This client had a very tight budget for this window garden after her remodelers had their way with her budget. So the solution was these awesome tea hybrid roses that we use bamboo sticks to guide up the window, framed by the simple boxwood and a natural blue stone that we free set on soil – pure soil. This is by far the least expensive way to install stone and a useful and effective way given there is not much traffic or use on that stone nor concern for movement of the stone from the changing seasons.

This garden, with extensive soil amendments for the roses, was under 1,100 not including the irrigation.

IMAGINE EDIBLE: This same layout could have been done with edible plants. For example, I would have used a Black Currant as the hedge instead of the boxwood – this would mean in the winter I would not have an evergreen presence but I can accept that with a little Xmas lighting. Instead of the roses I would go with a specialty grape and roses. Imagine one deep red knock out rose climbing amongst clusters of deep purple plump grapes winding around a cedar trellis painted the same color as the home so that it is as if invisible.  What other climbing vines are edible? Hops. Cucumber. Sugar Snap Peas – the list goes one – truly, even tomatoes would be stunning instead of the roses. Whatever can be done with ornamental plants in terms of visual pleasure can be done better by edible plants.