What flowers are suitable for the balcony. Names and photos of flowers suitable for a south balcony
Flowers decorate our lives, bring peace and delight. Growing flowers on the balcony helps city dwellers to some extent compensate for the lack of communication with natural world. In order to realize the desire to decorate a balcony with flowers, you need to understand this issue, because the plantings will live in cramped conditions.
We choose varieties depending on various factors
We create a microclimate
If the balcony is not insulated, then annuals are planted in the spring, just like outside in flower beds. Select plants that are similar in terms of growing conditions: need for sunlight, air humidity. On an insulated heated balcony, a flower garden can live all year round.
Sympathy and antipathy
To create a community of plants, you need to take into account their mutual compatibility when planting. After all, like people, they sympathize with someone, but some individuals, if they grow nearby, oppress each other and are not friendly with each other. This topic has not been sufficiently studied; friend and foe plants are identified through observation, for example, dahlias do not tolerate neighbors, lilies of the valley are not friends with violets.
Helpful neighborhood
The useful proximity of asters and petunia, their beautiful mutual combination, in addition, petunia prevents the disease of the aster. Nasturtium also protects asters from diseases. The presence of marigolds in the flower garden creates biological protection from harmful insects for many colors.
Lighting requirement
When wondering: how to grow flowers on a loggia, it is important to think about the choice of plants according to their need for the amount of light. To do this, determine which side of the world the balcony “looks” at. If the location is southern, then light-loving plants are planted. These include daisies, dahlias, godetias and asters. Balsams, verbenas and petunias will delight you with long and bright flowering. A large number of annuals, bright, uplifting, are included in the list of light-loving plants.
Marigolds, balsam, mignonette, lobelia, and petunia will feel good in partial shade. Shaded viola blooms with larger flowers than in bright sun.
When the balcony is located to the north, the composition is made up of shade-tolerant flowers: decorative beans, morning glory, fuchsia, balsam, calendula. The choice is small. You can add indoor flowers to the plantings: coleus; the coloring of their leaves is very decorative. Also in the warm season on fresh air Chlorophytums and Tradescantia feel good. Tolerates north-facing shade spices: mint and lemon balm.
Bright fuchsia in balcony boxes Color composition
How to grow flowers on the balcony so that the flowerbed delights and speaks of the delicate taste of its owner - create the right composition. Choose two or three colors that combine harmoniously with each other. They create an ensemble of plants of this color, playing with shades.
An example of a design composition in purple-red shades:
Fuchsia is planted in the center of the pot. Around it there are several Waller's balsam plants and several bushes of New Guinea balsam hybrids. Plectranthus shrubby is placed along the edges of the box. All members of the composition are shade-tolerant and bloom until late autumn.
A very beautiful combination of plants in the composition: red Waller’s balsam and silver wormwood.
Some flowers look great in a mono planting: purslane, godetia, Erica, chrysanthemum, dimorphotheca.
Choosing a place and container
When creating a flower garden on the balcony with your own hands, it is important to think about which pots and boxes will be best for the seedlings to live in. Flower shops have a wide variety of containers for growing flowers on the balcony. It is better to choose identical, inconspicuous pots so as not to distract your eye from the flower arrangement. It would be appropriate to use boxes or pots that match the floral coloring, but are much paler in color intensity.
The space of a large balcony or loggia can be used by compactly placing long drawers along the walls at different levels, on the railings and on the floor. They come with a variety of decorations: stone-like, braided. You can use special flowerpots for lechuza flowers, which help create the most beautiful plants comfortable conditions using an automatic watering system. The boxes have a nice design and can be attached to railings or to the wall of the house.
Read about how to choose the right one in another article on our website.
Many plant lovers prefer to plant. We described how to choose the right variety and plant it in a separate article.
Plastic containers
Plastic boxes are quite suitable for a balcony, because water does not evaporate through the walls of the container, which means that moisture is retained at the roots, warming up the root system of plants in the sun and promoting their development. If excessive overheating of the soil occurs from sun rays, then it is advisable to choose a little flowerpot for the box bigger size for air circulation. The positive qualities of plastic containers include their light weight. Plastic comes in different qualities. Dutch plastic boxes can even winter outside.
Landing
Balcony flowers are planted from seeds in April.
Tip: Mostly plant the flower garden on the balcony with seedlings so that it smells fragrant in all its glory as quickly as possible.
The soil
Compost is used to grow flowers on the balcony. The soil must be moisture-permeable so that it does not compress, but allows moisture to get to the roots. For this purpose, do not add to the earthen mixture a large number of sand and purified peat (one fifth of the entire mixture). You can enrich the soil with crushed eggshell. Soil compositions for home flowers are not suitable for planting on the balcony.
