Low-Maintenance Flower Boxes

If You Have a Shady Window

What to Plant

Look for shade-happy plants with colorful leaves, like the four vivid varieties of coleus that fill this box (Solenostemon scutellarioides Kiwi Fern, Dark Star, Dappled Apple, and Dark Heart). Play with contrasts in texture and hue. Here, the ruffly maroon-and-coral Kiwi Fern anchors the middle of the box, offsetting the deep purple and apple green foliage surrounding it.
 
 

When to Water

Daily during the hottest summer days; the rest of the year, check every few days and water as soon as the soil is dry to an inch below the surface.
 
 

How to Maintain

Pinch off new flower spikes and stem tips every two weeks to keep plants looking lush and full.