It is very simple to turn your balcony into a blooming and fragrant oasis. For this you can use and. In summer you can grow flowers and herbs on the loggia. You should know which species are most suitable for planting on the balcony before planting them in plastic balcony boxes. It is also important to pay attention to the rules for growing flowers and other ornamental plants on the loggia.
How to use balcony flower boxes correctly
Not only people who want to buy balcony boxes for growing flowers and ornamental plants creative people who prefer to surround themselves with beauty. They are often purchased for very practical purposes. For example, in order to hide the defects of an unpresentable-looking loggia, at least in the summer. And greenery is often planted in balcony boxes by those who do not have a summer house or land plot under the garden.
In order for your ideas for organizing a beautiful green corner on the loggia to come true without problems or obstacles, you should remember a few simple rules:
- If you plan to use mounts for balcony boxes or set up an impromptu flower garden on an uninsulated loggia, then planting in containers should be done in the spring, when the climate is suitable. After all, some flowers and ornamental plants are afraid of frost.
- Brackets for balcony boxes are strong and reliable structures, but they are best used in combination with plastic containers. After all, the soil and the flowers themselves significantly weigh down the structure. This means that a heavy box made of metal or ceramics may collapse.
- You can plant different plants in balcony boxes, for example, several types of flowers at once. But it is important to follow the rules of the neighborhood. Some cultures do not tolerate other colors nearby and do not combine well with each other. For example, dahlias, in principle, do not like neighbors. And lilies of the valley do not take root well in the same container and soil with violets, lilies of the valley and pansies. In a balcony flower box, proximity can be useful. For example, petunias and marigolds, nasturtium and fuchsias complement each other well both from an aesthetic point of view and in terms of growth and survival.
- In order to enjoy the beautiful view of an impromptu flower bed on your balcony, be sure to pay attention to the fact that to create an ideal microclimate you need to use. This way you will reduce the risk of drying out or rotting of the root system flower crops and achieve excellent germination of seed.
Particular attention should be paid to the soil in which you plant seeds or seedlings. It should be light and moisture-permeable. It is advisable not to take soil from your dacha and garden. It can be infected with bacteria and various diseases that are unpleasant for plants. For a balcony box, it is better to buy flowers ready for planting.
Choosing plants and flowers for balcony boxes
Creating a flower garden in a balcony box is a flight of fantasy and creativity in pure form. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the most popular varieties of flower crops that are ideal for growing on a loggia.
The annual plant is ideal both for growing on a windowsill and for placing in a balcony box holder behind a railing. A plant with medium-sized flowers ranging from yellow to fiery orange. Large leaves and slightly curly stems allow nasturtium to be used in cascading compositions. But you can only plant these flowers. And they will look incredibly beautiful and noble. It is worth noting that nasturtium is unpretentious in care. Large seeds germinate relatively quickly. This plant can be planted in both sunny and shadow side. Nasturtium in a balcony box will not suffer from excess or lack of sunlight.
The abundance of colors and shapes of petunias are the main reasons for the popular love of gardeners. This plant, in addition to everything, is unpretentious in care. But it is better to plant it in a plastic balcony box as seedlings. Petunia seeds should be sown in late February - mid-March. Then in June you will have on your balcony blooming flower bed from multi-colored and incredibly beautiful inflorescences. This plant does not require additional lighting; it can grow in both shade and sun. Before sowing petunia in plastic balcony boxes, pay attention to the size of the seeds. Small grains should not be covered with soil. They should be sown on the surface. In order to sow evenly, you can use such a simple household item as a toothpick. With its help, you can easily move a small seed into a plastic container. In order to mark the place where the seed lies, almost invisible on the soil, you can stick another toothpick next to it. Petunia in a balcony box looks elegant and rich. With its help you can create beautiful flower arrangements.
Bright plants in red and yellow floral colors are well known to everyone. It is advisable to grow them on the balcony if the windows face the north and east. Marigolds do not like strong sun. On the south and west side, their leaves will burn. But if you own an apartment with a loggia on the sunny side, but still want to decorate it with marigolds, don’t despair. You can grow them in a balcony box on the windowsill. You just have to periodically remove it from the sun to the floor.
Fuchsia is small in size ornamental shrub. It differs not only unusual shape flowers that are easily comparable to ancient architecture China, but also with abundant and unusually bright flowering. This plant will delight your eyes with late spring until the first frost. It is better to plant fuchsia in a balcony box white. Because it is important that its root system does not overheat. The plant is thermophilic, but does not tolerate the scorching sun. This, of course, should be taken into account when choosing a place to grow fuchsia. Please also note that the soil for planting these crops should be drained.
