This article appeared in the Nov/Dec 2020 issue of This Old House Magazine.
Steps for Keeping Window Box Plantings Fresh in Winter
1. Start by Rehydrating Clippings When You Gather Them
- Cut stems at a 45-degree angle to maximize water absorption and place them in a bucket of water for 1 to 3 hours.
2. Spray with an Anti-Desiccant
- Wilt-Pruf works well to seal the pores of leaves and needles and protect against drying.
- Jenn likes to mix broadleaf evergreens such as holly, magnolia, boxwood, and andromeda; needled evergreens like spruce, fir, pine, incense cedar, and juniper; and red-twigged dogwood, winterberries, juniper berries, and pinecones for interest.
- And she doesn’t fuss with a base: “I put them in the same soil the fall and summer annuals were potted in,” she says. “That way, they freeze in place in the soil.”