WHAT FLOWERS TO GROW ON THE BALCONY - GREAT!

In our city apartments, it is the balcony that often becomes that oasis where constant summer reigns - plants turn green, flowers bloom. Let's figure out how to choose the right flowers for a balcony or loggia.What care do they need? How to protect them from diseases and pests?

In the southern regions of Russia, a constant assortment of perennials can be maintained on the balconies, and in the middle and northern regions it is better to prefer annuals. However, a glazed and heated balcony will significantly increase your options for choosing plants.

Flowers on a sunny balcony

If the balcony faces the south, sunny side, the vast majority of balcony plants will bloom well and for a long time, with the exception of fuchsia and begonia: excessive sun suppresses them, they wither and sometimes do not bloom at all.

They show a special "greed" for the sun and heat purslane, kobeya, ipomoea, doroteanthus and dimorfoteka .

On cloudy days, large-flowered purslane will not open its flowers, and in cool summers, even on the southern balcony, it blooms poorly.

Daisies, asters, mignonette, dahlias, godetia, gazania, heliotrope, ageratum, balsam, lobelia, verbena, viola, sweet pea, morning glory, ampelous pelargonium, petunia, nasturtium- a great set for a sunny balcony.

They do great in tubs or large pots. African agapanthus and Indian eland .

Place in one container large-flowered tobacco, zinnia elegant and Drummond's phlox, and you will get a lovely mini flower garden.

In order for the balcony to please flowering as early as possible, it should be planted in early May daisies, violas and evergreen begonias.

And to continue flowering until the end of October, use asters, kobeyu, petunia, gazania, lantana, tuberous begonia and stonecrop.

Flowers on a shaded balcony

Will bloom well in partial shade. begonias, lobelia, fuchsia, mignonette, viola.

Reconcile with the lack of light marigolds, pelargoniums, nasturtiums and petunias . Quite comfortable in partial shade calceolaria and ageratum.

If the balcony is heavily shaded, limit tuberous begonia, daisies, violas, and nasturtium able to decorate the balcony until frost, if not with abundant flowering, then with beautiful rounded leaves.

On high floors, where it is windy and drafts are constant, it is better to use daisies, undersized marigolds, ageratum, gazania, stonecrop and ever-flowering begonia.

Suitable for vertical gardening inside balconies and loggias ampelous varieties of lobelia, petunia, winged thunbergia, fuchsia, pelargonium and tuberous begonia.

Interesting balcony flowers and their care

And in conclusion, a few words about plants, sometimes undeservedly unclaimed in balcony floriculture.

Tuberous begonia is the queen of balconies.

The color range is from pure white to pink, yellow, salmon, bright red and crimson. The flowers are simple, semi-double and double on the same plant.

Suitable varieties with a height of 15 to 30 cm. Flowering from late May to October frosts. For the winter, the tubers are cleaned in a cool room and stored until March in sand or peat chips at plus 8-12 ° C.

Kobe climbing

Kobeya climbing is distinguished by large bell-shaped flowers of an exotic shape on long pedicels, painted first in green, and later in bluish-violet. There is a variety with white flowers.

Thanks to tenacious and strong tendrils on paired pinnate leaves, this fast-growing letnik rises several meters even along plastered walls, although it is more reliable to strengthen it on a rare wire mesh or a support on a balcony box.

Blooms from June to October. She is afraid of the cold, so she is planted after graduation spring frosts. Kobeya quickly landscaping large areas, although from a distance it looks much more modest than calceolaria or salvia. Propagated by seeds, which are sown in March.

Seedlings are planted at a distance of 30-50 cm from each other.

Verbena

A low growing plant with small, very beautiful flowers primrose-like. The flowers are fragrant, with white eyes inside. When the plant reaches a height of 12 cm, you need to pinch the top.

Coleus

Coleus attracts with luxurious "mosaic" leaves and is easily propagated by cuttings.

