Many people assume that gardening would simply take too much work. After all, it requires cultivating the soil, adding bags of smelly manure and mulch, and daily weeding and watering, right? Actually, if you garden on a small scale, it can be quite easy.

You can even start a garden in a window box. The installation and planting will only take a few hours, and window boxes only require a few minutes of care.

You can surely find a window box to fit the style of your home. They come in a wide range of materials and styles, available at nurseries or garden centers. If you have a rustic or country-style home, look for a cedar or pine window box. If your home is more formal, consider a wrought iron window box, or a resin box made to look like finished stone. For gardeners on a budget, look at molded plastic boxes. They come in many colors, and will look great once they are overflowing with beautiful plants.

Next, you'll need to install the brackets for your window box. This is much simpler than it sounds. In fact, the whole job should take just ten to fifteen minutes of your time. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to make sure you are installing the brackets correctly. If you don't fasten them right, your beautiful window box could suddenly fall off the wall.

Now, you'll need to choose the plants for your box. If you want a colorful display, choose flowering plants. If you want fresh vegetables without cultivating a large vegetable garden, you can also choose vegetable plants. If you enjoy cooking, try growing an herb garden in your window box. There are also many beautiful plants that can add greenery to your home. The key is to choose plants that will thrive in a window box environment.

If you decide to go with flowering plants, there are a few popular choices. Geraniums, marigolds, and petunias all provide large, colorful blooms during a long season. Carnations, smaller dahlias, and pansies also grow well in window boxes. Don't forget to mix your flowering plants in with a few that provide green foliage for contrast. Hostas, Dusty Miller, and sweet potato vines will provide interesting foliage to mix in with your flowers.

If you want to grow vegetables in your window box, consider lettuce, cabbage, spinach, onions, carrots, or peas. All of these varieties should do well in a window box environment. You can also consider small varieties of tomatoes, if you have a trellis to support them.

Nearly every herb and other houseplants such as indoor ferns, you can buy at a garden center will grow well in a window box. From an Italian themed herb garden with oregano, basil, and parsley, to a potpourri window box with lavender, lemon grass, and rosemary, growing herbs in a window box gives you many choices. Several other herbs you can grow include sage, thyme, and rosemary, which go well on fish or chicken dishes or even with boston ferns.

Once you have chosen the plants, it's time to plant them. Mix water retaining crystals into some potting soil. The crystals will help keep your plants from drying out, making watering them an easier task. Now fill your window box with potting soil, stopping a few inches from the top. Then, carefully place your plants in the soil, and fill in the empty spaces around the roots. Now, gently tamp down the soil, and water them thoroughly. Now you're ready to enjoy your new garden!