Our Basement Windows: Chicken Wire & Plants

May 1, 2012 — Leave a comment

Basement Window w/ Ferns and Hostas

Our basement windows are in a desperate need of a cleaning, but I wanted to take a minute to talk about them. They are original to the house and consist of an outer and inner sash. I have chosen not to replace these, since they match the rest of the windows in the house and since there is already a storm, we wouldn’t gain much energy savings by replacing them. As part of the basement project I will be sealing them with caulk, since there is no reason to make them operable (we have a basement door that we can put a fan in if we need to exhaust something). One of my favorite features of them is that the exterior window has chicken wire installed against the inside of the glass. It gives it a really nice texture.  The other nice thing is that it provides an extra security measure (probably why it was put in). I haven’t ever seen any other Victorians with this detail, but I quite like it. Unfortunately one of the windows is missing the chicken wire on the front and I need to add it, fingers crossed I will be able to get it open.

Sensitive Fern

Ferns and Hosta

Nandina

The other thing, which I have never heard talked about before, but is important to me is the view outside the window. The bottom of our windows sit more or less flush with the ground. This give us a view of the planting beds around the house at eye level. I planted sensitive ferns on the one side of the house shortly after we moved in and I remember realizing that I could see them out the window as I went down the staircase and really liking that. It is an interesting view, since you don’t often get to see plants from that low of an angle. I think the ferns are an excellent choice since they still let some light in and change in the wind. On the other side we have a hydrangea bush. I quiet like seeing the back of the shrub and some of the flowers. Fortunately it doesn’t totally block the window and there are a few flowers that I have been trying to grow in that vicinity to add to the view. I am thinking of adding some columbines since they are not fussy about the light and they have such nice foliage. At the front of the house I added the nandina in the fall. I will have to think about something to plant between those and the window, maybe some more ferns or small grasses.

Has anyone else thought about the view from their basement windows before?

Leave a comment

No Comments

Be the first to start the conversation.

Leave a Reply

*

Text formatting is available via select HTML. <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>