Small-leaved balcony forms form a dense shrub 20-40 cm high. The brightness of the leaves of the coleus and its showiness in the near or far plans overshadows the brightly colored balcony flowers. Plants are planted in May at a distance of 20-30 cm. In August, coleuses are cut and left to winter in bright room. Seed propagation is possible in February.

Calceolaria

Calceolaria blooms profusely and relentlessly yellow flowers resembling bright balls. Plant height 30 cm.

It is enough to buy one plant in order to further provide a spectacular contrasting bright yellow tone for red pelargonium, salvia, petunia, blue and purple violas, blue ageratum and blue-violet heliotrope.

It reproduces well in mid-summer by cuttings in a cool, bright room. They winter, like pelargoniums, in a room or a non-freezing room, and in mid-May they are planted on a balcony.

Erika

Erika (Erika carnea), sometimes incorrectly called "heather", reaching 15-30 cm in height, has needle-shaped leaves and is recommended for southern regions and insulated balconies and loggias.

Various varieties bloom from January to March with white, pink and red flowers, abundantly covering the tops of the shoots. For autumn bloom Erika gracilis is recommended, blooming from September to November.

Early-flowering erica is grown on calcareous soil, and late-flowering - on a slightly acidic substrate, preferably on a mixture of marsh soil with peat.

Erics winter in middle lane in the basement, in non-freezing loggias and even in open ground under spruce branches and snow; in southern regions- in open ground.

Gatzania

Gatsania is notable for its radiant, shiny, orange-red (to bronze) flowers with a diameter of 7-8 cm with dark spot at the base of the petals and a white eye.

Flowering from June to October. Unpretentious, resistant to winds. Height 20-40 cm. Seeds are sown in a room in March, seedlings are planted on a balcony in May. Foreground decoration.

Petunia

An annual plant up to 25 cm high, characterized by a compact bush shape and very abundant flowering. Thanks to the peculiar bright colors, it can be an ornament to any garden. Perfect for growing in balcony boxes. In March, petunia seeds are sown in cups or pots, they are not covered with earth, but only pressed down, then covered with glass or paper. Germination time 1-2 weeks at 18-20°C. They dive into loose, not very nutritious soil, keep at 10-14 ° C. They are hardened and in mid-May they are planted at a distance of 25x25 cm in balcony boxes. Blooms until November.

Geranium.

From mid-February - early March, geranium seeds are sown at 20 ° C. Maintain optimal hydration. Cups and boxes with seeds are best covered with foil or glass. Germination time - 6-8 days. After the first leaves appear, the seedlings dive into pots 8-10 cm high. Planted in pots or boxes with nutrient soil at the end of May - beginning of June. For a box 1 m long, 5 plants are enough. It has been noticed that plants growing next to geraniums are not damaged by spider mites.

Alyssum

An annual plant 20 cm high. Forms a white cloud of small flowers. Blooms throughout the summer. The aroma is reminiscent of honey. In March, the seeds are sown in a box, lightly sprinkled with earth. At a temperature of 16-20°C, they germinate in 8-12 days. Planted in a box on the balcony in May, 3-5 plants together at a distance of 10-15 cm. When flowering decreases, the plants are cut to half. Soon they will grow back and continue to bloom.

Godetia

An annual plant. This beautiful flower attractive for flower beds. Its large silky inflorescences of different colors (white, pink, red) are the decoration of any balcony. If you cut off faded inflorescences in time, the plants will bloom again. Sow in March-April in pots, transplanted in mid-May. The plant prefers sunny or semi-shaded places and loves fertile soil. Requires moisture. Cold resistant. Blooms early and until frost.

Mini garden for a balcony

Despite the very limited area, it is desirable to find a place on the balcony for a fragrant mini-garden, for which it is enough to plant two or three mignonette, verbena, tobacco or heliotrope plants with a distinct vanilla aroma.

It is useful to have a corner of spicy plants on the balcony: watercress, salad mustard, catnip, lemon balm, chervil, parsley, dill, savory, chives.

On the balcony in early spring it is quite easy to get the forcing of perennial onions (batun onions, chives, slime onions), parsley, celery, parsnips, beets, rhubarb.

