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Hell is a Box of Begonias
Creating good-looking
window boxes has been no simple feat for Rachel Household,
who, after months of trial and error, can finally admit
to a deep dislike of begonias
‘Mixed fortunes’ is how I’d describe
our window boxes. Last winter I decided to plant some
up and they went very well. Pansies and tiny little
daffs. Big success… although I was stunned how
frequently they needed watering. So when we moved into
our new house I wanted to carry on with my gardening
on a window ledge.
The front of the house is so shabby I thought I couldn’t
possibly draw attention to the dustbins, chipped paintwork,
the ‘sold’ board and plastic road cone.
But round the back is a window that looks out from the
kitchen to the garden: a perfect place for a floral
display. So off I went to the local farmers’ market
in May and bought a tray of busy Lizzies and a tray
of begonias, without even thinking whether I liked them
or not. I don't know how many you're supposed to put
into a container, so I crammed all of them into two
window boxes, which did seem a bit of squeeze. The busy
Lizzies I’m really pleased with but they don’t
complement the begonias, which are bursting out on all
sides. To be honest, it looks like a pub out there.
The begonias have done well – I mean, they haven’t
died - but deep down I really, really don’t like
them at all.
So it’s October
and the window boxes are still going strong. They look
a bit shabby but not bad, which is quite surprising
really since I’m not a methodical waterer and
they’ve been relying on the rain, which we seem
to have had a lot of. Even so, I’ll be glad to
get rid of the begonias with a clear conscience. I had
to suppress the urge to throw them away through the
summer, but it seemed mean, it wasn’t their fault
I didn’t like them, and anyway, I feel guilty
if I kill something.
Suddenly though, people are thrusting bulbs at me and
colour supplements are flogging spring plants, and in
my area window boxes have appeared with heather, ivy,
and autumnal displays. I do feel sometimes that I should
be more house-proud, that we lower the tone…
Anyway, I decided
to consult some articles and found out what I don’t
like, which is the single-colour, in-your-face plantings
– like all reds. I prefer pretty flowers –
basically I’m unadventurous and have no urge to
do anything different. So I perused the range of bulbs
on offer and settled on a selection of crocuses, snowdrops
and traditional daffodils (‘King Alfred’
to be precise) and some heathers and violas. This is
a slight change from last year’s marigolds but
I thought the violas were delicate and pretty. I’m
not wholly convinced though: part of me is still tempted
by the big, bold, bright and brassy marigolds…
Planting up will mean following the instructions on
the bulb packets to the letter: there will be no deviation
since I am not too confident about this part of the
whole business. Firstly there’ll be the ceremonial
binning of the summer’s flowers, which will be
tough and ridden with guilt. Then I’ll put some
loose stones into the bottom of the container, whack
in some compost, pop the bulbs in, have a quick panic
about whether things are too close together, then whack
my violas in on top. This will be marked with a glass
of wine since I will also undoubtedly have to deal with
cat interference of the most unpleasant kind and a disparaging
husband…
See also the Helping Hands workshops on:
Planting
a bulb in earth
Planting
up a container
Rachel’s Shopping List:
Daffodils
Snowdrops
Crocuses
Heathers
Violas
Window
box
Compost
Other
spring bulbs
And, if you like Rachel's chiminea oven, check it out
in our store click
here
Articles
reprinted with premission from Greenfingers.com
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