Making Window Boxes

I’ve always loved the look of window boxes. I think they are really beautiful. Our house doesn’t lend itself to having window boxes, there is really only one window that would make sense, but one would look odd, plus I like symmetry. A lady contacted Jim to build her four window boxes, so I will have to live vicariously through her. Here is the picture she sent along to us.

I remember way back suggesting to Jim that we put two window boxes on the garage. That was a firm NO. Ha. That was going to be his workshop and he didn’t want flower boxes on the windows. Who does that!

So for this order the request was for one at 24 inches long and the other three at 36 inches long. All four were to be 6 inches wide and 6 inches deep. She is planning on using inserts in the boxes. Oh, and she is painting them herself.

To start, Jim asked me to go to the pallets of wood in the work yard and get five or six poplar boards that were at least 6 inches wide. Sure I said.

What he failed to mention was that I was going to have to move nine heavy concrete blocks in order to get the boards out. And then replace them when I was finished. But hey, I only pinched one finger in the process. I decided to get six the first time cause I’m not moving those again. Here was my score.

They got sent through the planer multiple times.

We have neighbours who just started raising free range chickens, so they came and picked up a couple of large bags of shavings. She blows a whistle for them to come home for the night. Some evenings if we are outside I hear the whistle and chuckle. But I digress….

Jim cut all the boards to size for the four boxes.

Then it was time to assemble them. Jim pre-drilled for screws on the back and sides, everywhere except for the front. We wanted to keep the front nice and smooth so we used nails. There was a fair amount of sanding involved. Poplar is not sandpaper friendly if you know what I mean. The more you sand…the more you need to sand. It’s a never ending cycle folks. At some point you just need to stop.

Here are the four flower boxes, awaiting paint and flowers.

Lucky lady. Wouldn’t it be funny if they were for her garage. If they are I don’t want to know about it.

Later