Morning glory comes in different varieties, but experienced gardeners recommend planting the ivy-shaped type of this plant on the balcony. A special advantage is that it is unpretentious. Morning glory is planted in a balcony flower box, which can be bought relatively inexpensively, in the middle - end of May. The decorative ivy-shaped flower grows quickly. In order to keep its stems intact, you should use a metal lattice, a special frame or ordinary twine. Sprouts will curl beautifully along them. Morning glory can be used to decorate an unpresentable-looking loggia. It can be used to create multi-tiered flower arrangements.
Roses in a balcony box (photo shown above), it is better to plant dwarf varieties. Ground cover species of these ornamental plants are also suitable for this. It is important to note that cutting roses is a rather labor-intensive process. Not every gardener will immediately be able to grow beautiful and noble plants. Therefore it is better. They can be planted in pots at home in mid-winter. And with the onset of warmth, transplant it into a plastic balcony box.
Balcony flower boxes with fastenings are ideal for growing begonias. Unpretentious plants are distinguished by their extraordinary beauty and variety of colors and types. Sometimes the varieties of these plants are so different from each other that even experienced florist It is extremely difficult to determine that it is begonia that is in front of him. A successful and incredibly beautiful and noble combination would be a flower arrangement of begonias and ivy, which can also be grown in a balcony box. Begonia care is simple. The main thing is that watering the plant is moderate and the lighting is bright. That is why it is better to grow them on the sunny side.
Lobelia is gentle and incredible beautiful flower. It is often compared to the wild forget-me-not because of its color and small size inflorescences. Lobelias can be planted in flowerpots or balcony flower boxes with fastenings. This plant looks extremely beautiful both in compositions, for example with petunias or fuchsias, and in solo performance. A lush cap of small flowers almost completely hides the leaves and blooms throughout the summer. Lobelia is sown in the same way as petunia on the surface of the soil. Since the seeds take a long time to germinate, this should be done in late February - early March. It is recommended to plant plants in balcony flower boxes with a tray at the end of May.
People often call this flower pansies. Unusual flowers look noble and original, thanks to the graceful shape of the inflorescence and non-standard shade options. A balcony box, making it yourself is time-consuming and irrational; for growing violas, it must have a tray. After all, it is very easy to overwater capricious plants, due to which they will simply die. Pansies are often planted in open ground. In this case, the seeds are sown before winter. To grow viola in a balcony box, this should be done in February - mid-March. By the way, the plants can bloom again next year if you leave them in a cool place over the winter.
Growing greens in a balcony box
Most often, balcony boxes in St. Petersburg, Moscow and other cities are used exclusively for growing flowers. But some natural gardeners do not use them with the goal of transforming the loggia. They also grow plants that are useful, from the point of view of gardeners. Balcony box 100 cm, as well as plastic containers other sizes are used for growing greens. By the way, their special advantage is this issue is that you can use them to grow healthy and vitamin-rich plants on the windowsill all year round.
Not only the usual parsley, dill and green onions can be grown in plastic balcony boxes. They are also suitable for rarer greens, such as cilantro and basil. Root vegetables and vegetable crops You can also collect directly from the windowsill. At the same time, they will not lose at all in taste and benefits. Small varieties of tomatoes, radishes, chili peppers and even cucumbers can be grown in plastic containers. You can also plant useful herbs in them. In such conditions, you can stock up on lemon balm, thyme and chamomile.
With the help of balcony boxes, you can not only turn your loggia into a fragrant green corner and admire the beautiful and harmonious view of flowers throughout the summer. Grow greens, vegetables and healthy herbs right on the windowsill and enjoy the taste and benefits of organic products.
A balcony beautifully decorated with flowers in our cities is still, unfortunately, the exception and not the rule. You can refer to the climatic features of most regions of the country. Or argue that the culture of flower decoration on balconies is unusual for us and that it is more common for us to grow green onions and other garden herbs on balconies. What in Soviet era every citizen had to participate in the construction of a “garden city”, and not engage in petty-bourgeois cultivation of flowers on his personal balcony, and even for unknown purposes. And we turned this page in the history of the country just a quarter of a century ago. But how nice it is to lift your head and admire from the street the floral oases on the balconies of standard buildings! And rejoice that up there, someone not only decorated the balcony for themselves, but also gives this beauty to everyone around them.
Where to begin?
As in any business, floriculture has its own professional secrets. What flowers to choose for the flower garden? What composition should I compose for winter garden? What colors should you choose to decorate a south-facing balcony?
Start with landscaping the “balcony area”. It could be redecorating, which will be limited only to painting the railings and replacing the flooring. It will not be possible to paint the walls, so we advise you to choose flowers in shades that will not blend in with the color of the walls.
Then we advise you to decide how much area on the balcony you will allocate for flowers. Do you give everything to a flower garden or leave part of the area for household needs or a recreation area? Boxes secured with outside balcony fencing, we don’t take into account - they don’t take up space. Do you want to grow flowers just for yourself or will you try to decorate your balcony so that all passers-by can admire your successes?