Plant compositions for balconies

When placing flowers in balcony boxes, the main thing is not to get carried away with a variety of colors: no more than two colors that harmonize well. Beautiful and concise monochromatic red pelargoniums, fuchsias or salvias, pink petunias, white daisies, yellow or lilac violas.

Good color combinations red salvia (petunias, zonal pelargoniums) from the apartment and blue, white, purple petunias paired with yellow marigolds, mignonette, blue ampelous lobelia from the side of the street.

Instead of ampelous plants in outer row can be placed low-growing red and white fuchsias, pink evergreen begonias, blue petunias or ageratums , and with inside- respectively red tuberous begonias and yellow calceolaria . These options are suitable for semi-shady and shady balconies.

To create a bright flower spot that attracts attention from the street, good red and white pelargoniums, red salvias, yellow marigolds, calceolaria, nasturtiums.

Up close are expressive ageratum, mignonette, kobeya, beans, lobelia, daisies, stonecrops and balsams .

Some plants are good only in the same type of planting: purslane, gatsania, godetia, celosia, eriki, dimorphoteka, doronicum, nemesia, aster, dahlias, coleus, chrysanthemums and lantana.

Microclimate and seasons on the balcony

On insulated, non-freezing balconies or loggias, you can carry out a successful early spring forcing of bulbous - crocuses, tulips and daffodils .

autumn row ornamental plants from the garden will migrate to the balconies and will delight with flowering all autumn (asters and chrysanthemums) .

In summer, the balcony will be decorated and houseplants who benefit from being on fresh air: azalea, cyclamen, bromeliad, hydrangea, ficus, clivia, oleander, hippeastrum, agave, aloe, jade, pomegranate, monstera, aspidistra, aucuba and cacti.

But indoor plants come from the humid tropics and subtropics do not tolerate open ground conditions ( saintpaulias, or uzambar violets, peperomia, anthurium, royal begonia, philodendron, sansevieria and dieffenbachia), only a glazed "dacha" is useful to them and high humidity air.

Soil for balcony plants

For most annuals, humus-rich compost soil with the addition of peat chips (10-20%) and lime material (ground egg shells) is suitable. Especially sensitive to a neutral or slightly alkaline soil reaction are annuals such as sweet peas, asters, and chrysanthemums.

Melissa, catnip, bluebells prefer slightly alkaline soils (pH up to 7.0-7.5); azaleas, heathers, hydrangeas - acidic soils(pH 4.5-5), they are fertilized with superphosphate or potassium sulfate.

In general, the soil must have moisture permeability, for which they add river sand; be sufficiently moisture-intensive, which is achieved by adding peat chips, and always fresh and free from pathogens, in addition, the soil for balcony flowers must be changed annually.

It is important to remember that potting mixes containing too few nutrients are not suitable for balcony flowers. A three-meter balcony needs about 30 kg of soil mixture.

For flyers, you can use peat chips from briquettes enriched with nutrients: it will provide more easy care, retains moisture for a long time, weighs less and is clean from pathogens. For perennials grown in tubs, pots, humus cloddy soil with turf and clay additives is preferable.

Unlike annuals, which require replacing the old soil with fresh annually, perennials are transplanted into new soil after 2-4 years, with the exception of agapanthus: they prefer to stay in settled old pots for as long as possible, content with adding fresh soil.

Top dressing of balcony plants

Given the limited feeding area and the rapid depletion of the soil substrate, balcony flowers need more frequent feeding compared to garden flowers. Perfectly suited for these purposes are complex mineral fertilizers with trace elements (manganese, boron, molybdenum).

Top dressing is carried out every 7-10 days, alternating with watering, using weak solutions (2-3 g per 1 liter of water). The first top dressing is carried out 4-6 weeks after planting and rooting seedlings. Top dressing continues until the end of August.

Minimal top dressing (every 2-3 weeks) is given to nasturtiums, gatzanias, purslane, stonecrops, godetia and dorotheanthus: on highly fertilized soil, they form many leaves to the detriment of flowering, or even do not bloom at all, the purchased soil for them is diluted by 30% river sand.

