Christine,

Here in Zone 5b we often cut lots of evergreen tips from assorted native
trees around Thanksgiving and insert them into our windowboxes, they take up
space and really do not brown off until time to plant pansies, snapdragons,
and alyssum...... which is NOW! YIPPEEEEE!

Other items I depend on for the summer boxes in deep shade are tuberous
begonia, caladium, and one of my indoorplants -- prayer plant. But they
don't go out until the weather settles beyond frost warnings

You can have satisfying window boxes in Z 5 as long as you don't want to
be in Z 7. Patience and refusal to be swayed by advertising are necessary.

Sue
Western Maine




"Christine O'Meally" wrote in message
...
I have a window box that's in virtual darkness that I have not been very
successful with.... I hate planting that many annuals every year, it
seems like a waste. And then in the winter, it just looks awful to have
nothing in it, but to tell you the truth, I do nothing outside after the
temperature drops below 40 degrees (and I'm in zone 5, so that means
pretty much from late October on). So I thought it might be nice to put
in some dwarf or midget conifers as the primary plant and then fill in
with annuals or something else. BUT the garden center had some lovely
midget mugho pines, Alberta spruce and arborvitae, but they all said
"full sun." I've had some other "full sun" plants that have done well
in other parts of my property that are part-shade (sedum, for one) and
was wondering if these would die if I put them in there....

If this is a really bad idea, does anyone have any ideas (pictures would
be nice) for creating a shady window box? The space is huge - about 7'
long.

Chris O'Meally