Very important! The permissible load on the balcony slab must not be exceeded. You need to be especially careful when decorating flower beds on old balconies. Therefore, do not chase the number of pots and boxes with flowers, especially since by arranging them in large numbers, you will not be able to create a beautiful flower arrangement.
When you answer these questions for yourself, it will be the turn of geometry. Not a subject from the program high school, and the geometry of the arrangement of flower boxes, containers, pots and flowerpots. When decorating a balcony with flowers, we advise you to follow the well-known rules:
- On large balconies you can safely combine all types of landscaping: horizontal, vertical and ceiling. Compositions that include large single flowers (lilies, camellias, peonies) look great. Your flower garden will be decorated with a lawn, pebble flooring, decorative fountain or a pond, alpine slide, evergreen shrubs or special varieties fruit trees. In a word, create! On large balcony It is advisable to use all its elements: walls, fencing, floor.
- On small balconies, horizontal landscaping is usually used. To do this, lightweight plastic containers are hung from outside balcony railing, heavier pots and boxes are placed along the walls and railings. Marigolds and Chinese carnations are excellent for this type of flower bed. The height of low-growing marigold varieties is about 20 cm; they stop blooming only with the arrival of frost. Chinese carnation feels good in flower beds on balconies. Chinese carnation usually grows up to 30 cm in height and blooms all summer. This requires pruning at the end of July. Frequent feeding is not required. Does not tolerate excess water in containers. Often horizontal gardening is combined with ceiling gardening, in which flowerpots are suspended from the ceiling of the balcony. Don't forget to provide easy access to flowers for watering and caring for them.
- On small balconies, the emphasis is on vertical flower beds. Containers are placed against the wall, ropes are stretched to the ceiling, a “ladder” is mounted from slats, or mesh trellises are installed. Climbing them climbing plants will quickly turn your balcony into a piece of paradise. Take kobeya, sweet peas, and beans for planting in a vertical flower garden. Of the climbing plants, girlish grapes look great.
To plant flowers, use all possibilities: boxes, pots, flowerpots. Containers are selected so that the flowers have enough space and soil.
Lightweight but durable plastic boxes are best used for placement on the outside of the balcony railing. It is recommended not to plant flowers in one long box - when watering, the weight of the structure will increase and the fastening may not be able to cope. In such cases, several relatively small boxes up to one meter long are used.
It is believed that plants “live” more comfortably in clay boxes, flowers can “breathe” in them, and moisture is retained longer. But such boxes have significant weight, and it is better to use them for floor placement.
Advice. Before using new clay boxes, place them in water for about two hours. This old way displacing air bubbles from the clay, which is done to give the box greater strength.
Buy only boxes with small holes in the bottom. This way, excess moisture will not accumulate in them.
The best option is to use boxes with pallets. “Excess” water will leave the box, accumulate on the tray and create a greenhouse effect in the sun. And it won't leak down. It’s unpleasant, after all, instead of words of admiration, to hear from passers-by, on whom water is dripping from your boxes, something offensive: “They hung it here!”
Great for flower gardens. They must be attached to the ceiling or from the inside of the balcony. Pots secured from the outside may be damaged by gusts of wind.
Feel free to buy durable boxes and pots in the most inexpressive colors. They must have the main quality - strength. You can decorate them with your own hands in any style you like.
It is very important to choose the right soil for flowers. The soil can be purchased at the store or made yourself. To do this, coarse sand, turf layer of earth and humus (peat) are used in equal proportions. A layer made of an elastic dishwashing napkin or a piece of rug is placed in the flower box, which can accumulate water and then gradually release it into the ground. Then we pour a layer of sand - this is a layer of peat, and on top of that we pour turf soil, from which the weeds have been removed.
The soil level should be a couple of centimeters below the edge of the box. If you poured too much soil, the water will wash it away when watering.
Important! Every year, before planting flowers, you need to remove the top layer and replace it with a fresh one. Fertilizers are applied only after replacing the top layer of soil. Try to use long-lasting fertilizers. Check with seed sellers for the order of applying fertilizer.
Choosing flowers
The most important part of preparing to create a flower garden. Immediately pay attention to the height of the plants - it is indicated on the packages. Otherwise, tall and powerful plants will “strangle” the weaker ones. There's nothing to be done, it's a struggle for survival.
Do not try to put many seeds in one box in the soil. When they grow up they will grow up, but frail and weak. In a meter box it is optimal to plant up to 10 flowers in two rows. True, you need to consider what kind of flowers you are planting. You can combine and plant one row of flowing ones, and for the second choose more tall plants.
Considering the height of the flowers, we must not forget about the color combination. Excessive diversity of the flower garden will not decorate your balcony. Check out these possible combinations:
Pick up color combinations, which you like, without losing sight of the difference in the flowering time of plants. With time and experience, you will learn how to make flower arrangements that change throughout the season, such as tulips with crocuses and daffodils,
which are replaced by begonias.
