- Will have to plant seedlings. In spring, it can only be bought in stores or in markets, because seeds and tubers are planted from late February to April.
- When choosing colors, consider which side your balcony faces. Some plants need a lot of sunlight for plentiful flowering, while others quickly dive under the midday scorching rays.
- Ampel flowers with drooping shoots look better in hanging flower pots. The rest will suit ordinary pots or balcony drawers.
- Before taking to the balcony, transplant the seedlings in the selected containers. Use universal primer. Be sure to lay a drainage layer, such as expanded clay or gravel, at the bottom.
- Place flowers on the balcony when warm weather sets in and the threat of frost passes. This is especially true for open loggias, where the street temperature.
- Gradually accustom the plants to fresh air. Within a week and a half, take it to the balcony during the day, and then return it back.
- When watering, take into account not only the recommended frequency, but also weather conditions. In rainy summers, flowers in an open area do not always need extra moisture.
- Ventilate the closed balcony daily so that the plants constantly have enough fresh air.
- In the summer, about once a month, feed flowers with complex fertilizers. Choose dosage and frequency individually for each type.
1. Balsam
Balsam forms bushes 20–25 cm high. The flowers are rather large, red, white or pink. There are both ordinary and terry.
The main rule in caring for balsam is regular and plentiful watering every day or two. Without this, the plant will quickly go down. It feels normal in partial shade, but not under scorching rays, especially midday.
For a comfortable wintering, the flower needs a temperature of 15–16 ° C and daily spraying or constant humidification of the air.
2. Tuberous begonia
Tuberous begonia grows to a height of 60 cm. The flowers are large, simple or double. They are painted in different shades of red, white, pink, orange.
Tuberous begonias are watered regularly, once every couple of days, so that the earth does not dry out.
To preserve the plant for the next year, in late autumn, tubers are dug from the ground, leaves and stems are pruned. After it is dried and stored in a dry and dark room at a temperature of 5–8 ° C.
3. Viola
Viola is a miniature plant up to 30 cm high. Small inflorescences are painted in white, yellow, orange, purple, burgundy shades, are often combined - two-color and three-color.
Water the viola, or pansies, sparingly, every few days. The main thing is not to let the earth dry out completely.
4. Sweet pea
Sweet pea - a plant with medium-sized red, white, pink, purple fragrant flowers. Curly varieties look spectacular, some grow to several meters. For them, it is worth pulling the threads or installing special supports. Low-growing varieties up to 45 cm high do not need support.
Sweet peas are watered sparingly, about once every two to three days. The soil should remain slightly moist and not dry completely.
5. Morning glory
Ipomoea is a climbing plant that is well suited for vertical landscaping of a balcony. For this option, you will definitely need supports, trellis or mesh with large cells. For a month and a half they will be entwined with this fast-growing vine. Ipomoea flowers are large - there are white, blue, purple and others.
Water the plant every two to three days, in the heat - more often.
6. Clematis
This is a climbing plant with large bright flowers - white, pink, blue, blue, purple. To make it appear in all its glory, install supports, trellis or stretch wire mesh next to it. For a balcony, it is better to choose varieties with a stem length of up to 3-4 m.
You need to water clematis regularly, every two to three days. The earth must not dry out, otherwise the plant may die. But it’s not worth arranging a swamp - because of this, root diseases develop.
With the onset of autumn cold weather, clematis needs to be cut and prepared for wintering. On a glassed-in balcony, where the temperature does not drop below 0 ° C, the plant is covered with peat or sawdust and wrapped in non-woven covering material. The latter is sold in specialized stores. On the open balcony, do not leave to winter even a well-insulated clematis. The plant will die if the earth freezes.
7. Lobelia
On the balcony, you can have bush and ampel lobelia. It blooms profusely and luxuriantly. The buds themselves are small, blue, blue, purple or purple.
Lobelia is watered sparingly, every two to three days. In the hot period, more often, especially on glazed balconies. The earth should neither dry out nor swamp.
8. Petunia
To decorate the balcony, you can use bush, cascade and ampelous petunia. The flowers are in the form of gramophones, the petals are smooth or with fringed edges. Coloring is various - monophonic white, violet, pink, purple or combined. The size of the buds depends on the variety.
Petunia is watered sparingly - a couple of times a week. In rainy weather, you can do without additional moisture.
The plant is more comfortable on open balconies. Closed need to be aired daily.
9. Tobacco
Decorative tobacco is a plant with large flowers that bloom at dusk and have a persistent delicate aroma. Bright hybrid varieties do not close during the day, but practically do not smell. Depending on the variety, fragrant tobacco grows from 20 cm to 1 m, so pay attention to this when buying seeds.