How to plant balcony flowers

It is important not to thicken the flowers when placed in boxes: optimal distance between seedlings of dahlias, chrysanthemums, salvia, gazania, petunias, pelargoniums, asters, lantana, tuberous begonias, fuchsia and celosia - 20-30 cm; for verbena, heliotrope, balsam, godetia, Drummond's phlox, viols, zinnias, daisies, mignonette, marigolds and ever flowering begonias - 12-15 cm; for fiery red beans and sweet pea- 10 cm.

It is important to remove flowers immediately after flowering, preventing the formation of ovaries if it is not necessary to collect seeds. When the flowering of ageratum, lobelia and nemesia is weakened, it is important to cut off the upper part of the plant, leaving only stems 3-5 cm high: they soon form young shoots and flower buds.

Diseases and pests of balcony plants and how to deal with them

Given the right place and proper care, balcony plants are rarely affected by diseases.

Reddish at the edges or yellow color of the leaves occurs with severe waterlogging (lack of drainage) or overdrying of the soil.

Poor flowering may indicate an excess of nitrogen in the soil, and in combination with oppressed growth and yellowing of the leaves, a lack of nutrients.

Plants can be damaged by pests.

Ugly, curved tops of the shoots and leaves covered with sticky juice indicate an aphid invasion that occurs in dry, warm summers. Do not rush to the store for pesticides, but do not put off pest control either: they multiply at an unprecedented rate and can quickly eat up your entire flower garden. Spray the affected plants with an infusion of garlic, nettle, at worst - soap or washing powder.

Sometimes the leaves are eaten by caterpillars - remove them and destroy them. A mini-garden of spicy herbs, planting marigolds will help scare away pests. Finally, a tiny ladybug will finish the job.

In dry, warm summers, sometimes the leaves and stems are covered with a white powdery coating - a real powdery mildew. Spray the plants with a strong solution of potassium permanganate (15 g per bucket of water) or fermented infusion of fresh minced garlic (40 g per bucket).

The most effective means of protection are, contrary to popular belief, not strong poisons that destroy pests and pathogens, but simple and generally accessible preventive measures that stimulate the plant to effectively defend itself.

Do not overmoisten the soil and do not thicken the plantings - your asters, marigolds, lobelia will not get sick with black leg and fusarium. Do not use acidic soils - get rid of rot. Annually change the earth in boxes to fresh - there will be no soil fatigue and pathogens.

Flowers decorate our lives, bring peace, delight. Growing flowers on the balcony helps the urban dweller to some extent compensate for the lack of communication with the natural world. In order to realize the desire to decorate the balcony with flowering, it is necessary to understand this issue, because the plantations 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 spring time, as well as on the street in the flower beds. Plants are selected that are similar in terms of growing conditions: the need for sunlight, air humidity. On an insulated heated balcony, a flower garden can live year-round.

Like and dislike

To create a commonwealth of plants, it is necessary to take into account their mutual compatibility when planting. After all, like people, they sympathize with someone, and some individuals, if they grow side by side, oppress each other, are not friendly with each other. This topic has not been sufficiently studied, plants-friends and enemies are revealed by observation, for example, dahlias do not tolerate neighbors, lilies of the valley are not friends with violets.

Useful Neighborhood

Useful neighborhood of asters and petunias, their beautiful mutual combination, in addition, petunia prevents aster disease. Protects asters from disease and nasturtium. The presence of marigolds in the flower garden creates biological protection from harmful insects for many colors.

The need for lighting

Asking the question: how to grow flowers on a loggia, it is important to consider 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, Godetia and asters. long and bright bloom balsams, verbenas and petunias will please. A large number of annuals, bright, uplifting in the list of light-loving plants.

Marigolds, balsam, mignonette, lobelia, petunia will feel good in partial shade. Shaded viola blooms with larger flowers than in full sun.