After planting flowers in boxes and pots, do not rush to send them to the balcony under direct Sun rays. Most flowers don’t really like sunbathing, and besides, you need to give them time to get stronger first. And for this purpose, let them stand in the shade for a while. And you should water the flowers early in the morning or after sunset, when the heat subsides.
Flowers for a balcony facing the sunny side
For a flower garden on a sunny balcony, sun-loving daisies are perfect,
calendula.
They love the sun: purslane, morning glory, mignonette, heliotrope (the name speaks for itself!), sweet peas, and decorative beans.
Plant viola (Pansy) in early May
and daisies, and your flower garden on the balcony will delight you with early flowering.
Agapanthus africa
and Indian canna, planted in large beautiful pots, will decorate your flower garden on a sunny balcony.
Flowers for a shaded balcony
For a flower garden on a shaded balcony, choose fuchsia,
cloves,
forget-me-nots,
tradescantia,
For flower beds on balconies located on the upper floors, and where the wind is stronger, opt for begonia, ageratum, low-growing marigold, and sedum.
On small balconies mainly with vertical gardening we plant petunias,
pelargonium,
ampere varieties of lobelia,
Tumbergia winged.
Plant evergreen boxwood, and in the spring add ragwort (cineraria) or violets to it. Believe me, your composition will be original and very beautiful.
If you like this experience, next year try to make a more complex composition:
Success will undoubtedly inspire you, and you will want to immediately develop it. This is when the stage of the “wise gardener” begins, who knows a sense of proportion and can restrain his impulses. First of all, for the benefit of the flowers and the entire flower garden. You have a small, but still a corner of wildlife on your balcony. And in nature everything is arranged very intelligently, even though we often don’t understand it and consider it cruel existing rules according to which the fittest survives. Therefore, be guided by a sense of proportion and do not rush to plant flowers on the entire balcony at once. And don’t be afraid of failures, they are inevitable in such a complex business as growing flowers. Failures will be forgotten, and the reward in the form of constant communication with flowers, your joy from this communication and the joy of your loved ones will always be with you. And it may well be that an absent-minded passer-by will accidentally raise his head, stop dead in his tracks, seeing your balcony, and say: “What a beauty!”
Boxes buried in flowers are a magnificent decoration for balconies and terraces.
How to plant flowers in a balcony box
If narrow balcony boxes and the volume of soil in them is small, plant the plants in one row.
They look very nice in boxes and grow quickly. ampelous petunias, calibrachoa petunias, geraniums, string and verbena. For example, plant different varieties any one type of annual, alternating them according to the color of the flowers, or try an unusual mixture of different species.
Spacious balcony boxes Allows you to plant plants in two rows. In order for the fledglings to develop normally, the box must be at least 18 cm wide and the same depth.
Plant plants in holes and always offset. Place upright flowers like pelargonium, chrysanthemum or dimorphotheca in the back row.
On the sides and in front, plant plants with hanging shoots, such as ampelous verbena or scaevola, which can be alternated with lower flowers, such as heliotrope or. Along with the usual symmetrical plantings, you can also try asymmetrical plant placement.
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Single row planting in a box: for example, plant 3 pink and 2 purple petunias, alternating them by color. |
Double-row planting in a box: Place upright plants in the background, and flowers with hanging shoots in the front. |
Our planting options and diagrams show what flowers you will need to plant in your balcony boxes and how to place them correctly.
All these compositions are designed for flower box one meter long.
Schemes of flower arrangements for balcony boxes
1. For a balcony box in the sun
This mixture for a sunny location is made up of easy-to-care summer flowering plants that impress with their joyful play of colors - yellow, white and red.
Asymmetrical placement of plants is in fashion: flowers in red to the right pelargonium"Grand Prix" petunia calibrachoa"Cherry" and kufeya(Cuphea) "Torpedo", the flowers of which look like mouse faces with huge red ears.
White-flowered pelargonium"White" and bacopa"Taifun White" on the left side of the box is framed with silver leaves immortelle(tsmina) "Silver Mini".
Bright yellow spot stands out evening primrose"African Sun". Its large cup-shaped flowers appear from late May to October, but close in the shade and in bad weather. This perennial plant can overwinter in a frost-free location.
2. Pink and purple flowers in a box
The arrangement in this box is also intended for a sunny place.
On the left and right, lush pillows form a bright pink verbena"Patio Purple" and purple "Patio Blue". In the center there is a two-color petunia"Sofia" and variegated sweet potato, or sweet potato(Ipomoea) "Buntblaettrig".