Landing
Eat simple rules how to plant flowers on the balcony. Planting boxes must have holes for drainage excess liquid. Drainage is laid at the bottom: pebbles, expanded clay, broken brick. Fall asleep soil mixture, leaving a distance of three centimeters to the top of the pot. This is necessary so that during watering the water does not overflow over the top of the container.
Plants are planted by immersing them in the ground to the same level as they were in the container with seedlings. The surface of the ground between the seedlings can be filled with expanded clay and pebbles. Flower pots should be commensurate with the size of the plants in adulthood. There is no need to plant small flowers in large boxes for them.
Plant care
Top dressing
The specifics of growing flowers on a loggia differ from those in open ground flower beds. The container with soil where flowers grow does not have natural microflora and beneficial worms. The land is quickly depleted and therefore it is necessary to periodically fertilize. After five weeks, you should feed the plants every ten days. Use a complex fertilizer containing molybdenum, boron and manganese.
Excess nitrogen can result in poor flowering. Flowers are very fond of fertilizing with ash; it contains potassium, which improves budding and makes flowers bright.
Watering
Unlike plants in open ground, flowers on the balcony require frequent watering. You should focus on the weather. On a hot day you need to water more often than on cloudy days. Use settled water at room temperature. Over time, it will become clear what total volume of water will be needed to water the entire balcony flower garden. The soil is brought to a noticeable level of moisture so that water appears slightly in the pan.
Watering is carried out by sprinkling in the morning and evening. Such watering refreshes the plants well, gives them the opportunity to create a healthy microclimate, and washes away pests and dust from the leaves. When it’s hot and the plants look wilted, you can also do daytime watering “under the roots”, so that water does not get on the leaves.
Signs of insufficient watering and fertilizing: the edges of the leaves dry out and the plant turns brown. And, conversely, with excessive watering, the edges of the leaves turn red or yellow.
Protection
It took a lot of effort to create a blooming balcony with your own hands. To maintain a flower garden in a healthy condition, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures.
- Support optimal humidity soil, do not flood the plants.
- Renew the soil every year.
- Keep the soil loose.
- Don't plant flowers too close to each other.
- Inspect the flowers and at the first signs of disease or pest attack, spray with folk or chemical means.
Flowers on the balcony video
And now you can watch a short video showing a balcony with flowers.
Decorating a balcony or loggia in an apartment with flowers is great opportunity create a beautiful green corner for relaxation in the city. You can also put a small one here wooden table with chairs and enjoy evening tea and sunset. Not all garden flowers can grow on the balcony.
In this article you will learn what are the best flowers to grow on the balcony in boxes.
1. Marigolds
The heat-loving yellow heads of marigolds are an integral feature of summer containers, garden flowerpots and balcony boxes. They are easy to grow from seeds or purchase seedlings, they are unpretentious, bloom from early summer until frost. Removing spent flowers prolongs flowering.
Also, if you are thinking about what flowers to plant on sunny side, then these are marigolds. They love sunny places. The only thing is that during drought you need to water regularly and not overdry the soil.
The most popular marigold varieties are rejected hybrids. Varieties can be bushy, in which case you will only need a couple or three plants for the balcony box. So that these yellow flowers looked beautiful on the balcony, choose low types 15 - 30 cm. Double or semi-double inflorescences with a diameter of up to 5 cm are perfect for a balcony box.
2. Calendula, marigolds
A flower that does not require soil. These are flowers for a balcony with sunny side or light partial shade. Completely unpretentious, can be amazed powdery mildew and aphids. Refers to plants that bloom all summer. Flowering time is from June to September. For long-term flowering, you need to remove faded inflorescences.
The original type is calendula officinalis, for balconies and loggias you need to choose low-growing variety Fiesta Gitana - 30 cm, which have different colors. It is very easy to grow at home from seeds. For early flowering, calendula seedlings can be planted in the second half of February.
While creating unusual design It is better to plant calendula on a balcony together with other flowers - pansies, bulbous flowers (daffodils, tulips), ampelous petunias, decorative cabbage, ornamental and spicy herbs.
