Gardening Container Gardens Container Plans & Ideas 16 Pretty and Simple Combinations of Window Box Flowers for Shade Find out what flowers work best in a shady window box, and how to combine them in the best way. By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on May 23, 2023 Close Photo: King Au Try these easy-care and colorful combinations of window box flowers for shade. Don't let dark spots around your home keep you from enjoying beautiful blooms. 17 Colorful Outdoor Plants That Don’t Need Sunlight 01 of 16 Maximize the Power of Pink Mike Jensen 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 02 of 16 Go Bold with Foliage Mike Jensen A mix of four types of coleus, each tall and in a unique color combination, makes the foliage center stage among these window box flowers for shade. A. Coleus (Solenostemon 'Stained Glassworks Copper') — 1 B. Lantana 'Dallas Red' — 1 C. Beargrass (Xerophyllum tenax) — 2 D. Coleus (Solenostemon 'True Red') — 1 E. Coleus (Solenostemon 'Stained Glassworks Big Blond') — 1 03 of 16 Create a Bold Mix Andrew Drake 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 04 of 16 Transition Through the Seasons Eric Roth Impatiens are a container garden favorite, and for good reason: They're long bloomers, have plenty of color variety, and the foliage stays a deep green. In addition, they're a great pick as window box flowers for shade since they provide summer color after springtime violas fade. A. Impatiens 'Dazzler Pink' — 3 B. Viola 'Sorbet Blue Babyface' — 3 05 of 16 Add Drama to a Big Window Tom McWilliam 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 15 Container Garden Plants That Breeze Through Summer's Heat 06 of 16 Add Color All the Way Up Bob Mauer 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 07 of 16 Use White to Add Elegance Tony Walsh A single color—here, white—accented with variegated foliage is a graceful and beautiful choice of a window box flower for shade. A. Geranium (Pelargonium 'Orbit White') — 1 B. Ivy (Hedera helix 'Glacier') — 4 C. Bacopa (Sutera 'Snowstorm') — 3 D. Impatiens 'Xtreme White' — 2 08 of 16 Dress Up a Dormer Helen Norman Try unusual mixes such as foliage-based kale, sedge, and 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. Coralbells (Heuchera 'Pewter Moon') — 2 23 Beautiful Perennials for Shade That Are Easy to Grow 09 of 16 Add Lots of Bold Color Stephen Cridland A swath of impatiens cuts a pretty picture; just a few accent plants—in orange and white—add a visual break when used as window box flowers for shade. 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 17 Orange Flower Garden Ideas to Brighten Up Your Space 10 of 16 Keep It Simple Peter Krumhardt Looking for an easy way to arrange plants in a window box? Select three 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 11 of 16 Soften the Box with Trailers Eric Roth Create an intriguing look by mixing a couple of different flowers that look alike. Here, geraniums and impatiens fill 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 12 of 16 Create a Sense of Luxury Peter Krumhardt 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 13 of 16 Fill It with Color Peter Krumhardt The dainty petals of impatiens gather in this overflowing shade window box. Add a few more plants to fill in any gaps for a fuller planting. A. Impatiens 'Super Elfin Blush' — 4 B. Impatiens 'Pink Swirl' — 4 How to Install a Window Box 14 of 16 Select Old-Fashioned Favorites Bill Stites Fringy foliage of deep green asparagus fern cascades below the lush blooms of begonias. The arrangement of window box flowers for shade softens the exterior shake siding. A. Asparagus fern (Asparagus sprengeri) — 2 B. Tuberous begonia (Begonia 'Go-Go White') — 3 15 of 16 Brighten a View Eric Roth Instead of three different plants, choose three colors of the best window box flowers for shade. 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 16 of 16 Don't Forget the Small Spaces King Au Top off a heady growth of coleus with smaller, trailing full shade 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 Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit