon fern.

We out here. Chantal’s getting her life from these edible flowers.

An unexpected stunner in the book will be the sansevieria “Detox Box.” Wait until you see the top dressing we added later…

Custom care tips are included for each arrangement of plants.

Even the winter box is colorful. (Shot taken right after planting; in print, you’ll see a more grown-in version.)

The full title is How to Window Box: Small-Space Plants to Grow Indoors or Out because it demonstrates how to cultivate a mini garden on both sides of your sill. Window box ideas and projects range from super easy to somewhat ambitious.

Speaking of difficulty! Writing this book was wild. The deadlines were tight (to get HtWB in your hands before the spring growing season) so we were planting and shooting boxes back to back while researching soil mixes and ordering plants from our local nurseries as the boxes peaked and bloomed, and well, you get the idea. January through August of this year, we were consumed.

We even built a set (!) for the indoor and outdoor boxes, complete with interchangeable facades and shutters, produced and shot in the driveway of The Horticult HQ. We also took the planters on the road to photograph them in some special locations.

There are soil mix recipes for every box.

Harley, the neighborhood’s favorite airedale, eyes the heucheras, hostas and bleeding hearts of the woodland box.

Setting up the Southern Belle.

With the guidance of our visionary editor Angelin Borsics, we designed, built, arranged, and planted 16 boxes at a fever pace. All while writing about them. After the Word Doc phase, we edited “dummy” layouts that were further brought to life by art director with the mostest, Ian Dingman. We made things clearer, more concise, and it dang near killed us.

Thank goodness we had the plants to revive us. (Not to mention, some of the projects we had to cut will be springing up here in this space after the book comes out!)

Working with houseplants was a fun and enlightening change of pace for us after spending so many years writing primarily about our outdoor space. In one box we wrestled ferns into formation and praised their varying leaf shapes, and in another we played with negative space and oddly shaped sansevierias.

Our favorite herbs got optional grow lights. Outdoors, the butter lettuce was crisp and the edible blooms were counting down to happy hour. We also think y’all will love the carnivorous plant chapter. And of course, beyond just the window box ideas, we show you how to take care of your beauties.

This wouldn’t be a Horticult book without some garden DIYs. Projects include trellises, hanging boxes, and the box-top shelf shown above…

…plus a DIY vase for your cut spring blooms.

Our friend Tim stepped in as hand model and photo consultant.

Plant yourself a Jungle Box and your #MonsteraMonday will never be the same.

Never resist the urge to take a glamour shot with your plants. (Especially when you’ve got a seamless right in front of you.)

Where are all these planters now? They’ve pretty much taken over The Horticult garden. If you’d like to see how they’re doing, follow us on Instagram @thehorticult—where we’ll be posting previews, updates, events and giveaways.

The unofficial motto: If you have a window, you can grow a garden. Without giving too much away, here’s a peek behind the scenes.

—TH