Easy Recipes for Window Boxes in Shade

Alternate colors -- hot pink and pale pink, then more of the same -- for heightened visual interest in a long, narrow space.

A. Impatiens 'Accent Pink' -- 4
B. Impatiens 'Pink Swirl' -- 4
C. Dichondra 'Silver Falls' -- 6

A mix of four types of coleus, each tall and in a unique color combination, make the foliage center stage in this window box.

A. Coleus (Solenostemon 'Stained Glassworks Copper') -- 1
B. Lantana 'Dallas Red' -- 1
C. Bear grass (Xerophyllum tenax) -- 2
D. Coleus (Solenostemon 'True Red') -- 1
E. Coleus (Solenostemon 'Stained Glassworks Big Blond') -- 1

More is often better in containers, particularly in arrangements such as this, where a variety of foliage, blooms, and plant sizes come into play.

A. Impatiens 'Accent Pink Picotee' -- 2
B. Hosta 'Golden Tiara' -- 1
C. Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium 'Brise d'Anjou') -- 1
D. Fuchsia 'Thalia' -- 2
E. Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea 'Variegata') -- 3
F. Sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas 'Sweet Caroline Bronze') -- 1
G. Plectranthus 'Zulu Wonder' -- 2
H. Vinca major 'Variegata' -- 2

Impatiens are a container garden favorite, and for good reason: They're long bloomers, they have plenty of color variety, and the foliage stays a deep green. They're a great pick to provide summer color after springtime violas fade.

A. Impatiens 'Dazzler Pink' -- 3
B. Viola 'Sorbet Blue Babyface' -- 3

Texture, depth, dimension: This container has it all. A riot of color and form fills this container, from the mini blooms of bacopa to the standout strawflowers.

A. Bacopa (Sutera 'Bridal Bouquet') -- 2
B. Torenia 'Catalina Blue' -- 1
C. Calibrachoa 'Cabaret Purple' -- 2
D. Shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeana) -- 1
E. Heliotrope (Heliotropium 'Marine') -- 2
F. Strawflower (Bracteantha 'Moonlight') -- 1
G. Daisy (Felicia 'Read's White') -- 2
H. Bacopa (Sutera 'Snowstorm Giant Snowflake') -- 2

More delicate in bloom size than their close cousin the petunia, million bells still shine, particularly when mixed for complementary color.

A. Impatiens 'Dazzler Red' -- 3
B. Impatiens 'Dazzler Pink' -- 2

A single color -- here, white -- accented with variegated foliage is graceful and beautiful in a simple window box.

A. Geranium (Pelargonium 'Orbit White') -- 1
B. Ivy (Hedera helix 'Glacier') -- 4
C. Bacopa (Sutera 'Snowstorm') -- 3
D. Impatiens 'Xtreme White' -- 2

Try unusual mixes such as foliage-based kale, sedge, and the dark-colored stalks of coral flower in container plantings.

A. Sedge (Carex siderosticha 'Variegata') -- 2
B. Kale (Brassica oleracea 'Osaka') -- 2
C. Verbena 'Tuscany Violet with Eye' -- 2
D. Coral bells (Heuchera 'Pewter Moon') -- 2

A swath of impatiens cuts a pretty picture; just a few accent plants -- in orange and white -- add a visual break to a simple window box.

A. Impatiens (Impatiens 'Midnight Rose') -- 4
B. Vinca (Catharanthus 'Cora White') -- 2
C. Snapdragon (Antirrhinum 'Bells White') -- 1
D. Tuberous begonia (Begonia 'Nonstop Orange') -- 1

Looking for an easy way to arrange plants in a window box? Select three different varieties -- here, coleus for height, begonias for color, and ivy for length -- and place one along the back, the second in the middle, and the third on the edge.

A. Wax begonia (Begonia 'Prelude Pink') -- 3
B. Coleus (Solenstromum 'Dappled Apple') -- 2
C. Ivy (Hedera helix 'Eva') -- 2

Create an intriguing look by mixing a couple of different flowers that look alike. Here, geraniums and impatiens fill out the window box with pale pink blooms.

A. Vinca major 'Variegata' -- 4
B. Geranium (Pelargonium 'Bullseye Light Pink') -- 2
C. Impatiens 'Accent Pink Picotee' -- 5

Beauty sometimes equals simplicity, as with this container, filled with the blooms of double impatiens with their lush, roselike blooms

A. Impatiens Fiesta Salsa Red -- 4

The dainty petals of impatiens gather in this overflowing window box. For a full planting, add a few more plants to fill in any gaps.

A. Impatiens 'Super Elfin Blush' -- 4
B. Impatiens 'Pink Swirl' -- 4

Fringy foliage of deep green asparagus fern cascades below the lush blooms of begonias. The arrangement softens the exterior shake siding.

A. Asparagus fern (Asparagus sprengeri) -- 2
B. Tuberous begonia (Begonia 'Go-Go White') -- 3

Instead of three different plants, choose three different colors of the same plants. Here, red, white, and hot pink impatiens fill a window box and provide a more cheerful view than the wall of dogwood foliage.

A. Impatiens 'Accent Watermelon' -- 3
B. Impatiens 'Accent White' - 3
C. Impatiens 'Accent Violet' - 3

Top off a heady growth of coleus with smaller, trailing plants such as verbena and scaevola for a container that grows mostly down instead of up.

A. Coleus (Solenostemon 'Between the Lines') -- 2
B. Osteospermum 'Serenity White' -- 1
C. Verbena 'Aztec Pearl' -- 2