3. Nasturtium
Annual nasturtiums are flowers for a southern balcony. Blooms from July to September. Sow seeds immediately permanent place. These flowers for balconies are unpretentious and almost always grow from seeds. Unique garden plant, flowers different varieties completely different from each other:
There are vines for draping walls, that is, you can choose varieties and grow climbing flowers for the balcony;
Ampelous flowers for balconies and window boxes - nasturtium peregrinum, the length of the vines reaches 3 m;
Bush-like dwarf varieties for flower beds
foreign nasturtium
climbing nasturtium
4. Petunia
The most popular flowers to grow on the balcony in boxes are petunias. Thanks to the variety of colors, long flowering, the variety of varieties and species they create unique design on the balcony.
What flowers to plant on the petunia balcony:
Ampel varieties of petunias are planted in large garden flowerpots or hanging planters for balconies, loggias and summer verandas(these varieties need to be sown for seedlings earlier than bush varieties - in early - mid-February);
Tilling multi-flowered species.
Beware of purchasing flower seeds with one stem; they are completely unsuitable for balconies and loggias. In this case, 1 stem will grow from the pot with several flowers at the top
Scheme for planting petunias in balcony box 15 by 15 cm. Single-row and double-row planting of petunias in a box on the balcony is possible.
How to create flowers on the balcony design:
For single-row planting, plant 3 pink and 2 purple petunias, alternating them by color;
When planting in two rows in a box, place upright flowers in the background and hanging varieties in the foreground.
5. Pelargonium
Most often, pelargonium is called geranium, which is grown in pots as a houseplant. Pelargonium is one of the most unpretentious plants to care for; it grows quickly, blooms well and profusely. By the way, when proper care pelargonium may bloom all year round. It has a pleasant spicy aroma, which is emitted not by flowers, but by leaves. Beautiful plant for a balcony in warm periods.
In addition, with pelargonium you can create wonderful flower arrangements, complementing them with other flowers. Here is one of the schemes for planting flowers on the balcony:
pelargonium white and red;
immortelle.
6. Nemesia
Nemesia flowers come in one, two and three colors. Blooms early; in hot summers flowering may not last long. A second wave of flowering is possible, closer to autumn. To do this, you need to trim the stems after the first wave of flowering. If you want to achieve autumn bloom, then plant nemesia seeds for seedlings in early June, then your balcony will look great in November.
Nemesia seeds are small, so you need to sow them on top, without covering them with soil. Then spray well with water and cover with glass. As the glass fogs up, you need to open it slightly, and remove it after green shoots appear.
When transplanting into flowerpots and pots, maintain a distance of 20 cm between flowers. When planting flower seedlings, pinch the stems.
Decorating a balcony with nemesia flowers turns out to be very delicate, due to the fact that the flowers are small, low, about 20 cm and bushy.
7. Low-growing varieties of snapdragons
Usually Snapdragon grown in the garden, but if you take the shortest variety Rainbow, you can grow the flowers of the most different colors and shades. On the plus side, it is worth noting the smell of snapdragon, it exudes such a fragrance! And for this you only need 5 - 6 bushes.
In autumn, when frost sets in, this plant freezes, the flowers do not change color and it looks great. The flowers last as if they were alive all winter. Therefore, if you are choosing which flowers to plant on the balcony, be sure to add dwarf varieties of snapdragons to your list. They bloom in the second half of summer, from July to October.
8. Begonia everblooming and tuberous begonia.
Both types of begonias can be grown in containers and are flowers for north-facing balconies; they grow well in partial shade. They have rounded, fleshy leaves with colors ranging from pale green to chocolate brown. Blooms from June to September. It is considered a perennial, but most often this plant is grown as an annual. Grows well in humus-rich soil and in partial shade. Therefore, when planting, you need to add compost.
9. Fuchsia ampelous
There are 3 main groups of fuchsias. What flowers are best to plant on the balcony? These are tender, heat-loving ampelous fuchsias with weak, cascading stems in hanging baskets. The name of the ampelous fuchsia variety is Swingtime. The stems grow up to 50 cm with red and white flowers.
Fuchsias are excellent blooming flowers for a north balcony. They only need a small amount of light to flower and grow. Be sure to water regularly and abundantly. Make sure that the earthen ball does not dry out. After a drought, fuchsia will die and will not recover.
10. Pansy or Vitroka violet
There are many hybrids of Vitroka violets with a height of 15 - 25 cm. These flowers on the loggia are of two types:
Winter-flowering (November - May) varieties that are grown as biennials are dominated by the Universal series;
Summer flowering (June - October), grown as annuals.
Viola can be grown on the balcony, but it must be planted in a place with proper lighting. The most optimal location is the sunny side with shading during the midday hours. On the southern balcony it will quickly lose its decorative effect. Already in July it will fade and look dried out and unattractive.
