Flower boxes full of bright annuals during the spring and summer go empty during the winter months. It may seem as though something is missing, leaving your home's exterior even colder than the gray skies and the leafless trees. With some ideas of how to fill those empty flower boxes, you can dress up your home, adding life, color and purpose during the winter months.
When annuals finish blooming and die back, cut them at the soil level, leaving e throots. This will give cut pine, holly and berry branches something to hold onto. Add some cedar or juniper branches for different textures. As the holidays near, create arrangements from this greenery, just as you would a wreath or mantle topping. Add pine cones by wrapping wire around the first layer of chips and poking them into the soil, among the greenery. The pine cones can be left natural, sprayed with white spray paint or just tipped in white. Pepper berry branches add color to the arrangement and feed the birds, at the same time. Add bright Christmas tree ball ornaments to your winter flower box arrangements, for added color.
After trimming branches from trees and bushes, set them aside. The dried discards can be painted and stuck in the flower box soil for a spectacular arrangement that will last all winter long. Gold, silver or white branches will give your home's exterior an elegant appearance. Finish them with a weave of tiny electric illuminating fairy lights.
If you live in a very cold winter climate location, you will find that birds are scarce as they have gone south. However, in many areas it is not so cold that birds must leave, yet it's cold enough for flower box annuals to die off. Create bird feeders out of your flower boxes for winter. Leave the soil in and place a non-porous tray on top. Fill it with bird treats, such as bird seed, sunflower seeds and suit. You will enjoy the variety of feathered friends that greet you at your window.
Although it doesn't decorate your winter flower boxes, it's the perfect time to plant tulip, daffodil or other flower bulbs. Most spring blooming flower bulbs need a period of chilling and, therefore, are planted outdoors in late fall or early winter. You will be rewarded with an early spring array of color beneath your homes windows.