What flowers to plant on the balcony: annuals, hanging flowers. Flowers on the balcony: design, new ideas and photos

A small green oasis where it’s nice to relax, communicate with nature, soak up positive emotions, get a boost of energy, feel summer in all its glory - all this on an ordinary balcony of a city apartment. By planning what flowers to plant on the balcony and making your dream come true, you can amazingly transform the façade of the building and give those around you and yourself a piece of good mood. Big choice beautifully flowering potted plants allows you to create green miniatures for every taste. So not only summer residents and owners of private houses, but absolutely everyone can join such a useful and enjoyable activity as growing ornamental plants. Bush, ampelous and climbing species are suitable for these purposes.

In order for plants to feel comfortable, develop well, and bloom profusely, it is necessary to choose the right varieties and varieties. In this case, it is especially important to take into account the side of the world that the balcony faces. After all, illumination is one of the most important factors in the life of a green organism. Another important condition is the protection of the composition from draft winds and other negative impacts environment. It is best not to use fancy crops for landscaping balconies; you will have to spend a lot of effort to ensure that the composition has a presentable appearance.

Rules for growing flowers on the balcony

Creating a green balcony and wanting to get the most positive emotions During the life of plants, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules when planting.

• Choosing the right plants in terms of light.

It should be recalled that not all plants can be planted in a sunny place - they can easily get sunburned. At the same time, in the shade, flowers can stretch out and be weakened. Sometimes it is better to make a composition of plants in one pot so that they support and shade each other. Climbing plants can be used for shading.

• Size and material of the pot.

Some types of plants feel great in a limited earthen coma, but under the scorching rays in summer, a small volume of soil will quickly dry out, providing the owner of a green island with some inconvenience with frequent watering. The material from which the pot is made should not warm up easily, otherwise it will dry out quickly. outer surface coma, the peripheral roots will die off, namely they intensively nourish the plant. Wood remains the leader among such materials. Drainage holes in drawers are required.

• Soil for planting.

When using ordinary garden soil from the garden, there is a huge risk of introducing various eggs and pest larvae, which in a limited space have nothing to feed on except the roots and leaves of a wonderful oasis. The mechanical composition of such soil usually turns it into a “piece of granite” after several waterings. Water subsequently ceases to saturate the lump, passing in transit in the space between the pot and the soil. It is most advisable to use specialized universal soils for planting potted plants in the spring. How additional measure You can put moisture-retaining granules into the soil layer.

• Regular watering of plants.

Many people find it difficult to decide how often to water potted plants; Because of this, overflowing or drying out is not uncommon. All owners of green balconies should make it a rule to monitor soil moisture daily with a finger. If the soil on the sunny side of the pot is still wet, you don’t have to water it. Much better drip irrigation plants. There are specialized micro-drip installations for potted flowers. The most simplified version is made from the upper part plastic bottles, in which many holes are pierced with an awl and buried in a layer of soil. All that remains is to remember to replenish bottled water during the next scheduled watering of the plants.

• Feeding.

All potted flowers, especially during flowering in summer, require intensive feeding. Foliar leaf fertilizers are convenient for these purposes. They simply regularly spray the green mass.

• Protection.

Typically, potted crops suffer more from pests and root rot. Insecticidal sticks and solutions sprayed on the leaves help with the former. Rot can be prevented proper watering And good drainage. But if this happens, the plants are watered with fungicide solutions.

• It is better to install supports for climbing plants immediately, without waiting for intensive growing season.

Southern sun lovers

In fact, there are not many plants that can withstand the drying rays of the sun on the south side. But still they exist, and we will list the most suitable ones.

• Pelargonium. It is also called geranium or kalachik. Amazing plant with many hybrid forms, with a wide color scheme. There are ampelous ivy-leaved species. The good thing about geranium is that bright sun only promotes increased growth and flowering. Zonal, hanging types easily withstand short drying.
• Blooming purslane. There are ordinary and terry species. Purslane is able to create a wonderful mood with the diversity of its bright colors. Following the principle of succulents, it accumulates moisture in the leaves and can long time do without water. Purslane is one of those plants that reproduce by self-seeding, so for it to appear on next year, the soil in pots is not loosened after the end of the growing season.
• Morning glory. These wonderful climbing flowers easily create openwork screens, shade and a secluded atmosphere.
• Petunia. Truly royal flower. He loves the sun, summer, but also water. Therefore, when having such beauties on the balcony, you need to be prepared for regular watering, which must be done twice on hot days. Petunia is also demanding when it comes to fertilizing. In their absence, the leaves may fade over time, and the plant will quickly move away.