Tags: ,Blooming garden- a beautiful island of relaxation - can take place not only on the adjacent plot or dacha, but also on the balcony. Making a decision about its landscaping inevitably involves searching for answers to some questions. In conditions of limited soil, you need to decide what flowers to plant on the balcony, how to arrange them correctly and organize their care. To do this, it is necessary to correctly assess the conditions for growing plants.
Light is the main stimulator of flower growth. However, according to the need for lighting, their representatives can be divided into several large groups. Each of them is suitable, respectively, for southern, northern, eastern or western balconies.
Flowers for the hot “homey” south
A south-facing balcony means 10-12 hours of daylight (in summer), hot midday sun, and quickly drying soil. Under such conditions, not all plants are able to grow and bloom. However, their choice is many times greater than for the north side. And if you use tulle, curtains or a special film to shade the windows, the choice will become even richer.
Note! Long daylight hours and bright sunshine are loved not only by traditional flowers, but also by some vegetable crops, herbs, and greens.
- Indoor flowers on the sunny side of the balcony: pelargonium (geranium), date palm, thunbergia, jasmine, hippeastrum, adenium, cacti, milkweed, succulents, anthurium, monstera, dieffenbachia, dracaena, oleander.
- Garden flowers: climbing varieties petunias, roses (only in shade), purslane, verbena.
- Herbs: basil, parsley, lavender, rosemary, thyme.
- Vegetables: cherry tomatoes, peppers, miniature varieties of cucumbers.
Adenium, resistant to hot sun rays, is not called the desert rose for nothing.
Large bright “gramophones” of hippeastrum
Southern sun likes citrus fruits
Southern sun is to the liking of most citrus fruits. However, it is worth purchasing grafted trees from nurseries in your region. They are already adapted to its climatic conditions.
Flowers for western and eastern balconies
The western and eastern sides are ideal for growing flowers. Daylight hours there are 6-8 hours. However, in the east the intensity of the sun's rays is higher in the morning (until about one o'clock in the afternoon), and in the west - in the afternoon. Most flowers are comfortable in such conditions.
- Indoor: violets, cyclamen, gardenia, azalea, asparagus, syngonium, calathea, spathiphyllum, aglaonema, zamioculcas.
- Garden: daffodils, lilies, pansies, primrose, lobelia, petunia.
- Vegetables and herbs: garlic, green onions, peas, spinach.
Low-growing large-flowered petunia
Pansies are good in any landing container– from a drawer to a hanging planter
Juicy spinach greens will outshine even some flowering plants
Croton with its bright succulent leaves will like it on the western balcony
Note! For a balcony facing east, delicate plants are suitable. They respond with pleasure to the soft rays of the morning sun. The western balcony is comfortable for cultures that are accustomed to bright daylight. These are representatives of the tropics and the Mediterranean, variegated species.
What grows and blooms on northern balconies
A north-facing balcony provides only 2-3 hours of bright sunlight. For the vast majority of flowers, both garden and indoor, this is catastrophically not enough. Being constantly in partial shade, they will grow poorly, will not be able to form buds, and will lose the rich color of the leaves.
However, in the flower kingdom there are also those amazing representatives who feel great when there is a lack of sunlight:
- fuchsia;
- balsam;
- ferns;
- mimulus;
- host;
- sanseviera;
- hoya.
Potted hosta can grow even in the darkest corner of the loggia
Stunning hydrangea bloom
The air temperature on the northern balcony is important. If it’s warm there, you can try growing golden mustache, oakleaf ficus, and ruellia. Cold rooms are suitable for hydrangea, myrtle, and araucaria.
Which flowers are better for the balcony - garden or indoor?
On a loggia or balcony you can successfully grow both indoor and garden flowers. But there are several fundamental points here.
Grow houseplants You can use the balcony in the warm season and all year round. For seasonal gardening, an open space without glazing or a glazed but not insulated room is suitable. In this case, indoor flowers can be brought there no earlier than the end of April-beginning of May (for middle zone Russia), and this needs to be done gradually. Start with two hours in the morning, gradually increasing the time the plants are in the sun and at different temperatures.
Winter in the open ground indoor views they won't survive. You will have to properly insulate the balcony for flowers or, during the cold season, bring them into the house, creating a comfortable microclimate there.
The first option is not always affordable, and the second is not always convenient. Think carefully before arranging a luxurious garden of only indoor plants on your balcony.
Garden species are more resistant to atmospheric conditions and temperature fluctuations. However, not many of them can grow in limited soil conditions. Most of these are annuals. Good examples: petunias, marigolds, lobelia, pansies.
