Top Mailbox Garden Ideas and Tips

When it comes to gardening, the lowly mailbox - and the area around it - often gets overlooked. How often have you walked down a street and seen gardens near homes, all with plenty of flowering annuals and perennials? Then you look at the bare mailbox and notice that there are no plants nearby.

But the right plants, combined with a pleasing garden plan, can turn the tiny bit of land near and under the mailbox into a lovely garden area. For gardeners who are short of space, this may be the only area that could be used to garden. Having successfully grown a wealth of vegetables and flowers in my mailbox garden, I know it has more potential than people might believe.

Top Tips and Plans for Mailbox Gardens

While nothing epitomizes small space gardening like the tiny area around mailboxes, a major consideration is making sure that any garden plans don't interfere with mail delivery. Luckily, there are plenty of plants which either stay small, grow low to the ground or don't overtake the average mailbox. For those who want to take advantage of the vertical space and perhaps even the post under the mailbox to help support plants, careful pruning may be necessary to keep plants under control but this takes little time.

Tip One - Start with the Mailbox

It may seem odd to think of your mailbox as a gardening accessory or part of your garden decor. But mailboxes comes in a variety of styles and sizes and colors. You'll probably want to coordinate your garden plants with your mailbox. If you have a formal or highly decorative mailbox, consider plants that would work in a formal garden.

If you lead a casual lifestyle, consider a more casual mailbox garden design, perhaps using geraniums or daisies. If your box is solid colored, you may easily find plants that work with that color (particularly a neutral color). Purple flowers look striking against a black mailbox.

Tip Two - Consider a Magnetic Mailbox Cover or Mail Wrap to Set the Garden Theme

If your mailbox is looking a bit bland and you'd like to set the theme for a mailbox garden, try checking out some decorative covers. Many have a garden them, including these mail wraps which can be seen at a site called Kathy's Klutter. A sampling of magnetic mailbox covers can be seen here and could instantly transform any box into an attractive garden focal point or accent.

The Geranium Hummingbird Wrap seems perfect for adding height to a mailbox garden featuring geraniums. Some wraps, such as the Flamingo Pair, seem designed for certain areas of the country (Florida comes to mind). There are even magnetic mailbox covers which have a rustic or hunting theme.

Tip Three - Once Your Mailbox is Decorated, Consider the Amount of Sunlight Around it

Most mailbox gardens I've seen tend to be in sunny areas but there are some that get limited amounts of sunlight, depending on the direction they face. Impatiens, miniature hostas and other shade loving plants may be ideal for low light spaces. Since our mailbox gets plenty of sun, we actually grow eggplants around our mailbox but make sure to get varieties that don't get too large and which have attractive leaves.

We got plenty of compliments on our unusual landscaping and it was easy to harvest the produce every time I walked down to get the mail. My mailbox garden was also a nice source of extra veggies and motivation for heading out for the mail.

If you'd prefer to grow flowers and perennials, makes sure they get enough sunlight and consider using the mailbox post as vertical gardening space. You may need to use ties to keep the plants from trailing on the ground. Moonflowers and Morning Glories are a lovely combination that can be trained to grow up and over support posts, adding height to the garden.

Tip Four - Consider a Garden that Fits the Neighborhood

We don't have a neighborhood association which prohibits mailbox gardens. Even so, there are some neighborhoods which require specific types of mailboxes and have general rules and guidelines about plants. Mailbox gardens will probably cause less dissent if they fit in with the rest of the neighborhood. Even in formal and upscale neighborhoods, there are plenty of plant options available.

Tip Five - Think About the Theme of the Mailbox Garden and Don't Neglect Curb Appeal

If first appearances count, a mailbox garden is likely to be the first impression people have of your yard and interests. This is the ideal time to have fun and come up with a garden that reflects your personality. If you like crafts or quilting, you may want a patchwork garden, neatly trimmed into squares of contrasting color.

Ceramic animals, decorative birdhouses or even a small hummingbird feeder can all be set up in the mailbox garden area, adding to your yard's curb appeal, literally starting at the curb! Plants grown in containers which are left standing or buried in the ground can help keep plants from growing out of bounds.. Attractive containers can be found at Target, Home Depot or online sources such as B &T Grower Supply, found here

Tip Six - Make sure the Mailbox Garden Doesn't Interfere with Sidewalk or Street Traffic

This seems like an obvious point, doesn't it? However, I've seen people plant small pine trees or shrubs under or near their mailboxes, only to be faced with a problem within a year or two. Even if a mailbox garden looks a bit sparse at the beginning of summer, odds are high that those annuals and perennials will grow larger and may even protrude into the sidewalk. Careful trimming and even transplanting some plants can keep things within bounds. Our eggplants which looked so tiny at first eventually grew into larger plants which completely covered up our mailbox post.