Window Dressing

A window box is the sort of thing you don't really give much thought to, until you come across one that makes you stop in your tracks. (Or as in my case, you are suddenly installing them on your home!) Some places seem to take a special interest in their's, and the contents spill out happily in bold colors, such as this one I found in the Old Quarter of Quebec City.

In my travels, I'm always drawn to windowboxes and I photograph them endlessly. Some of my favorites were found in the Czech Republic, where their riot of colors competed with the beautifully painted buildings.


In New England, our Yankee restraint often shows up in window boxes that are minimally composed, with just a few varieties of plants, such as the ever-present geranium and pansies, perhaps some grasses. The bold colors and simple composition are an especially nice contrast to the peeling paint here, found in Maine.









This riotous balcony box is in New Orleans. Could you tell? There, it's not about the flowers, silly! It's about telling a story. And this one certainly does, though I'm not sure exactly what it is. I love the riot of greenery, the dilapidated shutters, and the ornate wrought iron work, not to mention Mary who's hard at work!


Of course, there is no rule that a windowbox has to be flowers. It can be beautiful with 'just' greens, too, as in this pretty example from the plains of Alberta, Canada. Skillfully composed of Caladium and ferns, the few flowers present act as a foil rather than being the stars of the show.


In the Pacific Northwest, windowboxes have to be rain-lovers and not sulk when the sun doesn't appear for days. This one just jumps off the blue of this house.



And last but not least, something we don't see much of around here, a windowbox dusted with snow!


Love these orange shutters!