Note! From garden species choose those that grow in your area climatic zone. If you are looking closely at “strangers,” then let them be flowers that grow in conditions a little more low temperatures. Then they will definitely feel comfortable with you.
Marigolds bloom profusely all summer
Features of growing annual and perennial plants
Decide in advance whether you want to grow annuals or perennials.
During the season, annuals manage to go through all stages of the growing season - from the appearance of the first seedlings to the ripening of new seeds. Without requiring particularly careful care, they bloom brightly and profusely, delighting with a riot of greenery. Ideal for novice gardeners and unglazed loggias.
Note! If you grow annuals yourself, then sown in May they will bloom in July. Seedlings purchased in late April-early May will “color” your balcony in June.
Mix of annuals open loggia
So, what flowers should you plant on your balcony in summer? It can be:
- sweet pea;
- asters;
- nasturtium;
- purslane;
- diascia;
Flower waterfall sutera
If this corresponds to the concept of a balcony garden, then use aromatic and edible annuals - herbs - in the landscaping.
Balcony perennials actively grow and bloom for several years. These include many indoor plants and only a few representatives of garden plants, most of which are bulbous. These can be: horned violet, hyacinths, tulips, daffodils.
The difficulty in growing perennials is that they are too sensitive to environment, require the formation of certain conditions in winter and during the dormant period (they often coincide).
Advice! Experienced gardeners It is recommended to combine flowers. For landscaping, it is enough to bring the perennials already in the house onto the loggia and dilute them with freshly planted annuals. By autumn, the latter will fade and go to waste, and houseplants will return to their places on the windowsills.
Ampel views - decoration of any room
The easiest way to green a balcony is to use hanging plants. They can be planted in long boxes along the walls or hanging flowerpots. In any case, they will look impressive.
Note! For landscaping walls, it is better to use fast-growing annuals. But in pots you can place indoor perennials with shorter stems.
What ampelous flowers can be planted on the balcony? The best garden ones are:
- Cascade petunias. Choose multi-flowered varieties. They are the most resistant to atmospheric conditions.
- Decorative loach. Combine varieties and your garden will be decorated with multi-colored “gramophones”.
- Hop. Perennial, able to survive winter even for open balcony. Has a slight specific odor.
- Lobelia. In hanging flowerpots it forms dense flowering caps. Combines well with geranium, ivy, and petunias.
- Campanula (bellflower). It has stems 30-50 cm long, densely strewn with flowers. Can grow in an open loggia until September. Does not require maintenance. The only condition is protection from direct sunlight.
Golden scindapsus is attractive with its leaves
Hops grow quickly and easily wrap around any obstacle
Some indoor flowers look good in hanging flowerpots: chlorophytum, fuchsia, golden scindapsus, common ivy.
The most unpretentious and profusely flowering plants for the loggia
To make your work easier when caring for a landscaped loggia, choose the most unpretentious flowers, which will actively grow and bloom profusely all summer, even with minimal lighting and watering. The most unpretentious options with abundant flowering:
- Marigold. They bloom from spring until the first frost. Presented a huge amount varieties.
- Calendula. It is easy to grow it from seeds. It goes well with pansies, tulips, petunias and even herbs.
- Pelargonium (geranium). It is not afraid of the hot sun, grows quickly, and can bloom all year round.
- Dwarf varieties of snapdragons. They bloom amazingly and are fragrant until October.
- Begonia ever-blooming. It blooms profusely even in partial shade and is not afraid of wind or changes in day and night temperatures.
- Nasturtium. Its stems can reach three meters! Suitable for decorating balcony walls and planting in hanging flowerpots.
You can create beautiful compositions from evergreen begonia
The dwarf snapdragon delights with a riot of colors and abundant flowering
The following indoor plants feel great in the fresh air: chlorophytums, coleus, ficus, monstera, palm trees, sansevieria, syngonium, fittonia.
Balcony garden concept
If you are going to take 3-5 to the balcony flower pots, then you can simply place them in the most suitable places. Are there many more flowers? Then you need to carefully consider the concept of the garden and develop its design.
One of possible options– imitation of a terrace. Suitable for open spaces not limited by glazing design. Use flowerpots, floor boxes, hanging planters. Decorate the walls with hanging flowers. To complete the picture, use Street lights(or imitation) and lightweight folding furniture.
Tropical garden. Suitable for a carefully arranged balcony. Important: long daylight hours, high humidity air, regular watering. Use large decorative foliage and flowering perennials. It is better if their buds are single, but large and bright.