In order for petunia to bloom profusely, it is necessary to remove faded flowers every day along with the seed capsule.

A sunny balcony will also withstand: sweet pea, kobeya, aster, zinnia, canna, gatsania, godetia, fragrant tobacco, phlox, dahlias, sedum, succulents.

In the east or west

These are the most gentle living conditions, when the sun appears but does not dry out. Many types of indoor and garden plants can be grown on balconies of this location. These include: matthiola, pelargonium, calibrachoa, petunia, sweet peas, nasturtium, calendula, marigolds, viola, daisies, dolichos, verbena, lobelia, gillyflower, dahlias, asters, heather.

Shady north side

It is precisely because of the constant shadow that it is very difficult to grow plants, especially flowering ones, on the northern balcony.

• Hosta. An irreplaceable plant to create a green area. It will give the balcony some exoticism. Almost all hostas thrive in the shade and bloom profusely.
• Fern. For lovers of forest landscapes, this is what you need. The fern looks spectacular in spring, summer and autumn due to its openwork foliage. You can create a lower tier on the balcony from it.
• Fuchsia. It blooms amazingly beautifully, but requires a lot of moisture. Ampelous types of this flower are common.
• Begonia tuberous and ever-blooming. Grateful plants with good watering and frequent feeding. It is advisable not to spill water on the leaves and ensure that there is no overflow. If drainage is poor, tubers rot easily.
• Calceolaria. Beautiful plant, for which the northern shady side is ideal.

Well, the green balcony is ready, it’s a whole world in miniature that requires love and attention. He will bring joy and good mood. Give him your care.

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 on balconies green onions and other garden greens. That in the 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 must not be exceeded balcony slab. 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, arranging them in large number, 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 location 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. The lawn will decorate your flower garden, flooring from pebbles, decorative fountain or a pond, alpine slide, evergreen shrubs or special varieties of fruit trees. In a word, create! On a large balcony, it is advisable to use all its elements: walls, fencing, floor.
  

  

  

  

• On small balconies, horizontal landscaping is usually used. Lightweight for this plastic containers suspended 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 along them, climbing plants will quickly turn your balcony into a paradise. Take kobeya, sweet peas, and beans for planting in a vertical flower garden. From 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 choose taller plants for the second.

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 in direct sunlight. Sunbathing Most flowers are not very fond of being accepted, in addition, 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 in early May ( Pansies)

and daisies, and your flower garden on the balcony will delight you with early flowering.

Agapanthus africa

and Indian eland, 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 an evergreen boxwood, and add ragwort (cineraria) or violets to it in the spring. 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!”

Decorating a balcony or loggia in an apartment with flowers is a great opportunity to 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.

In addition, if you are thinking about what flowers to plant on the 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 the balcony 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 the 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), hanging petunias, ornamental 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. A unique garden plant, flowers of different varieties are 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 their varied colors, long flowering, variety of varieties and species, they create a 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 flowerpots 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 a 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, like indoor plant. 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. A wonderful 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 snapdragons are 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 round, 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 great blooming flowers for the northern 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.

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. Plants that are similar in terms of growing conditions are selected: the 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; plant friends and foes 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 against 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 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. Can be attached to plantings indoor flowers: coleus, the coloring of their leaves is very decorative. Also in the warm season on fresh air Chlorophytums and Tradescantia feel good. Can withstand shade north side Spicy herbs: mint and lemon balm.

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.

Example design composition 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.

Very beautiful combination 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 the eye from flower arrangement. It would be appropriate to use boxes or pots that match the floral coloring, but are much paler in color intensity.

Space large balcony or loggias 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 the sun's rays, then it is advisable to select a small pot for the box. bigger size for air circulation. TO positive qualities plastic containers attributed to its 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, a small amount of sand and purified peat (one fifth of the entire mixture) are added to the earth mixture. You can enrich the soil with crushed eggshell. Soil compositions for house 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. Fill in the 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 a flower bed on open ground. 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 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 insufficient watering and feeding: 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.

• Maintain optimal soil moisture and do not overwater 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.

Not all of us, flower lovers, are lucky enough to live in a private home and not all of us have dachas where any gardening fantasies can easily come true. However, even in an ordinary city apartment you can create your own mini-flower garden. Balconies or external window sills (those located on the street side) are great for this. garden flowers on the balcony they will feel no worse than on the flowerbed, if you approach the issue of their choice wisely, and then the rules of care. So what flowers should you plant on the balcony? To a large extent, the choice will depend on the degree of illumination of your balcony.

It just seems that the longer the sun visits your balcony, the better. Firstly, the scorching rays of the sun can cause burns to the tender leaves of many plants. Secondly, on the southern balconies in the summer there is a withering heat that does not subside even at night. In such conditions, flowers need very frequent watering and spraying. Even a day without watering can lead to the death of green spaces.