When the balcony is located to the north, the composition is made up of shade-tolerant flowers: decorative beans, morning glory, fuchsia, balsam, calendula. The choice is small. You can attach indoor flowers to plantings: coleus, the coloring of their leaves is very decorative. Also, in the warm season, chlorophytums and tradescantia feel good in the fresh air. Withstand the shadow north side spices: mint and lemon balm.

Bright fuchsia in balcony boxes

Color composition

How to grow flowers on a balcony so that the flower bed delights and speaks of the delicate taste of its owner - to compose the composition correctly. Choose two or three colors that are harmoniously combined 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 are several Wallera balsam plants and several bushes of New Guinean balsam hybrids. Along the edges of the box are plectranthus shrubs. All members of the composition are shade-tolerant and bloom until late autumn.

A very beautiful combination of plants in the composition: red Wallera balsam and silver wormwood.

Some flowers look great in mono planting: purslane, godetia, erica, chrysanthemum, dimorphoteca.

Choose a place and container

When creating a flower garden on the balcony with your own hands, it is important to consider in which pots, boxes it will be better for seedlings to live. The flower shops have big variety containers for growing flowers on the balcony. It is better to choose the same inconspicuous pots so as not to distract your eyes from flower arrangement. It will be appropriate to use boxes or pots that match the flower coloring, but are much paler in color intensity.

The space of a large balcony or loggia can be used by placing it compactly along the walls on different levels, on the railings and on the floor are long boxes. They come with a variety of decorations: under a stone, in the form of a braid. You can use special flowerpots for lechuza flowers, which help plants to create the most comfortable conditions using an automatic irrigation system. The boxes have a nice design and can be attached to the railing or to the wall of the house.

Read more about how to choose the right one in another article on our website.

Many plant lovers prefer to plant. How to choose the right variety and plant it, we told 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 the moisture at the roots is preserved, heating the root system of plants in the sun contributes to their development. If there is excessive overheating of the soil from the sun's rays, then it is advisable for the box to pick up a little pots bigger size for air circulation. To positive qualities plastic containers carry it a light weight. Plastic comes in different qualities. Dutch plastic crates may even winter outside.

Landing

Planting balcony flowers is done with seeds in April.

Tip: Plant a flower garden on the balcony mainly 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 earth 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 ground crushed eggshell. Soil compositions for home flowers are not suitable for planting on the balcony.

Landing

There is simple rules how to plant flowers on the balcony. landing boxes should have holes to drain excess fluid. Drainage is laid at the bottom: pebbles, expanded clay, broken brick. fall asleep soil mixture, leaving a distance to the top of the pot three centimeters. This is necessary so that during irrigation, water does not overflow through the top of the container.

Plants are planted by sinking into the ground to the same level as they were in the seedling container. The surface of the earth between the seedlings can be filled with expanded clay, pebbles. Pots for flowers should be commensurate with the dimensions of the plants in adulthood. Do not plant small flowers in large boxes for them.

plant care

top dressing

The specifics of growing flowers on a loggia differs from a flower bed in the open field. The container with the earth where the flowers grow does not have natural microflora and beneficial worms. The earth is quickly depleted and therefore it is necessary to periodically feed. After five weeks, feed the plants every ten days.. use complex fertilizer containing molybdenum, boron and manganese.

Excess nitrogen can lead to poor flowering. Flowers are very fond of top dressing with ash, it contains potassium, which improves budding and makes the flowers bright.

Watering

Unlike outdoor plants, flowers on the balcony require frequent watering. You should be guided by the weather. On a hot day, you need to water more often than on cloudy days. Use settled water at room temperature. In time it will become clear which overall volume water will be needed to water the entire balcony flower garden. The soil is brought to a noticeable moisture, so that water slightly appears 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, washes away pests and dust from the leaves. When it's hot and the plants look wilted, you can also do daytime watering "at the root", so that water does not get on the leaves.

Signs of insufficient watering and feeding: the edges of the leaves dry, and the plant turns brown. And vice versa, when excessive watering the edges of the leaves turn red or turn yellow.