Large palm species “plunge” into the tropics
A single plant garden is a rose garden or orchidarium, where only roses or orchids grow, respectively. Requires careful care and constant monitoring of the microclimate of the room. However, all the efforts will more than pay off with luxurious flowering.
For those who want to save time, the natural garden concept is suitable. It's better to use it garden plants, both ampelous and erect. Let them grow freely, refusing to give the bushes a clear shape. Ampelous ones can only be directed to the right side using special supports. Such a garden will be decorated with large dry tree branches, small stumps and even stones.
The idea of a natural garden is best implemented on an open balcony
If you prefer flowering species, then you can choose them so that all the flowers have the same shade or contrast favorably. A bright solution is a combination of yellow, orange and red buds, a classic one is a combination of any shade with white.
What crops are suitable for landscaping a balcony?
Several win-win options:
Let's take inspiration from a real example:
Knowing which flowers are suitable for decorating a balcony, you can combine them to create beautiful compositions. Focus on the characteristics of their growth and decorate a room of any size.
The balcony is that part of the apartment that is located on the street, and therefore is often used by many residents only as warehouse– for storing unnecessary and old things that, most likely, will never be useful in everyday life. But with the onset of spring, the balcony can be turned into a wonderful flower garden, the most romantic and bright part of your home. And if leeks and pepper seedlings are the only vegetation with which you decorate your balcony, then it’s time to fix it.
Flowers help in the design of an apartment, highlight its features and bring a note of romance, fairy tales and cheerfulness to the lives of its inhabitants. The choice of specific varieties of the future flower garden depends on the location of your apartment relative to the sun (shady or sunny side), and on what floor your apartment is located on. But the most important criterion, of course, is your likes and preferences.
Preparing the area
Of course, for the future winter garden we need to prepare the place, spend at least redecorating. Think in advance about what types of flowers will make up the balcony composition in order to choose the right paint for the railings and floor that will harmoniously combine with the bouquet. Flowers should not blend into the background of the walls.
Decide what part of the balcony you are willing to devote to landscaping; maybe it will be only one box, or maybe most of your loggia. If you want your flower garden to be admired by passers-by from the street, prepare and strengthen the railings, calculate the weight of the pots and boxes with soil so as not to overload them. Be especially careful if you have an old balcony, don't overload it, remember that a harmonious and elegant composition can be created with a small number of balcony flowers.
Dependence on the size of the balcony itself
Choose for a flower garden matching container size so that their volume allows the root system to develop freely. These could be flowerpots, wooden boxes, pots both made of plastic and clay.
Lightweight plastic boxes and pots are ideal for planting flowers on the outside of the balcony. Such compositions look especially beautiful in one long box. If there is a possibility that the structure may not hold up and break, then in this case several light meter-long pots are used. To decorate the outer part of the balcony, buy boxes with pallets at once, because in their absence, excess liquid will flow through holes in the bottom directly onto the heads of passers-by.
Clay pots are more comfortable for flowers, because moisture stays in them longer and the soil is better saturated with oxygen. But due to their impressive weight, it is better to place such pots inside the balcony and grow larger and more whimsical plants in them.
For small and medium sized balconies plant pots fit perfectly– they are suspended from the ceiling and can create complex multi-stage compositions by adjusting their height - after all, you decide for yourself at what distance from the ceiling to fix the pots.
Be careful when choosing soil, buy it only in large, specialized stores, or make it yourself using good black soil with sand and humus. Before you start filling the pot with soil, place a special dishcloth on the bottom; it will serve as an excellent layer for absorbing water, maintaining moisture in the soil. Next, lay out a drainage layer - coarse sand, on top of which humus is laid and black soil on top of it.
Choice of colors
Flowers may vary in lifespan.
Annuals
Such flowers live only one season, but many southern varieties can live for several seasons in their native countries. Therefore, if your balcony is glazed, insulated and the flowers themselves receive proper care, such varieties can delight you in the conditions of your loggia for several years in a row. When caring for such plants, do not forget to trim off the faded heads in time, then the vigorous flowering will delight you for a long time.
In order for your small garden to bloom as early as possible, most annuals grown by seedlings.
Not so popular for breeding on the balcony. The fact is that in the first year these plants develop only their stems and leaves and remain in a green state, and produce flowers only in the second year. In addition, there are much fewer biennial varieties than others and improper care such flowers can live not 2 years, but only a few months.
If you want to see your favorite in a floral ensemble biennial plant, plant it in the first year in a pot and keep it in the apartment. And in the second year, transplant it into a common box with the rest of the flowers, forming the desired balcony composition.