This type of morning glory with multi-colored foliage is very original. Leaves with pink edges go well with the color of the flowers of other plants. Over the summer, sweet potatoes form climbing vines up to 2 m long, and underground - edible tubers the size of a fist (that's why they are called sweet potatoes).
3. Green and blue flower arrangement
This composition is original in its composition of plants and exquisite color combination.
short phlox Drummonda with pink and blue inflorescences forms abundantly flowering cushions on the sides. Perched next to each of them verbena: pink "Coral Pink" and blue-violet "Patio Blue".
In the center there are taller plants: sage mealy (Salvia farinacea) and decorative tobacco(Nicotiana) "Lemon Lime".
The soft green foliage adds a special charm to the original mixture of colors. sweet potato"Gelb", which forms edible tubers by autumn. The contrast of its large leaves with filigree silver shoots is interesting. beautifulhead(Calocephalus).
This box should be placed in a sunny or slightly shaded area.
4. Composition for a balcony in the spirit of minimalism
This box is decorated simply, but, you see, impressively.
In the center there is a soft lilac cloud of a pendant petunias"Pastell 2000", framed on both sides petunia"Purpur" of the Sylvana group with small flowers that tolerate bad weather.
Already from afar the golden yellow catches the eye immortelle, or bracted tsmin (Helichrysum bracteatum) "Gold".
All of these varieties bloom profusely and are ideal for very sunny locations. Flowering continues until late autumn. In this case, faded flowers do not need to be plucked.
5. Balcony box with hanging flowers
This option proves how colorful decorative-leaved plants look.
During the summer coleus turns into a lush flaming bush, especially if after planting you pinch its shoots from time to time. The light green foliage contrasts beautifully with it. sweet potato"Margerite".
A colorful show for a sunny and semi-shaded place completes pelargonium"Fireworks", decorative buttercup"Sunny Star" and two overhead petunias: "Lilac wonder" and "Neopink".
6. Flower mix in a box on the balcony
The composition in pink and blue tones looks calm and harmonious from any angle.
Blue clouds of three swirl in the background heliotropes"Mini Marine".
In front, with their flowering filigree shoots, hanging plants have woven a lush blanket: on the sides - salmon-pink diascia"Coral belle", the middle is divided verbena"Coral Pink" and scevola"Saphira", which is perhaps one of the most beautiful shades blue among balcony flowers.
The composition is intended for a sunny place.
There cannot be too many flowers, and in big cities, where you have to drive to the nearest regular park, there are very few plants at all. In the conditions of modern buildings and multi-story buildings, I want to create a garden for myself in the immediate vicinity. Flowers in pots can improve the situation, but a window sill may not be enough, and people come to the rescue balconies and loggias.
These premises contribute little to the main functionality of the apartment. Most make storage rooms out of them, but with some thought and inspection, you can find enough space for a flower garden. And even old junk will help create a unique atmosphere.
Balcony flowers
To design a balcony, you can use an unnecessary bedside table, old shoes, cracked dishes that you would hate to throw away, and even old bike. All this can be further decorated.
Now we need to decide on the plants that can be planted. To do this, it is important to know which balcony is being landscaped. There are balconies open and glazed, northern and southern, as well as shaded when tall trees grow in front of the house.
If the apartment is new and the balcony is still empty, then it won’t take much effort to prepare. But there are a lot of valuable things in old apartments, and you will have to deal with them. It is necessary to decide on the number of plants and containers for them, and purchase good soil for flowers. Outdoor landscaping requires special fixtures and trays to protect passers-by and the windows of neighbors below from water overflow. The boxes will be placed in pallets, and when the weather permits, the seedlings can be taken out onto Fresh air. You can also use racks, shelves or hangings.
The land can prepare yourself:
- Chernozem or turf soil from the nearest forest - 6 parts.
- Clean river sand- 2 parts.
- Wood ash - 1 part.
- Peat - 1 part.
Bring home simple forest soil in advance and spread it in a thin layer on oilcloth, dry completely in three weeks so that all putrefactive bacteria living in this soil are killed. The process can be speeded up by calcining the soil in the oven on a baking sheet. It is important to know: the temperature in the oven should not be higher than 80 degrees (otherwise everything useful will die, and there is no point in planting plants in such soil). Sand can be bought at a hardware store, it is quite clean and sifted there. Wood ash should be taken from the barbecue at the dacha after grilling shish kebab, and peat should be bought at a flower shop.
To equalize temperatures for balcony flowers on the northern sides, it is better to choose dark colors for pallets and boxes. On south side At home, in order to avoid overheating of the soil, the container should be light or even white.
In nature, a myriad of the most beautiful flowers exist and have been bred by flower breeders. decoration of house facades, balconies and loggias. It is important to take into account many factors when planting flowers in boxes on the outside of a balcony or loggia - lighting, wind strength, precipitation.
