Window Boxes of Newburyport

I had a very busy and enjoyable weekend.  The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston was hosting their annual Art-in-Bloom event this past weekend.  My daughter, Brittany, and I try to go every year. Being that she is an art major and I am a floral designer, the Art-in-Bloom event is perfect for us.  Even with our busy schedules we managed to go on Saturday afternoon and were thrilled, as usual, with the floral displays.  I am waiting for Brittany to send me the photos she took with her new fancy camera and, hopefully, I will be sharing that visit with you soon.

The next day my husband, Tom, and I took a Sunday drive to Newburyport, MA to take in the scenery and get a little exercise by walking around the downtown area.  We love visiting Newburyport and always seem to have a good time.  On this visit, I decided to take photos of the various window boxes that lined the downtown streets.  I am constantly amazed at the effect the ocean air has on plants and flowers.  There is just something about the salt in the air that makes the flowers grow better!  The inspiration of the flower boxes alone made the trip worth it for me!

Here's a mini tour of the window boxes of Newburyport:

Don't you love the colors?

I wanted to give proper credit to the businesses who create these beautiful window boxes.  After all, they did all the work or they hired someone else to do the work.  In either case, bravo for them!  Any place that values beauty in the marketplace, I am all for!

 This window box was on the corner of the building.  It was hard to get a  good shot without getting the column in the way, but the display is lovely anyway. 

 I am partial to this color combination and I love the grays of the pussy willow mixed in with the blues of the grape hyacinths and the purples and whites of the pansies.

 I thought this window at Starbucks was architecturally interesting and framed the window box nicely.

 The window boxes of this shop were not as elaborate as others I saw but, the decorated storefront behind the window box really made for a beautiful and interesting picture.  The whole scene drew you into the store.  I'm sure that is what the shopkeeper was hoping for!

 Although these are not window boxes per se, they are container gardens nonetheless.  I loved the color combination of yellow and blue.  The purple/blue hyacinths really anchor the container, I think.

 More container planters...more pussy willows, pansies...lovely

This pizza place hit the mark with their window box, don't you think?  The pink tulips with all the purples, blues and greens are extremely vibrant and eye-catching.

So, after viewing all the the window boxes and containers, which one is your favorite?  If I had to choose, I think it would be the first photograph of the Coldwell Banker real estate office.  The colors are striking and the multiple window boxes make a great statement.  The different textures of the plants used, as was the case with many of the Newburyport window boxes, adds a lot of interest and composition. 

Now it's time for me to get going and decorate the window boxes at my barn. I don't know what has been taking me so long!  I thank Newburyport for the inspiration!