HERBS FOR A WINDOW BOX
A useful selection of herbs can be grown in a window box, given a sunny location and proper attention to watering and pruning. Many of the culinary and aromatic herbs are appropriate for such a location, arranged for convenience and fragrance. With a small space, you will want to make every herb count.
For Culinary use: Grow parsley , chives, a small rosemary, a golden creeping lemon thyme, and basil, if the position is sheltered. A pot marigold (calendula) adds cheerful color and flower petals for salads and rice dishes. A nasturtium provides trailing leaves and colorful flowers which you can add to summer salads.
If your position is hot and dry, try the saffron crocus (Crocus sativus) for its valuable crop for the kitchen. If you have wide sills on the insides of your windows, consider mounting boxes there. Fill them with herbs to enhance different rooms: a clipped bay or sweet myrtle on a sunny porch; peppermint in the moist air of a bathroom; scented geraniums or lemon verbena in a living room, and lavender in the bedroom.
When positioning the window box, consider where water will drain: use a removable drip tray, if possible, to prevent excess water from running down walls.
Position the box and cover the first inch with broken pottery or other drainage material. A sheet of heavy plastic punctured with drainage slits will help retain moisture. In colder climates, a layer of plastic foam will give the roots of the plants some protection for rapid freezing and thawing. Another solution is to keep perennial herbs in individual clay pots, which allow moisture to permeate through, and then plant these in a box of moist peat. Plant any annuals in the peat.
Basil requires the sunniest position and tolerates dry air. Thyme, sage, marjoram, and dwarf lavender also enjoy direct sun. Dill, savory and chives like full sun but a cooler temperature. Rosemary likes a bright situation but prefers a cooler atmosphere of 60°F to produce its flowers. Coriander, salad burnet, and parsley also prefer this combination. Tarragon and lemon balm take full sun but tolerate light shade. Mint and chervil enjoy some sun but not the hot midday sun, and both like a moist, cool soil. Herbs will tolerate from 45-75°F, but do not thrive at the lower temperatures.
Potted herbs are more vulnerable than plants in the open ground and more dependent on your care. Pots can dry out very quickly. During hot weather, check the soil each day. In autumn, water only when the soil is dry.