South balconies
For southern balconies The following types of plants are suitable:
- Hybrid pelargonium - belongs to the geranium family, and is more decorative in appearance than simple geranium. Flowers of various colors are collected in umbrella-shaped inflorescences; the plant is light-loving, but behind glass it can overheat, so it is better to keep it indoors in the summer. outdoors. Does not like wind and drafts. The perennial plant overwinters at temperatures from +6 to +12 degrees Celsius.
- Carnation. Exists great amount varieties and varieties of carnations that can grow in pots and boxes on the balcony. The most common is the Turkish clove, which has small, bright, colorful flowers collected in balls. Propagated by seeds. Seeds are germinated at room temperature, then they are transplanted into boxes at a distance of 5-6 centimeters between plants and 15 centimeters between rows.
- Kobeya is a climbing plant that clings well to rough walls. It blooms all summer with large bells on long stalks, mostly purple, but there are pink and white flowers. To have more branches and flowers, shoots are periodically pinched. Kobeya grows well in bright sun, but does not tolerate wind.
In the fall, small round boxes remain on the vines, in which 4-5 seeds have ripened in each, and they are sown in late winter and early spring. After 2-3 weeks they germinate, and when the first feathery leaves appear, they are transplanted into permanent boxes of 2-3 together and tied to supports. When the cold weather ends, they take it out onto the balcony.
Northern balconies
For northern balconies Suitable plants include:
- Daisy - low biennial herbaceous garden plant. They may seem difficult to grow, but this is a misconception. A little effort and care - and these cute little bushes will delight you for a long time with their terry baskets, white, pink or red. Daisies grow well in partial shade, only the leaves become a little larger and the flower stalks elongate a little, but this does not make them any less attractive. In order for the plant to bloom in the first year, the seeds are sown on seedlings in February-March, sprinkled with sand, and when it gets warmer, they are taken out to the balcony. But usually they are sown directly into the ground in June-July. After two or three leaves appear, they are planted 15 by 15 centimeters, and so they will grow up to next year, and in the spring and autumn of next year they will delight you with flowering.
- Viola - pansy, flowering plant. Withstands summer heat and tolerates frosts, blooms almost all summer. Viola can grow on balconies facing the north side of the house and in shaded areas. Only with strong shading will the flowers be a little paler, but they will bloom longer. Since the plant is biennial, there are two sowing options - in February and July. February crops will bloom in May-June, and July crops will bloom the next year.
Design and decoration
You can surprise others and please yourself by using old trash from deposits on the balcony. Remove the top table top from the old nightstand, in places work out rough sandpaper
and varnish. If the upper part is closed on four sides, then you can lay thick polyethylene in this niche, fill it with soil and plant flowers. Old shoes or rubber boots can also be used as original plant pots. You can put small plastic pots in them or line them with polyethylene.
You can grow many different plants on balconies in boxes and pots. Ivy and vines, although they do not bloom, are very beautiful, as are purslane and other plants. Torenia perfectly decorates balconies. The design and uniqueness of a place decorated with flowers can be limited only by space, but not by imagination.
Growing ornamental flowers is usually associated with suburban area or a dacha, since this is where you can plant beautiful flower beds and flower beds the way your heart desires and realize your floriculture fantasies with almost no restrictions.
But flower lovers can afford to create a mini-flower garden in an urban environment - on the balcony of their apartment. Beautiful flowers can grow and bloom there just as well as in a suburban area.
To do this, you just need to competently approach the choice of plants and care for them.
We’ll tell you about the important points when creating a home flower garden with your own hands: which flowers for the balcony are best suited for your specific situation, how to care for them and what else you can plant, we’ll share tips on design, etc.
To a greater extent, the choice of plants will depend on the location of the loggia relative to the cardinal directions, and on the degree of illumination.
There may also be a choice: annuals or perennials? The latter require long-term systematic care and, accordingly, a lot of patience from the gardener, so let's talk about annuals.
Names and photos of flowers suitable for a south balcony
Most garden flowers are very heat-loving and creating a flower arrangement on a south-facing balcony is not at all difficult.
Of course, you might think that the more sun the better.
But you need to take into account several serious points regarding the effect of direct sunlight on flowers:
- The scorching rays of the sun cause burns to tender leaves.
- On the south side, the summer can be swelteringly hot. In such conditions, flowers require frequent watering and regular spraying.
When choosing a plant with this orientation, you need to start from the following characteristics of the species and varieties: high drought resistance, good ability to tolerate sunlight, light-loving.
Pelargonium (Pelargōnium)
Very similar to geranium, but they are different plants. Tolerates direct sunlight well. Zonal (Pelargonium x hortorum, Zonal pelargoniums) and ivy-leaved (Ivy-Leaved Pelargoniums) varieties are most resistant to abundant sunlight.
