People grow flowers on balconies from time immemorial. There is no more suitable place for them in urban living conditions. Real gardeners-lovers turn their balconies into wonderful oases that delight with their unceasing flowering not only the owners of the house, but also all the inhabitants of the city and guests. Even one pot with a bright composition of flowers can revive any of the most boring balconies and attract attention.
A “blooming” balcony is a dream for many gardeners. You will learn about what flowers to plant on the balcony for the summer and how to care for them from this article.
An important point in this is the correct selection of plants. This must be done so that they give joy to the opportunity for a long time to observe them and follow the amazing fabulous flowering process.
About the benefits of balcony flowers
The main task is to decide which flowers to plant on the balcony so that they bloom for as long as possible and the joy of their flowering manifested itself throughout the warm season, and even more.
The blooming abundance of colors on the balcony is a beautiful and quite impressive sight, a kind of corner of nature, giving freshness and great mood. In addition to aesthetic beauty, all plants emit oxygen, absorbing carbon dioxide. Therefore, we can say with confidence that the flowers in the interior of balconies and loggias also bring important benefits to the body.
What flowers to plant on the balcony is a matter of desire and taste of everyone, but you should not be afraid of experiments.
General principles of plant selection
Connoisseurs of flowering plants in the first place should understand that these are living organisms that require attention, care, and therefore patience and time.
They can be annual, biennial and perennial. They are blooming and not blooming. The assortment is quite diverse, and for the competent placement of flowers on the balcony, it is not necessary to be a professional or specialist. To do this, it is enough to know the features of each specimen selected for planting.
There are a huge number of plants for this, and to determine which flowers to plant on the balcony, you should definitely pay attention to some external factors. For example, on which side (shadow or sunny) is the balcony, is it glazed or not, is there any influence of the wind, etc.
The design of the balcony with flowering plants should also be based on the correct selection of a variety of colors. The ideal option is a composition consisting of 2 colors in harmony with each other. For example, red pelargoniums and fuchsias, pink petunias with white daisies are perfect for each other.
Many plants have such a rich palette that even if you plant only one species, the balcony will look great. These colors include chrysanthemums, asters, zinnias, dahlias, ericas, godetsia, purslane and others.
In the case of a non-glazed room, before planting flowers, the strength and direction of the wind should be taken into account, since not all plants tolerate strong winds. In the case of a glazed balcony, the assortment of plants is significantly increased and their flowering period is extended.
Capacity selection
It is best to choose pots, containers, tubs, flowerpots and other plant containers to match the tone of the residential building itself (in this case, the balcony). For example, if the house has a red tint, containers of the same color will be inconspicuous and will give the overall look a special appeal - more attention will be paid to colors. Due to the variety of plant shapes and sizes, containers with different volumes and shapes on the balcony are used for them.
Which flowers are best planted in pots or large tubs? African agapanthus and Indian canna look and grow beautifully in them.
Feel wonderful and look good in one container of tobacco, phlox and zinnia. It is important to note that all containers for flowers should be provided with good drainage, as well as openings for water flow. It should also be remembered that for flower pots it is necessary to install pallets to hold water. So the draining excess liquid will not get on the sidewalk or lower balconies.
What flowers to plant on the balcony from the sunny?
It is very convenient to decorate open balconies with flowers planted in boxes. Hanging pots and containers are also good. Especially in them, climbing, drooping and curly plants, for example, roses and petunias, take root well and look.
First of all, before planting flowers, you should pay attention to the fact that the direct rays of the sun act destructively on almost any plant. That is, if the flowers are photophilous, this does not mean that they can be exposed directly to the sun.
All of the plants below require good sunlight, but not direct sunlight. In any case, balconies located on the sunny side are the best option for most flowering plants.
What flowers can be planted on the balcony from the sunny side? The following types are most suitable for this:
- viola (pansies);
- purslane;
- lobelia;
- morning glory;
- petunia;
- mignonette;
- verbena, etc.
Viola (pansies, garden violet)
When asked what flowers can be planted on the balcony, one cannot but mention pansies (a biennial plant).
Planted with seeds in February, already in May they will delight the eye with their amazing delicate flowering.
Morning glory
A plant that loves warmth and sunlight is represented by a whole group of varieties: morning glory, hollow, blue, purple, ivy, etc. Its seeds can be planted in the ground at the end of May.
It should be remembered that the earlier this plant is planted, the more viable it will be.
Petunia
Particular attention should be paid to these magnificent plants. What flowers bloom on the balcony all summer? Of course, petunias. They are especially popular among the presented sun-loving balcony specimens, as they have a stunning appearance and bloom until the fall.
There are a huge number of options for petunias: simple, terry, ampelous, plain, multi-colored. They all love warmth and sun. The peculiarity of these flowers is that they belong to the type of climbing plants, and therefore look beautiful on the balconies, hanging from the pots with branches with an abundance of blossoming flowers. Proper care of them will guarantee that the loggia or balcony will turn into a beautiful and very comfortable room.
What flowers are grown on a shaded balcony?
Most likely, it will seem to many that flowers are unlikely to grow on the shaded side of the balcony. In reality, this is not so. And for this case, the choice of plants and flowers is large enough.