Water these flowers should be moderate, about two to three times a week. Overmoistening is best avoided.
10. Fuchsia
Ampel fuchsia has flowing shoots and looks quite spectacular in hanging planters. The flowers are large, white, pink, purple and other shades.
From spring to autumn, fuchsia is watered every few days when the topsoil in the pot dries. During winter dormancy, moisturize less often, but the earth should not completely dry out.
For fuchsia, a cold winter is desirable at a temperature of no higher than 10 ° C.
Flowers on the balcony: how and where to plant?
Flowers can please the eye not only on personal plots or in pots on window sills. With no less success, they can be grown on the balcony, making a flowering garden from the technical room. And it doesn’t matter which way it goes - south or north. Flowers for the balcony are different, and you can choose the most unpretentious varieties, especially since they do not lose in beauty.
Where to begin
You can’t just take and make a flower garden. Its creation begins with a list of works:
- Clearing the balcony of debris and unnecessary things.
- Performing cosmetic repairs - floors, walls, fences.
- Creating a plan for the future garden - a green gazebo, hanging outdoor drawers, several flower bushes in the corner, lush flower beds, etc.
- Installation of boxes, trellises, flowerpots, filling them with drainage and earth.
- Planting flower seedlings.
If it is planned that the plants will bloom all year round, then this is only possible on closed insulated balconies. Therefore, sometimes to create a home garden, a full-scale repair is required with a warm floor system, etc.
Features of balcony flowers
Flowers for the balcony have characteristics that distinguish them from home and country:
- A small root system that consumes resources sparingly.
- Resistance to temperature and atmospheric changes.
- Low elevated part (on the balcony, tall flowers look unaesthetically pleasing).
- Long, plentiful and colorful flowering.
It is better to start planting seedlings and prepare a flower garden in late February and early March, picking plants so that they bloom in different periods.
What to plant on the sunny side
Conditions on the south side of the balcony can be called resort - daylight hours of 10-12 hours throughout the summer, a lot of ultraviolet light, quick drying of the earth. This does not fit all the colors on the balcony, although their selection is extensive. And if you shade the windows with curtains or a special film, then the range will expand even more.
- Indoor species: geranium, jasmine, date palm, cacti, hippeastrum, euphorbia, tunbergia, succulents, monstera, dracaena, oleander, anthurium.
- Garden species: roses (when shaded), verbena, climbing rocks of petunias.
- Herbs: lavender, thyme, rosemary, basil.
You can also purchase already grafted trees of any citrus fruits and plant them.
What to plant on the west and east side
These parts of the house are ideal for breeding flowers, because daylight hours are 6-8 hours. But the intensity of sunlight varies: in the east there are more before noon, and in the west after it. Most colors like these conditions:
- Indoor species: gardenia, calathea, zamioculcas, cyclamen, syngonium, aglaonema, azalea, spathiphyllum.
- Garden species: primrose, lilies, daffodils, pansies, petunia.
- Herbs: spinach, peas.
If the balcony faces east, you can safely plant delicate plants - the morning sun is better for them. And on the western side it will be better to flowers of variegated species, representatives of the Mediterranean, tropical cultures.
What to plant on the north side
In such conditions, it is difficult for the vast number of plants - just a couple of hours of sunlight per day. Remaining in partial shade most of the time, it is difficult to collect the buds and easily lose the color of the foliage. But there are flowers for the north balcony:
- ferns, hoya, fuchsia, mimulus, balsam, host, sanseviera.
- if the air is warm - ruellia, oak-leaved ficus, golden mustache.
- if the air is cold - myrtle, hydrangea, araucaria.
And one should not think that since these plants are unpretentious, then their watering can be rare and ordinary running water. On the contrary, more attention and care is needed.
Indoor or garden?
Flowers for balconies and loggias can be indoor and garden varieties, but when planting them, it is worth considering a number of important points that affect the success of the whole business.
Indoor plants are grown both in warm time and year-round. And you can simply take out pots of flowers from the house onto the open (glazed or unglazed) balcony - but not earlier than April-May. This should be done gradually, so that the plants get used to being at a different temperature regime. They can survive the winter only if you bring them back into the room or insulate the balcony.
Garden flowers are more resistant to temperature fluctuations, but limited soil is a problem in their case. Plus, most of them are annuals. Of the variety of varieties, it is better to choose growing in this climatic zone. An alternative is plants that exist even at lower temperatures.
Annual or perennial?
When deciding which flowers to plant on the balcony, it is important to determine the duration of their life in the ground. For example, annuals are ideal for beginning gardeners, since in one season they go through all the stages of vegetation: from seedlings to the appearance of seeds. In addition, they have abundant bright flowering, lush greenery, and special care is not needed. This is the best option for unglazed rooms - if you plant seedlings in May or the end of April, then in July or the end of June the balcony will already be covered with flowers.