Zonal pelargoniums have leaves with a characteristic zonal pattern that differs in color. The flowers are collected in large umbrella-shaped inflorescences, which can be laid along the entire length of the shoot, resulting in long-term flowering. Given sufficient heat and light, these varieties can bloom. all year round starting from March.
Green Color
Divas Blueberry
Night Scarlet
Patricia Andrea
Ivy-leaved pelargoniums are distinguished by long, thin stems and tough, ivy-like leaves. The leaves are covered with a thick cuticle, which helps reduce moisture loss during drought.
With an abundance of light, pelargonium will even intensify its flowering. She can also for a long time do without watering. True, royal pelargonium is an exception of its kind and needs to be shaded during the hottest midday hours.
Calendula, marigold (Calendula officinalis)
In addition to the fact that calendula is light-loving and drought-resistant, it is also one of the plants that blooms all summer. Flowering period: from June to September. For long flowering You need to remove wilted inflorescences.
Most suitable for loggias low-growing variety Calendula Officinalis Fiesta Gitana, which has different types of colors. It grows very well from seeds.
Calendula Officinalis Fiesta Gitana
Petunia
Decorating a balcony with these bright light-loving flowers is one of the most popular and proven ideas today. As for drought resistance, in hot summer conditions on the south side they require moist soil and frequent watering (about 2 times a day!). To reduce the need for frequent watering, you need to select deep boxes and mix hydrogel into the soil.
Purslane (Portulaca)
Purslane blooms abundantly in the south.
It tolerates heat and direct sunlight well, and does not require frequent watering, as it is a succulent plant (with stems and leaves capable of accumulating moisture). Purslane flowers have a wide variety of bright, rich tones, which will allow you to create a variety of color compositions.
The most used species for growing on loggias are: garden purslane, double purslane, grandiflora purslane.
Purslane grandiflora
Nasturtium
Flowering period: from July to September. Grow from seeds immediately permanent place. It is an unpretentious flower and almost always grows from seeds.
Nasturtium
Interestingly, the flowers of different varieties are radically different from each other. There are tall climbing vines that can be used to decorate walls, hanging flowers for balconies and window boxes (for example, nasturtium peregrinum, reaching a length of 3 m), as well as bush-like dwarf varieties.
Also good for the sunny side: calibrachoa, morning glory, sweet pea, canna, gatsaniya, fragrant tobacco, zinnia, sedum, all succulents and cacti.
Eastern and western location - what to plant?
Eastern orientation is the most successful option for growing flowers. Soft, harmonious lighting is suitable for the vast majority of plants.
Also perfect here are daisies, heather of various types and varieties, calendula and.
If you have a loggia in the west, this is also a very good option. The sun here comes in the afternoon, and is no longer as scorching as during the day. Therefore, plants that love partial shade are well suited here.
A wonderful option for this arrangement is verbena, which has voluminous inflorescences with large flowers. It has a large assortment and a wide color spectrum. But in order for verbena to bloom for a long time, you will need to water it daily and loosen the soil.
A more unpretentious option for the western side is sedium. It blooms profusely until mid-autumn. Climbing plants such as morning glory, grapes, and climbing roses will also feel good here.
Beginner gardeners often wonder if it is really possible to plant grapes on the balcony and expect them to bear fruit? Yes! To do this, first of all, you need to choose grape seeds of a variety that will not be afraid weather conditions your region.
Varieties that are not afraid of frost and are resistant to other features of the Russian climate: Laura, Northern and Taiga.
What to grow on the north side?
What can be planted on the northern balcony? Typically, landscaping in this arrangement is not an easy task for flower growers, since the plants here bloom poorly or do not bloom at all.
Therefore, the assortment in this case should be selected primarily according to the criterion of shade tolerance.
Fuchsia
To bloom profusely, fuchsia does not require abundant lighting; it only needs light from the north side.
Fuchsia does not like open sun and heat, but it really needs abundant regular watering, otherwise it will die.
Begonia
Grows well in semi-shaded and shady areas, requires fertile acidic soil and needs intensive watering and fertilizing.
Torenia loves bright, but diffused light, so the balcony boxes would be the place for her. Requires regular watering. The soil for fermentation must be kept moist at all times.
A north-facing balcony is also suitable for growing pansies, balsam, violas, ivy, mignonette, nasturtium, various bulbous flowers (such as daffodils). All these flowers do not like direct sunlight and high temperatures.
Arrangement of indoor plants
Arrangement indoor plants on the balcony it seems much easier than in the garden - it would seem just to move the plants in pots and arrange them in a composition. But obviously not for all house flowers new environment will be suitable for life. On open balcony For some it may be too cold, but indoors it may be too hot (due to direct sunlight).
When placing indoor flowers outside, you need to take into account that night temperatures in spring and early summer are much lower than daytime temperatures.
