I love the look of black metal in any yard.  I find it just simply adds some depth and can be quite bold up against greenery.  This year I have been researching many different products for my area that I am planning to call my “oasis” and I came across these wrought iron window boxes.

I own an older 50s bungalow that used to have window shutters.  We had to take them down due to rot, and I didn’t want to put them back up, as I thought the house looked better without them, but the windows needed something.

Our house is gray brick and the windows slide up and down for opening, so no fear of taking out any flowers that I may put on the windowsill.  So, I decided to get window boxes for the two front ones, and I am loving the look of these.

They come with the coco liners, which not only looks good but keeps the soil in the planter where it belongs and helps to keep in moisture so they don’t dry out. 

The one side is flat making it easier to install, but I also thought after seeing the picture how nice they would look on a fence too.

So, although they are referred to as window boxes, they can be used on deck railings or attached to a fence or wall.

If you are trying to decorate your yard this year and don’t want too much fuss or renovation then add a few of these around the garden and fill them with colourful flowers and that will make a huge difference.  You could do a theme and have them all one colour of flower, but they would also look fantastic with hanging vines too.

When filling these with flowers for the season, remember to plant them close together to get the visual impact because I made the mistake of planting the flowers too far apart in my deck planters and by the time they grew close enough together, it was the end of the season.  It is not the same as planting perennials, which need space to grow and come up every year.

Annuals only live for the summer so you are not hurting them by planting them close together in window boxes, or planters.  You want to get that visual impact right away. 

These make a big difference in a yard especially if you are looking for a splash of colour.  You could also add other decorative items to really perk up your yard.  I have been doing all kinds of research and although my local garden center carries a lot of products, I find there are more to choose from online.

I found wrought iron plant stands and sconces and hanging chandeliers that I think would all look great together.  This way I do have a theme with the basic black metal then the colour of the flowers or candles or whatever I am adding. 

I like having lots of things going on, but not look too busy, so by having everything based in black wrought iron it looks all put together.  You can keep them for many years and if they do get a bit faded or beat up they can be cleaned and painted again with metal paint.