Inspiring Ways to Use Garden Windows in Your Home
Garden windows are a popular addition to kitchens because they can be used for growing herbs and other plants. They can also be used for other decorative purposes.
Display crystals, geodes, or prisms in your garden window to create a beautiful visual. They are beautiful in the sunlight.
Aquatic Garden
A garden window is like a mini greenhouse that brings natural light into your home while providing the perfect place to grow plants. These windows can be decorated with herbs, flowers, or succulents, bringing a pop of green to the kitchen or living room.
These specialty garden windows resemble bay windows but are smaller and encased in glass on the top and sides so that they allow sunlight to flood in. They also make an excellent space for personalizing your home and adding style.
When growing plants in a garden window, be sure to rotate them often so that each plant receives equal amounts of sun. This will prevent one side of the plant from growing more significantly than another due to getting more sun and keeps them healthy.
Bonsai Tree
Bonsai trees offer a decorative, meditative touch to a window. This is a traditional Japanese art with specific rules and techniques for creating miniature trees.
A bonsai tree is a plant kept in a small pot and pruned to develop a more aesthetically pleasing shape. This pruning is typically divided into structural and maintenance pruning.
Some popular bonsai species include juniper, fig, and ficus. Ficus bonsai has a very forgiving trunk, tolerates rearranging, and has small leaves that add character to a specimen, Price says.
Juniper bonsai thrives in any northern climate, while pines and spruces are common choices for cooler temperatures. Indoor bonsai prefer plenty of natural light and air movement to help their metabolism. It’s essential to water bonsai when the soil is damp but before it dries out and to provide regular maintenance pruning.
Cactus
A garden window is a popular choice for the area over a kitchen sink, but these windows can also be located in living areas. This allows homeowners to enjoy the benefits of greenery throughout their entire home.
Plant a colorful flower garden to create a stunning display that blooms yearly. Brightly colored flowers like daffodils, petunias, and begonias are popular options that thrive in full sun. Cacti and succulents are another low-maintenance option that withstands dry conditions well. Mix spiky textures with soft blooms for balanced vignettes that exude sophistication.
A vegetable or herb garden is also an excellent choice for a garden window. Grow your vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers, or try herbs like basil, chives, and rosemary in jars.
Air Plants
Popularly placed over kitchen sinks, garden windows have glass on three sides and extend out from the home. This unique window design allows homeowners to grow plants inside, enjoy the view from their home, and spruce up a room.
Herb gardens are a great way to make the most of your window. You can plant herbs like basil, fennel, thyme, and more for year-round flavor and aroma.
Air plants, such as tillandsia amaranthus and echeveria, are a simple yet vibrant addition to any garden window. While they can be planted in terrariums, these succulent beauties prefer bright indirect sunlight and air circulation.
Aside from boosting your Vitamin D and helping you reset your circadian rhythms, having more natural light in your home can help you sleep better. This can be especially beneficial if you struggle with seasonal depression or suffer from eye strain.
Aloe Vera
An aloe vera plant offers more than just beauty to your garden window. Its leaves are packed with a soft, clear gel that provides various wellness benefits.
This succulent is a xerophyte, which develops water-storing tissue in its leaves to survive in dry climates with low and variable rainfall. The gel in the leaves of this perennial succulent contains complex carbohydrates called acetylated glucomannan molecules that form a viscous mucilage-like substance.
Remove 3-4 thick leaves from the plant to harvest aloe vera. Remove the prickly spines and use a knife to cut off the outer layer of the leaf. Then, using a spoon or your fingers, separate the interior gel from the yellow latex that oozes from the leaf.