Protection

It took a lot of effort to create a flowering balcony with your own hands. To keep the flower garden in a healthy state, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures.

• Maintain optimal soil moisture, do not flood the plants.
• Renew the soil every year.
• Keep the soil loose.
• Do not plant flowers too close to each other.
• Inspect flowers and, at the first sign 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.

In our city apartments, it is the balcony that often becomes that oasis where constant summer reigns - plants turn green, flowers bloom. Let's figure out how to choose the right flowers for a balcony or loggia. What care do they need? How to protect them from diseases and pests?

In the southern regions of Russia, a constant assortment of perennials can be maintained on the balconies, and in the middle and northern regions it is better to prefer annuals. However, a glazed and heated balcony will significantly increase your options for choosing plants.

Flowers on a sunny balcony

If the balcony faces the south, sunny side, the vast majority of balcony plants will bloom well and for a long time, with the exception of fuchsia and begonia: excessive sun suppresses them, they wither and sometimes do not bloom at all.

They show a special "greed" for the sun and heat purslane, kobeya, ipomoea, doroteanthus and dimorfoteka.

On cloudy days, large-flowered purslane will not open its flowers, and in cool summers, even on the southern balcony, it blooms poorly.

Daisies, asters, mignonette, dahlias, godetia, gazania, heliotrope, ageratum, balsam, lobelia, verbena, viola, sweet pea, morning glory, ampelous pelargonium, petunia, nasturtium- a great set for a sunny balcony.

They do great in tubs or large pots. African agapanthus and Indian eland.

Place in one container large-flowered tobacco, zinnia elegant and Drummond's phlox, and you will get a lovely mini flower garden.

In order for the balcony to please flowering as early as possible, it should be planted in early May daisies, violas and evergreen begonias.

And to continue flowering until the end of October, use asters, kobeyu, petunia, gazania, lantana, tuberous begonia and stonecrop.

Flowers on a shaded balcony

Will bloom well in partial shade. begonias, lobelia, fuchsia, mignonette, viola.

Reconcile with the lack of light marigolds, pelargoniums, nasturtiums and petunias. Quite comfortable in partial shade calceolaria and ageratum.

If the balcony is heavily shaded, limit tuberous begonia, daisies, violas, and nasturtium is able to decorate the balcony until frost, if not with abundant flowering, then with beautiful rounded leaves.

On high floors, where it is windy and drafts are constant, it is better to use daisies, low-growing marigolds, ageratum, gazania, stonecrop and ever-flowering begonia.

Suitable for vertical gardening inside balconies and loggias ampelous varieties of lobelia, petunia, winged thunbergia, fuchsia, pelargonium and tuberous begonia.

Interesting balcony flowers and their care

And in conclusion, a few words about plants, sometimes undeservedly unclaimed in balcony floriculture.

Tuberous begonia is the queen of balconies.

The color range is from pure white to pink, yellow, salmon, bright red and crimson. The flowers are simple, semi-double and double on the same plant.

Suitable varieties with a height of 15 to 30 cm. Flowering from late May to October frosts. For the winter, the tubers are cleaned in a cool room and stored until March in sand or peat chips at plus 8-12 ° C.

Kobe climbing

Kobeya climbing is distinguished by large bell-shaped flowers of an exotic shape on long pedicels, painted first in green, and later in bluish-violet. There is a variety with white flowers.

Thanks to tenacious and strong tendrils on paired pinnate leaves, this fast-growing letnik rises several meters even along plastered walls, although it is more reliable to strengthen it on a rare wire mesh or a support on a balcony box.

Blooms from June to October. It is afraid of cold weather, so it is planted after the end of spring frosts. Kobeya quickly greens large areas, although from a distance it looks much more modest than calceolaria or salvia. Propagated by seeds, which are sown in March.

Seedlings are planted at a distance of 30-50 cm from each other.

Verbena

A low-growing plant with small, very beautiful flowers, similar to a primrose. The flowers are fragrant, with white eyes inside. When the plant reaches a height of 12 cm, you need to pinch the top.

