Maru, it greatly depends on what you grow. My winter growing plants (mostly mesembs) are exploding with growth and I find it hard to keep up watering them, almost daily, because they drink so much with the adjusted and stronger daylight.

If you got new plants and worry about them getting burnt, all you need is another layer of fibreglass plastic for offices that use them on the ceilings, to place in between the window and your plants, or just move your plant away from the window altogether. That will help you and your plants in many ways.

Thanks for the ceiling light panel suggestion. That's an easy one to get in large sizes that I can cut myself.

I don't have any other surface to put plants on except windowsills. I have Phalaenopsis, Vanda, amaryllis, several succulents, African violets, Pothos, Dracaena, Croton, Peperomia, Tillandsia, Peace Lily, etc. They do well most of the year but, some days during the summer (fortunately, summer in Chicago is very short!!!) are especially bright and hot for them. Some of them are older plants (3+ YO), some are new replants (I trim/repot throughout the year as needed).

If you want removable, they make static film for windows. This is opposed to the semi-permanent adhesive film like window tinting. They make all different sorts of film, but I use the lightest tint/IR film (I use the adhesive stuff) on my windows. It blocks 99.9% of UV, 99% of heat (IR), and the light tint is, iirc, 10-20% cut of light. You can even get just IR and UV i think.

Now that I have film on the windows, I can hold my hand in the sunlight and can barely feel any warmth. I can keep the drapery open for the plants now without heating up the house.

@breton2 This is true (not enough light) for my condo too which is why the only place for plants is on the window sills. I wish I could put the plants a foot or two away from the windows (during the summer) but there isn't any surface to move the plants.

@Nil13: Is the static film like this product - http://www.lowes.com/pd_65822-74130-CS78_1z0rv2y__?productId=1095827&pl=1?

Would you mind sharing the brand and UPC or store SKU of the one you bought?

Maru,

The majority of my plants live directly on my windowsills or as close as they can get on a small table.... oh to have a greenhouse.....