Many indoor flowers can easily tolerate temperature fluctuations within 15-20 degrees, but it should not fall below 12-15. It is especially difficult for plants if a cold snap occurs after watering (or rain) - wet roots after a “temperature shock” can rot.
The question often arises: when can you place flowers on a glass or open balcony?
If flowers can be displayed on glazed (but not insulated) loggias at the end of April, then on open loggias - only by the end of May.
There are indoor flowers for which life in the open air is in principle impossible. Of course, a lot depends on the climate, but at least these plants are best left at home: cacti, violets, tropical flowers with special humidity requirements - Dieffenbachia, philodendron.
Composition for a balcony from light-loving crops, video:
Drawer selection
When it comes to choosing flower boxes, today the market offers a huge assortment. To achieve a harmonious combination when choosing a tone for flower containers, you need to take into account general style balcony, as well as the facade of the house.
It can be a plastic, wooden or even a stone box (these are also available on the market now).
The box can be hanging with holders or regular, placed on a stand. Now you can also purchase a “house” for flowers with a special form of attachment to the balcony railing as in the photo.
To make your flowers feel good, general mandatory requirements for boxes are:
- Flower boxes must be durable and weather resistant. Typically, most modern plastic boxes meet these requirements (although this is difficult to determine when purchasing, since manufacturers of flower containers are not required to label their products according to these indicators).
- The bottom of the box should have drainage holes every 20 cm with a diameter of about 1 cm.
- When watering, water should not flow onto walls, floors and sidewalks. To do this, provide pallets with sides about 5 cm high.
You can buy flower boxes for your balcony at any garden store quite cheaply. Big choice available in stores such as “Obi”, “ Leroy Merlin", as well as on Internet portals.
The price ranges from 150 to 2000 rubles depending on the size and material of the box.
Home garden
Perhaps, besides beautiful flowers, which will please the eye, you will want to have crops that are useful and something else, for example, tasty fruits. Ornamental plants in combination with fruits and vegetables can create a special unique composition.
It is now possible to create a small vegetable garden at home even in areas with a harsh climate thanks to the work of breeders who have created zoned varieties. For a hot indoor space, growing a vegetable garden fits better in total, since this is a kind of year-round greenhouse.
Planting tomatoes
Perhaps the most popular and sought-after vegetable for planting on loggias among Russians is tomatoes. In an apartment garden, these can be both varieties with large fruits and small ones, for example, cherry tomatoes.
You can grow tomatoes either from seeds or seedlings, but for cold climates it is still better to go with the second option.
Tomato seedlings on closed balconies It is better to plant in early May, and in open areas it is better to start growing in early summer.
It is necessary to arrange the sprouts in such a way that direct sunlight does not fall on the leaves, and you also need to take care that there is no stagnation of water in the ground.
To increase the yield, it is necessary to pinch off all the branches and leaves that are higher than the fifth or sixth flower tassel. It is advisable to plant tall tomatoes at a distance of about 40 centimeters from each other and be sure to tie them to supports.
Planting cucumbers
It is very important to choose self-pollinating (not requiring pollination by bees) varieties of cucumbers for your garden. These can be the following varieties: Gribovsky, Dubrovsky, Kurazh, Parus, Kukaracha, Stresa.
When growing, it is necessary to pay proper attention to watering cucumbers - the soil should always be moist. It is necessary to periodically remove the antennae (at least once a week).
To increase productivity, the tops of cucumbers need to be pinched and formed into one stem. Cucumbers also need supports; they can be decorated with a beautiful trellis, from which cucumber vines will create a beautiful green wall, which can complement your flower arrangement well.
Strawberry
Everyone's favorite strawberry is suitable for growing in almost any conditions. But good harvest can be obtained with correct landing, proper care, watering and pollination.
On balconies, strawberries are grown in a regular rectangular container, as well as in hanging pots or whatnot.
When purchasing strawberry seedlings, you need to find out the resistance of the variety to diseases and the fruiting period (it is better to purchase both early and late varieties, which will ensure continuous collection of berries).
The Albion strawberry variety is distinguished by repeated fruiting. If you need a frost-resistant variety, then this is the Temptation strawberry.
What can you plant from greenery?
In addition to vegetables and berries, of course, you can plant healthy greens. For example, spices, which you can use in your kitchen: basil, rosemary, mint, thyme and sage.
They are sown directly into the ground. You can also grow different varieties of green lettuce. You can buy seeds in almost any specialized online store.
Balconies with strong winds
For stability flower planting and to avoid falling, it is recommended to place heavy stones at the bottom of the containers/planting boxes; you can also fasten the boxes together and tie them to the balcony railings.
You also need to take into account that the higher the floor, the stronger the wind. Starting somewhere from the 7th floor, it is better not to keep large plants. In this case, it is better to plant begonia, marigolds or ageratum.
Some interesting ideas so that your flower corner can become a place that truly pleases the soul:
