Turn Your Window Flowerbox into A Winter Garden

Winter vegetables are the perfect plants to use in your window flowerbox for the cooler weather. They are a better alternative than empty window flowerboxes, they can provide just as much color as many flowering plants, and at the end of the season you have fresh veggies to eat.Winter Veggies For Your Window FlowerboxWhen talking about winter vegetables, we are really confined to root vegetables and leafy vegetables. For your window flowerbox, any of the following can be grown in the winter:

• Chives
• Radishes
• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Beets
• Parsnips
• Rutabagas
• Some varieties of onion
• Collard Greens
• Kohlrabi
• Swiss Chard
• Leeks
• Carrots
• Turnips

Now, you won’t be able to grow all of these vegetable at the same time in your small window flowerboxes. So research the ones you are thinking about planting and choose the ones that you like the most.When to Plant Your Window Flower BoxYou won’t usually find plant starts for winter vegetables, like you do for spring and summer vegetables. So expect to have to grow them from seed, and plant these seeds anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks before the first frost for your area. Of course, the planting time depends heavily on what you are growing.Planting For Color in your Window Flower BoxesIf you are more interested in growing winter vegetables to give your flowerboxes color during the winter, pay attention to what the plants on the outside of the seed packets look like. The pictures will show you the colors, look and texture of the plant you are holding the seeds for.For colorful flower boxes stick to the leafy green vegetables that come in different colors like Swiss Chard, Kale and Spinach.Avoiding FrostWinter vegetable plants still need the watering and care that summer vegetables do, which can be hard when it gets cold outside. Another problem will be the dropping temperatures at night that can cause issues for your plants if they cannot tolerate the frost.To avoid adding to the frost problem, watering should be done in the middle of the day. This is when the temperatures are warmer and the water is less likely to freeze on the plants.If you enjoy planting all year long, you also might want to think about having bay or bow windows installed in your kitchen so that you can grow your plants indoors, without the worry of frost.