On the balconies located on the eastern side of the building, where the sun only shines in the morning, many plants grow well and bloom.
Here are some color names for a balcony dimly lit by sunlight:
- fuchsia;
- balsam;
- marigolds (or tagetes);
- tuber begonia;
- long-flowered (or ageratum) and so on.
You should pay attention to the fact that shaded places effectively decorate and enliven flowers of lighter shades. In this case, plants with flowers of soft pink, white and lilac tones look very good. Dark and dark shades in such cases are best avoided.
Fuchsia
The plant, flowering long and plentifully, is an evergreen shrub. The flowering period is mid-spring - late autumn. Among its varieties there are those that in the southern growing conditions bear fruit in the form of fragrant berries.
The peculiarity of the plant is that to prevent overheating of the roots, pots of bright colors should be used, best of all - white.
Marigold
The flowers for the balcony, blooming all summer, include marigolds. This is a very unpretentious plant, pleasing to the eye with its flowering from the beginning of summer to the first frost, suitable for eastern and northern balconies and loggias. On the western and southern sides, leaves will burn from the sun.
The plant perfectly perceives various top dressings. An important feature is the ability to repel aphids and insects.
Begonia
This plant is often used when decorating lawns in urban areas, but a lushly flowering begonia is also perfect for a balcony. It happens both perennial and annual. Its flowers are so diverse in shapes and colors that it is sometimes difficult to see a family relationship between them. Especially beautiful and popular are the Bauer, striped and Mason begonias.
A bit about climbing plants
These plants are good for southern balconies, which are an ideal place for them. Curly instances make it possible to slightly obscure the windows from the hot scorching sun. This is especially true for the upper balconies of multi-storey buildings, where it is very hot in the summer. What flowers to plant on the balcony for such an occasion? The best and most common among flower growers are the following:
- clematis, actinidia, honeysuckle and Schisandra chinensis - perennial plants;
- decorative beans, sweet peas and nasturtium are annual plants.
Clematis
This is one of the most popular plants among gardeners. Clematis (or clematis) is a perennial plant from the Ranunculaceae family. A beautiful, intensely blooming curly miracle feels great both on the eastern and southern sides of closed balconies and loggias.
An important feature of the cultivation is that he needs support. Growing conditions - abundant watering, tying up shoots, periodic loosening of the soil.
Other flowering plants
There are a huge number of blooming flowers for the balcony. Below is a brief description of some of them:
- Nasturtium (annual) is the queen among summer flowers. Its large seeds germinate very quickly. Pots with this plant are best installed on the lower tiers of flower arrangements, for example on the floor, where direct sunlight does not last very long.
- Sweet tobacco has large fleshy greens and a strong odor emanating from it day and night. Blossom begins two months after planting, and this period continues until the frosts.
- The long-standing pelargonium large-flowered (or royal) can become a real decoration of a balcony or a loggia. This plant is known to many as geranium. She has beautiful not only two-tone buds that emit a delicate delicate aroma, but also glossy leaves. It blooms from March to the end of November. Feature - the soil should consist of turf and sheet earth mixed with sand.
- Night violet (or matiola) usually closes its fragrant small flowers during the day. In the evening, having opened again, they smell very rich and pleasant. Feature - easily tolerates infrequent watering. Seeds on the balcony are well tied.
- Sweet pea is a beautiful garden vine growing in height up to 2 meters. It grows best in slightly shaded places. The flowers smell very nice. For good and dense growth, the plant should be slightly nipped after the first 4 leaves appear. The duration of flowering is from early May to late August.
Winter Garden
The conversion of loggias into a winter garden is very popular. This room implies the creation of a special microclimate, for which a balcony or loggia should be glazed and insulated (optimal temperature - 21 ° C). The creation of ventilation is also important, for which it is better to use a “breathing” glazing profile with special openings. When the premises are located on the south side in the winter garden, ventilation should be installed.
The heaviest large plants (decorative trees and lush bushes) need to be planted in large tubs and placed on the floor. On the multi-tiered flower shelves attached to the walls, sun-loving, lighter and curly plants are planted.
Finally
Why grow flowers on the balcony? For the soul, for the mood. The most important thing is to get a pleasant result from taking care of something alive.
Many balconies and loggias, unfortunately, gradually began to turn into pantries and junk warehouses, where you do not want to go out. And a similar picture is not pleasing to passers-by. It all looks pretty unaesthetic. On the contrary, a cozy and beautiful balcony, strewn with fresh greenery and wonderful flowers, makes it possible to relax your soul, breathe fresh air and gain energy and new strength to continue life not only to the owners of the room, but also to outside observers.
If desired, the balcony can be transformed beyond recognition, while you can save its functional purpose. To implement the plan (turning the balcony into a wonderful comfortable room), you should follow some simple rules:
- copies should be selected fast-growing and unpretentious, so that they have time over the summer and adapt to the conditions of the city, and grow;
- pick flowers with beautiful decorative leaves that best emphasize the beauty of landscaping;
- feel free to plant climbing plants that cover all sorts of unsightly places, thereby improving the design of the balcony.