Among the beautiful houses that make up a portion of downtown Charleston are window boxes.
Window boxes serve as a decorative and beautiful part of the historic community, adding pops of color and flair to the outside of homes, some of which date back to 1830.
But there are some defining characteristics that make a window box special, and after identifying some of the best around Charleston, I can give you a few hints.
Volume
The volume of the flowers. The best window boxes will have volume that not only covers the physical box, but also stands out and over the walkway.
Color
Color is a very important factor in the perfect window box. Contrast creates depth that makes the boxes appear deeper and larger. The colors of the window boxes are all determined on what time of year it is. Spring and summer call for bright, vibrant colors – whereas winter and fall call for greenery.
Symmetry
The best window boxes have great aesthetic appeal in part because of their symmetry. Having symmetrical, matching window boxes in quantities of two or three are more appealing than just one window box. If there is not enough room for multiple boxes, one large window box will suffice.
Coordinating colors
It’s not just the color of the flowers and the box. It’s also the coordination between the colors of the flowers in the boxes and color of the shutters and the house is another very important factor. The perfect window box will be coordinated with the color of the shutters and the house enough to where it doesn’t look wrong, but it will also have enough contrast to stand out against the house.
Type of flowers
The kinds of flowers consuming the window box are probably the most important part of the flower box. Having flowers that drape over the edges of the box are extremely important for length; plants and flowers with great height are also very important for this factor. Large, rounded flowers like hydrangeas are great flowers for window boxes because they create depth and volume. They are also economically friendly as they are easy to bring back to life through simple tricks after they die.
by Betsy Calder
CougarBuzz 