Perennials are most indoor plants and some garden ones - usually bulbous (hyacinths, daffodils, tulips). They are sensitive to the environment and need special conditions for the period of winter and rest, although usually these periods coincide. Therefore, it is better to combine flowers - have perennials on the balcony (or take out indoor ones) and dilute them with annuals.
Ampel plants
In fact, these are flowers on the balcony in drawers that can be placed along the walls or hung as a pot. This is the easiest and most affordable way to green space - fast-growing annuals in boxes and perennials in flower pots. Such compositions always look spectacular. Such varieties are suitable:
- Decorative loach - with a combination of varieties, the result will be multi-colored.
- Lobelia - forms thick "caps" in a cache-pot.
- Cascading petunias - recommend choosing multi-flowered species.
- Campanula - can stand until September and is not demanding in care.
- Hop is a perennial that can survive the winter on a glazed balcony.
Of the indoor species for hanging planters, chlorophytum, ivy, fuchsia are suitable.
Conclusion
A balcony is a room that should not be ignored. Making a blooming garden on it is one of the best solutions, and even gardeners without experience can realize this idea. There are many flowers that can be planted on the balcony, and some of them can be taken there for the summer period. This is the case when it makes no sense to turn to professionals, make a home flower garden with your own hands.
Adding an article to a new collection
Not everyone has the opportunity to have their own flower garden in the country, but for owners of balconies and loggias it will not be difficult to organize a mini-garden. The variety of indoor and garden plants is easy to get lost. Your attention - the best flowers for the balcony.
When planning to plant a flower on the balcony, consider its features: heat loving, shade tolerance, frost resistance. We suggest starting with the selection of plants, depending on the degree of illumination of the balcony.
Advantages:
- grows very well,
- propagated by cuttings - you just cut off part of the stalk and plant it in the ground,
- unpretentious to the soil
- decorative, can easily tolerate pruning, transplanting,
- lives at home in the warm season, and on the street or balcony.
Balsamins with bright shades of flowers may be dimmer in the shade, so it is better to choose the white option or light pink. They look no less luxurious and you will not be disappointed.
Disadvantages:
- the root in the pot grows quite quickly, so it’s better to change the container to a larger diameter over the season,
- consumes a lot of moisture. You will water this flower daily, otherwise it will grow smaller, the buds will fall off.
Balsamins are very unpretentious, most importantly, water them every day. But, of course, you can’t fill it. As the bush grows, make sure that the roots grow too much, then take out the flower from the watering field and transfer it to the larger pot using the quill method. Balsam will take it very quickly. At the same time, the crown itself looks quite compact, it does not hang, does not fall apart. Every two weeks, water your flowers with a liquid complex of fertilizers for flowering.
Recommendations
- You can easily cut several cuttings and plant them in a long box without additional exposure to water to grow roots. Cuttings begin to grow very quickly, and soon you get a blooming, beautiful alley on the window - ideal flowers on the balcony in the drawers.
- If the crown has lost its beauty, then do not be afraid to cut it radically. Replace the soil, and soon the green mass and buds will be in excess.
Fuchsia
One has only to look at the photos of this beauty and one cannot help falling in love. For all lovers of all the air and those who save space, this is an ideal option. Because hanging planters with fuchsia is beautiful, it does not take place at the bottom. Moreover, such flowerpots at the top always get the maximum amount of light, even in dark places.
Advantages:
- fuchsia is not afraid of the shadow,
- requires a little care
- has a high decorative effect
- can grow in floor high flowerpots and in hanging,
- has multifaceted shades of petals,
- blooms from spring to fall,
- not afraid of acidified soil, which is a rarity among plants.
Disadvantages:
- doesn't like moving from place to place,
- if you pour a flower, it will drop all the buds and chop,
- the roots are very sensitive and can overheat.
Fuchsia was discovered at the end of the 17th century; at that time it was growing next to the Dominican Republic. The name was given in honor of one of the famous physicians and scientists of Germany Leonart von Fuchs.
Fuchsia, in order to become a flower for a balcony blooming all summer, as in the photo, needs regular watering, but only as the soil dries in a pot. If you have a hanging planter, then you should not remove it every time, just add water from above. It is better to use the settled.
If you have a very dark summer turned out to be gloomy, then chopping greens and flowers is possible, then just buy a fluorescent lamp. Fuchsia does not tolerate heat, the roots should be cool, it follows that it is better to maintain the temperature in the range from 16 to 22 degrees. Top dressing is applied regularly to ensure abundant flowering. The plant responds well to the drug "Bud".
