You’ll never go wanting for flowers when your box contains plants with colorful foliage that flourish in partial sun or shade.

What to Plant

Look for shade-happy plants with colorful leaves, like the four vivid varieties of coleus that fill this box. 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.

In This Box

1. Coleus: Solenostemon scutellarioides ‘Kiwi Fern’
2. Coleus: Solenostemon scutellarioides ‘Dark Star’
3. Coleus: Solenostemon scutellarioides ‘Dappled Apple’
4. Coleus: Solenostemon scutellarioides ‘Dark Heart’

Tip: Not all boxes are created equal. Try the paint-ready, rot-resistant Blossom box, made of a polyvinyl-resin composite, by Mind Your Manors ($168, www.windowboxesetc.com).