Window box plants that thrive on neglect are the unsung heroes of summer. If you choose drought-tolerant, sun-loving plants with relaxed habits and a touch of stamina, you can create displays that look lavish even when you forget to water them for a day or three. Mediterranean herbs, silver foliage, trailing succulents and tough flowering annuals all earn their keep in a window box, particularly in temperate zones where summers can veer from torrential rain to dry heat in a week.
I have always admired plants that get on with things quietly. The divas of the garden are all very well, but there is something deeply reassuring about a window box that continues to tumble and flower while you are away for the weekend, distracted by life, or simply sitting indoors with a cup of coffee pretending not to notice the hosepipe coiled accusingly by the back door.