Combine root feeding and foliar spraying, and your flowers will always be the most beautiful.
Recommendations
- If you just planted fuchsia in a pot, it has not yet become stronger, then make no mistakes - do not fill in this stage with water and any fertilizers.
- The plant is fed only in a healthy state.
- When choosing a fertilizer, see that the composition of the drug contains a large amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, iron, zinc, magnesium.
- Top dressing is always combined with watering.
Succulents
When it comes to “unkillable” plants that are not afraid of rare watering and direct sunlight, flower growers first of all remember succulents. These plants are famous for their ability to retain moisture for a long time. The most popular are aloe, haworthia, zamioculcas, echeveria, etc.
Geranium (Pelargonium)
If you are looking for flowers for the balcony, blooming all summer, then geranium is exactly what you need. Pelargonium loves sunlight, so a well-lit balcony is a great place for this plant. Geranium does not receive sunburns, but rather enhances flowering under the sun. Zonal and ampelous varieties of geraniums are best suited for growing on the south balcony.
Cyclamen
Many people love the popular indoor flower for its original appearance: not only flowers, but also patterned heart-shaped leaves are noteworthy for cyclamen. This plant must be protected from direct sunlight and from high temperatures (not more than 17 ° C), water moderately, not allowing stagnation of moisture or drying out of the soil.
Calceolaria
The unusual shape of the flower (it resembles a small clog-shoe) and bright color (from bright yellow to red in the speck) make the calceolaria a very effective indoor plant. This flower is another "ideal resident" for the northern balcony: it loves partial shade, low temperatures (14-16 ° C). Water the plant as the soil dries.
Verbena
The popular names of this plant: pigeon, cast-iron grass, "tears of Juno" and others. Verbena is known not only for its decorativeness, but also for its healing properties: from ancient times it has been used in folk medicine. Verbena is popular as a garden plant grown on flower beds. Nevertheless, on the balcony she feels no worse than in the open ground. The verbena flowering period is quite long - from June to November.
Marigolds (tagetes)
The birthplace of marigolds is Mexico, in some countries this plant is used in cooking as a seasoning. Due to the fact that the flowering of marigolds is very plentiful and long, these flowers have gained popularity both in gardens and on balconies. Marigolds tolerate both heat and windy weather. They are comfortable in almost any environment.
Heather
Want a balcony to stay decorative in winter? Plant heather - a frost-resistant shrub that blooms from January to April. Some plants of the heather family bloom in the fall, for example, Erika gracilis. Even when heather practically dies (freezes), it does not lose its decorative effect.
Spurge
Various varieties of milkweed are popular for growing in the garden (especially for decorating rock gardens), and are also widely used as indoor plants, for example, euphorbia Milius (Mila) or Euphorbia Tirukalli (finger). This succulent is unpretentious, does not need frequent watering, but you need to be careful with the juice that is released when the milkweed branch is broken, because it is poisonous.
Indoor flowers on the balcony
Indoor plants need fresh air and sunlight no less than a person, so with the onset of heat, arrange a “vacation” for the flowers on the balcony. When deciding when to place flowers on a balcony, focus on the weather outside. Wait until the street temperature in the morning does not drop below 15 ° C, and start accustoming your "green pets" to a new place.
Not all indoor flowers are recommended to be carried out even on a glazed balcony. So, the Uzambara violet (senpolia) and some types of cacti do not like such changes.
To start, leave the flowers on the balcony not for the whole day, but only until noon, so that bright sunlight does not harm the plants. Gradually increase the time that flowers are on the balcony so that they get used to it.
For the whole day, leaving flowers on the open balcony (and on the glazed balcony) should be done only after the difference between the day and night air temperatures on the street becomes minimal.
Over time, there will be more solar heat on the balcony, so consider shading so that the flowers on the balcony do not get burned in the summer.
How to decorate a balcony with flowers - tips with photos
Making a balcony with flowers is, first of all, a matter of taste. Thinking over the composition, consider the size of your balcony, the color of the walls, as well as the general style in which the room is designed.
When placing climbing plants on the balcony, think about how to nicely arrange the trellis or ropes along which the shoots will trail.
Place flowers on the balcony in drawers or pots according to the same principles as on flower beds in the garden - combine plants of different heights, play with shades and textures.
For ampelous plants, make strong mounts to protect yourself and the flowers themselves. If you want to organize a vertical wall composition, arrange the flowers in a loose order.
So, if you already have seedlings of flowers for the balcony (or seeds), then, armed with ideas and connecting your imagination, proceed to transform balconies and loggias, and we are waiting for your photos in the comments!
