2. DETERMINE YOUR WINDOW'S LIGHT SOURCE
There's this weird thing about plants: they die if they don't get sunlight. So if you want to grow sun-loving plants like dahlias, nasturtiums or cacti, you have to make sure that your window isn't facing a dark brick alley. Here are some basic guidelines:- If your window faces north, your plants will receive very little direct light except in the very early morning and late afternoon, so you will need to grow shade-loving plants.
- If your window faces south, your plants will receive full sun throughout most of the day.
- If your window faces east, your plants will receive good sunlight in the morning when there is not a lot of heat and therefore can support both sun and shade loving plants.
- If your window faces west, your plants will receive afternoon sunlight and heat; they will need to be watered more often than north and east facing windows.
Also take into consideration how wide your street is, because wider streets allow for more sunlight than narrow streets. Finally, consider the color and material of buildings across from your window: light-colored buildings and buildings made of stone or glass reflect light back onto your window garden; brick buildings and wood buildings painted in dark colors absorb light.
Now you can choose your plants. Here are some suggestions:
Sun-loving plants:
- alyssum
- geraniums
- petunias
- heliotrope
- dusty miller
- cosmos
- snapdragons
- dahlias
- nasturtiums
- succulents
Shade-loving plants:
- ferns
- begonias
- hosta
- impatiens
- ivy
- caladium
- violas
- violet
- mint
- philodendron
- sweet woodruff
- peace lilies
