We had a garden window at our old house. It was in front of the kitchen sink so it was hard to reach all the way across the sink and into the window to clean or care for plants. This might be a good way to deal with your view issue though, but - would you get enough sun there to grow plants? Perhaps you could bring in artificial lights, such as flourescent lights for your plants? Your plants would like the light and so would you.

We put in a Sunrise Garden Window - This was right after the reno - I didn't have any plants in it yet -
Currently, I have a big planter of herbs and just pluck them and add them to whatever I am cooking.
I find the chives are a bit leggy, but the parsley, basil, rosemary, etc are doing fine.
This is a south exposure but it is partially blocked by a blue spruce.

I would have done something a bit different if I found GW. I would have built a standard bay with the counter going out into the bay (but you will need a special device to open the window...) I can reach our openers as it isn't too deep.

I also put a grow light in the window this spring and grew a few babies for my outside garden.

We installed a garden window to replace a standard one behind the kitchen sink. It does make the room feel a lot bigger and was worth the cost.

One suggestion -- I would have a window expert give you a cost to do the whole window. Although I have seen some garden windows called "replacement windows" it seems like they're all new construction. We got a Milgard Montecito which looks great. But the install required cutting out the exterior stucco so we could attach the window directly against the studs. There may be another window that doesn't require this but I don't know if they are of good quality.

We were also installing countertops at the same time and cut out a piece of the quartz to go over the window base and extend inward into the sill. The Milgard window allows for up to an inch to place a base -- if you don't put anything down,you would need to seal the edge between the window base and the interior window sill.

This post was edited by calumin on Sun, Jun 23, 13 at 17:09

calumin - I saw the Milgard Garden Window but it wasn't available in our area - I almost trucked it in our van out here but decided too high risk.

Dodge- I am jealous! I would have done this if I found GW first. As you say- nothing wrong with GW but other options exist!

We didn't do a garden window, but a regular window which we bumped out. What I like best about it is that there is no sill, but the counter runs out flush to the edge of the window. Makes for easy clean up.

A couple of things to consider is if the garden window has glass on top, think about how much heat may build up from the sun. Also if you want to open the windows, think about casement where you can reach the crank. Mother had a double hung over her sink, and it took charles atlas to open it.

This post makes me sad. I wanted a garden window, but got the big veto due to cost. Now I see these cool alternatives. :(. All I have is a plain window. At least it isn't clouded up like the old one.