Question
Hi,
We have new wrought iron flower boxes under second story windows, and would like some colorful draping flowers, preferable perennials to maintain the color accent on the house all year round. Our house is a mediterranean style, so of course bougainvillea is what has been recommended the most.  My concern is that it grows robustly, and can get brambly.  I'd like a more full draping flower that will bloom often and only grow a little.  Not asking for much, eh?  Is morning glory a feasible window box flower? Any other ideas?

Thanks,
Katherine

Answer
This is a tough one....I am looking carefuly at what you want, and I feel I need to explain what you will probably get.
Flowering perennials that drape, need a break in the winter to produce the short lived blooms they produce.They look really awful in the winter. They are mostly green in the summer. The flowers are seasonal for a very short time.
If you use flowering annuals, your choice of plants just increased. They will bloom nearly all summer, be just the right size, and will have a huge color range.
I would recommend planting a mix of alyssum, lobelia, calibrachoa, (Million bells) and Swedish ivy. In the winter have some holiday decor. Then plant again in the spring.
You will need to tend to it,  by watering and deadheading.
Checking it daily to see if it is doing well.
The beautiful window boxes in pictures, don't always look so beautiful all year, and they aren't as easy as they look.

bakerplanter