Flowers for a southern balcony must withstand direct sunlight and not suffer from drought. Let's look at the best options.

Geranium (pelargonium)

Pelargonium tolerates an abundance of sunlight, especially zonal and ivy-leaved (ampeloid) varieties. Geranium can be exposed to the open sun and not worry that its leaves will burn. On the contrary, with an abundance of light it will intensify its flowering. Some gardeners call geranium a semi-succulent plant for its ability to go without watering for a long time. Let us emphasize that all these qualities are most pronounced in zonal flowers and ampels; royal pelargonium is more capricious and needs to be shaded at midday.

Purslane

Excellent flowers for a southern balcony: they tolerate heat and direct sunlight without loss, and do not need frequent watering. The fleshy leaves of purslane accumulate water, so even in drought they do not wither or lose their appearance.

Another argument in favor of purslane: its flowers are always bright, rich colors and will create a truly sunny mood in balcony boxes.

Calendula

Another “sunny” flower that can show itself in all its glory only in very light areas. Modern varieties with simple and double flowers in red, yellow, orange and white colors will help create interesting compositions in balcony boxes.

Petunia

- the most beautiful flowers for a sunny balcony that love an abundance of light, without direct midday rays. The only thing that overshadows the presence of petunias on southern balconies is the need for moist soil. This flower will have to be watered often, in summer - at least twice a day.

In addition to the above plants, the following plants take root well on sunny balconies: , , sweet peas, kobeya, godetia, aster, canna, gatsania, mignonette, sweet tobacco, zinnia, phlox, dahlias, sedum, succulents and cacti.

What flowers to grow on a western and eastern balcony?

The sun appears on the eastern and western balconies in the first or second half of the day. These lighting conditions are excellent for most indoor and garden plants. Therefore, if you have such a balcony, we can say that you are lucky. Here you can afford almost everything, with the exception of outright “sun lovers”, for example, cacti, which will grow, but will almost certainly have problems with flowering.

Most garden and indoor plants can be grown on western and eastern balconies

List of plants for bright balconies where the sun shines in the morning or evening: , sweet peas, dolichos, verbena, nasturtium, calendula, marigolds, viola, daisies, lobelia, gillyflower, heather, matthiola, pelargonium, dahlias, asters and etc.

Even shade-loving plants can be grown on western and eastern balconies. Of course, they should not be planted in balcony boxes, but in the depths of the balcony, where it is light enough, but not sunny.

Flowers for the northern balcony

Shady balconies often become a headache for gardeners. Plants planted here stretch out, bloom weakly or even forget to bloom. Growing flowers on a north-facing balcony requires careful selection of shade-tolerant plants that will not suffer from lack of light.

Flowers on the northern balcony can be like this:

Fuchsia

For abundant flowering and the formation of a luxurious fuchsia bush, the amount of light that penetrates the northern balcony will be sufficient. This plant does not like direct sunlight and heat. Optimal temperatures for fuchsia – 20-25°C. Required condition its cultivation - abundant regular watering without drying out the earthen clod. Fuchsia is very easy to dry, after which it dies.

Mimulus (lipstick)

Mimulus blooms its variegated, elongated flowers even in the shade, on glazed northern balconies. Direct sun is contraindicated for mimulus. This flower on the balcony requires moist, even damp soil, so when growing, special attention should be paid to abundant watering.

Calceolaria

Calceolaria does not tolerate high temperatures, direct sunlight, or even short-term drying. That's why the best place for her - light partial shade on a northern, well-ventilated balcony. Constantly moist soil for calceolaria is not a whim, but a necessity. However, you need to be careful when watering it. Try to keep water away from the leaves and stem, as this will cause the plant to quickly rot.

Decorating your balcony with calceolaria flowers adds a touch of originality to the design of your entire apartment. This plant is not yet very common, so a balcony or window sill in calceolarias looks very unusual.

Torenia

Torenia flowers resemble gloxinia bells, only smaller in size and blooming in more. Torenia loves bright, but diffused light, so the balcony boxes of the northern balcony would be the place for her. Requires regular watering with constantly moist soil.

Begonia everblooming and tuberous

Any type of begonia grows well in semi-shady and shady areas with fertile, acidic soil. The plant needs intensive watering and fertilization.

The semi-shaded balcony will become great place for growing balsam, viola, ivy, mignonette, nasturtium, cyclomen . Modern variety series (minitunia, fortunia, surfinia, etc.) also withstand the lack of light on northern balconies, although they bloom a little less profusely than in the southern areas.