The most popular balcony biennials are forget-me-not, viola, and, of course, daisy.
Also not so popular among gardeners. Main problem associated with their breeding is that in winter it is difficult to preserve root system flowers and prevent them from freezing. For this reason, you have to look for a warm place where you can move the boxes with plants “for the winter.” Of course, the exception is those perennial flowers that are grown in separate pots and simply brought into the apartment for the winter.
But, despite these difficulties, many people like to decorate their balconies with perennial flowers, giving preference grapes, vines, climbing roses
, which are easily trimmed and wrapped for the winter.
One of the varieties of perennials are bulbous flowers, the cultivation of which is not particularly difficult. Planted in boxes in the fall, it is the bulbous ones that are the first to open the spring season on the loggias, delighting their owners with bright, rich colors and aromas. Daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths are especially favorite varieties of bulbous flowers.
Flowers for the sunny side
The choice of flowers and their varieties largely depends on the location of the balcony and degree of its illumination. Most of them are very thermophilic and make flower arrangement on the south balcony it won’t be much of a problem. Asters, petunias, purslane, asters, and nasturtiums are ideal for loggias located on the sunny side. Choose any southern flowers.
Flowers on the balcony
You can talk at length about canons in design, but every day the existing canons are becoming less and less stable. Aesthetics and harmony, balance, colors, materials brought together in order to obtain such a long-awaited result are the essence of your knowledge, practice and self-development. My motto is to learn, see, touch something new every day, and I’m sure that’s the only way to keep correct course in "high design".
Often, balconies facing the north side hear unflattering words addressed to them and turn into a warehouse for things from the category “a shame to throw away.” Today I will try to prove that even such a balcony can be successfully transformed into a garden for green pets.
Illumination and temperature
When choosing a place for plants, it is important to consider two factors - light and temperature.
Illumination is measured with a lux meter; if you don’t have such a device in your arsenal, conduct a simple analysis of the initial data and answer the questions:
- What is the area of the part?
- What double-glazed windows are installed?
- How close to the balcony are the neighboring houses and trees?
If the northern balcony has sufficiently large glazing and is located in the southern region, you get a good platform for growing flowers. But balconies with modest windows on the first floors put forward serious requirements for the selection of plants, but here you can successfully grow sansevieria, chlorophytum and some annuals.
In summer and spring, daylight hours are long, so even northern balconies can boast a sufficient level due to diffused and reflected sunlight. You can safely move small-leaved ficuses, dracaena, cordyline, pelargoniums, petunias and date palms here.
If you plan to turn the northern balcony into a winter garden and plant potted flowers in it, I advise you to arrange additional artificial lighting, without which it will be very difficult for tropical indoor plants.
We choose flowers for the balcony wisely, with feeling, with arrangement
Now the time has come to go in search of an answer to the question of what flowers to plant on the balcony on the north side.
Among my favorites, I would recommend paying attention to violets, fuchsias, cyclamen and spathiphyllum. If you are inclined towards amaryllis, take a closer look at hippeastrum, clivia, and zephyranthes. The last group has one secret - flower buds are laid in the bulb in the summer, only at this time the plant requires a large amount of light, the rest life cycle they can spend time in the shade and still delight you with flowering.
Deciduous plants
Among the deciduous group, ferns belong to the shade-loving category. Remember where we find them most often in the natural environment? That's right, in shady forests.
To prevent the fern from getting bored, choose a company of adiantum, nephrolepis, zamioculcas and chlorophytum. The aspidistra is completely unpretentious; it can grow not only on the northern balcony, but also away from the light.
If you can brag large area balcony or wide window sill, take a closer look at Dieffenbachia, Alocasia, Syngonium - plants of the Araceae family.
Anthurium and aeschynanthus will delight you with lush greenery, but they will not bloom.
Palms and ivies
If you are set on arranging a winter garden and cannot do without large plants, opt for the Hamedorea bamboo palm. Hibiscus (Chinese rose) also adapts well to lack of light.
Among a group of climbing plants on a verified balcony, hoya and cissus will feel good.
No matter how beautiful variegated ivy is, you will have to avoid placing it in a shaded area. Plants with multi-colored leaves lose their brightness without sunlight.
Warm or cold
When choosing plants, the temperature regime that is maintained on the balcony is also important.
Warm northern balconies
Shade-tolerant, unpretentious plants that thrive in the temperature range from +18 to +20 °C are selected for cultivation. Unfortunately, there are few such representatives of the green world, but with additional lighting you can safely grow the lion's share range for warm western and eastern balconies.
I offer you 4 plants that I would place on my balcony:
- Dichorisandra or golden mustache is native to America. In addition to its attractive appearance and unpretentiousness, it is famous healing properties and use in folk medicine.
- Ruellia requires warmth and moderate light. It will delight you with abundant greenery if you monitor the humidity level, otherwise the leaves become inconspicuous and dull.
- There are many types of ficus at your disposal, the most popular are lyre-shaped, oak-leaved and sacred. The plant requires annual pruning and replanting, sprinkled with crushed wood ash powder.
- I am sure that you are also familiar with chlorophytum. He is appreciated for positive energy and the ability to purify the air. When choosing cape, crested or winged chlorophytum, remember that it will require annual replanting.
Cold verified balconies
Yes, yes, even on such a balcony you can successfully grow flowers with your own hands. Which? Let's look at the table.
| Name | Instructions and recommendations |
| Evergreen araucaria | When you plant it, you have a chance to get a piece of coniferous forest on your own balcony, and New Year and completely turn it into a traditional Christmas tree.
Cypress and cypress will help create an attractive composition.
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| Hydrangea | A fairly hardy plant, but it will require a little bit of work from you. more attention during flowering. The flower stalks have an impressive mass, so they require tying.
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| Myrtle | A symbol of family well-being, which correct pruning can turn into a fancy ball, cone or pyramid.
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| Aucuba | An exotic plant that is grown in pairs. By artificially pollinating peduncles, you can get berries that are similar to red dogwood.
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Shadows are coming
If your balcony is in absolute shadow, stop growing flowering perennials, your choice is modest decorative foliage plants. They are not so spectacular, but they have the most important quality - shade tolerance.
Plants for shady balconies are conventionally divided into 2 groups:
- Shade-loving plants develop much worse in the sun than in shade; the leaves easily burn and change their natural shade. In this group there is a place for most hosta varieties, ferns, periwinkle, and dodecatheon.
- Shade-tolerant is a category of green pets that are willing to put up with the lack of light. They wouldn’t mind getting a little more insolation, but they have to be content with the conditions that exist. Prominent representatives are astilbe, aquilegia and viola.
deep shadow
I’ll start with, perhaps, the most difficult conditions for flowers - deep shade. For your balcony flowerbed, you can choose female nocturnal fern, shield fern and ostrich fern; these forms of fern will create a voluminous background for spring ephemerals, primroses, and hostas.
The Spartan group includes dwarf hoofed grass; it can serve as a background for flowers and perfectly masks “bald spots” in a balcony flower garden with a dense green mat.
You can plant hostas in an individual tub, for example, Queen of the Seas, Blue Mouse Ears and Deep Blue Sea varieties with leathery, dense leaves in blue or green shades.
Unlike their green-blue relatives, most variegated hostas are very sensitive to lack of light; in deep shade they lose their color and become monochromatic.
Shadow
For this shady zone, the list of plants expands significantly; in addition to the “dark lovers” described above, you can take a closer look at variegated hostas with white, yellow, and golden leaf borders.
In June-August, the plant turns from an ornamental deciduous plant into a flowering one. In the center of the bush, white, cream and purple flowers open on long stems.
Periwinkle grows quite quickly in the shade, covering the tub with dense leaves and small flowers white, blue, purple, red and pink shades. Shade-tolerant grasses, hostas and ferns can grow on a periwinkle carpet.
Dicentra magnificent is indifferent to the sun, but requires moist soil; if these conditions are met, it will delight you with bright pink heart-shaped flowers.
If you have large plants planted in your tubs, plant ephemeral plants under them, for example, anemones, crocuses, corydalis, muscari or scillas. In such conditions, garden orchids “Venus’s slipper” will feel great. They prefer moist, nutritious soils and significant shade.
Garden orchids are demanding when choosing neighbors; planting astilbe and tiarella is optimal.
Penumbra
Plants for the northern balcony, which are to grow in partial shade, must withstand up to 6 hours in the sun. In such conditions, violas, aquilegias, aconites, rhododendron and bergenia develop well.
Among annuals, pay attention to lobelias, torenias, petunias and impatiens.
Summing up
Turning a balcony into a flower bed or mini-garden is an exciting undertaking. First, you transfer potted flowers from the windowsill there, then arrange a couple of tubs for large plants, find a place for an annual flower bed and that’s it, you can’t be stopped, and is it worth stopping?
Well, now it’s your turn to share ideas for arranging a balcony, and all I have to do is offer you an interesting video in this article.
September 16, 2016If you want to express gratitude, add a clarification or objection, or ask the author something - add a comment or say thank you!