Coleus

Coleus attracts with luxurious "mosaic" leaves and is easily propagated by cuttings.

Small-leaved balcony forms form a dense shrub 20-40 cm high. The brightness of the leaves of the coleus and its showiness in the near or far plans overshadows the brightly colored balcony flowers. Plants are planted in May at a distance of 20-30 cm. In August, coleuses are cut and left to winter in a bright room. Seed propagation is possible in February.

Calceolaria

Calceolaria blooms profusely and relentlessly with yellow flowers resembling bright balls. Plant height 30 cm.

It is enough to buy one plant in order to further provide a spectacular contrasting bright yellow tone for red pelargonium, salvia, petunia, blue and purple violas, blue ageratum and blue-violet heliotrope.

It reproduces well in mid-summer by cuttings in a cool, bright room. They winter, like pelargoniums, in a room or a non-freezing room, and in mid-May they are planted on a balcony.

Erika

Erika (Erika carnea), sometimes incorrectly called "heather", reaching 15-30 cm in height, has needle-shaped leaves and is recommended for southern regions and insulated balconies and loggias.

Various varieties bloom from January to March with white, pink and red flowers, abundantly covering the tops of the shoots. For autumn flowering, Erika gracilis is recommended, blooming from September to November.

Early-flowering erica is grown on calcareous soil, and late-flowering - on a slightly acidic substrate, preferably on a mixture of marsh soil with peat.

Erics winter in the middle lane in the basement, in non-freezing loggias and even in open ground under spruce branches and snow; in the southern regions - in open ground.

Gatzania

Gatsania is notable for radiant, shiny, orange-red (to bronze) flowers 7-8 cm in diameter with a dark spot at the base of the petals and a white eye.

Flowering from June to October. Unpretentious, resistant to winds. Height 20-40 cm. Seeds are sown in a room in March, seedlings are planted on a balcony in May. Foreground decoration.

Petunia

An annual plant up to 25 cm high, characterized by a compact bush shape and very abundant flowering. Thanks to the peculiar bright colors, it can be an ornament to any garden. Perfect for growing in balcony boxes. In March, petunia seeds are sown in cups or pots, they are not covered with earth, but only pressed down, then covered with glass or paper. Germination time 1-2 weeks at 18-20°C. They dive into loose, not very nutritious soil, keep at 10-14 ° C. They are hardened and in mid-May they are planted at a distance of 25x25 cm in balcony boxes. Blooms until November.

Geranium.

From mid-February - early March, geranium seeds are sown at 20 ° C. Maintain optimal hydration. Cups and boxes with seeds are best covered with foil or glass. Germination time - 6-8 days. After the first leaves appear, the seedlings dive into pots 8-10 cm high. They are planted in pots or boxes with nutrient soil in late May - early June. For a box 1 m long, 5 plants are enough. It has been noticed that plants growing next to geraniums are not damaged by spider mites.

Alyssum

An annual plant 20 cm high. Forms a white cloud of small flowers. Blooms throughout the summer. The aroma is reminiscent of honey. In March, the seeds are sown in a box, lightly sprinkled with earth. At a temperature of 16-20°C, they germinate in 8-12 days. Planted in a box on the balcony in May, 3-5 plants together at a distance of 10-15 cm. When flowering decreases, the plants are cut to half. Soon they will grow back and continue to bloom.

Godetia

An annual plant. This beautiful flower is attractive for flower beds. Its large silky inflorescences of different colors (white, pink, red) are the decoration of any balcony. If you cut off faded inflorescences in time, the plants will bloom again. Sow in March-April in pots, transplanted in mid-May. The plant prefers sunny or semi-shaded places and loves fertile soil. Requires moisture. Cold resistant. Blooms early and until frost.

Plant compositions for balconies

When placing flowers in balcony boxes, the main thing is not to get carried away with a variety of colors: no more than two colors that harmonize well. Monochromatic red pelargoniums, fuchsias or salvias, pink petunias, white daisies, yellow or lilac violas are beautiful and concise.

Two-tone combinations of red salvias (petunias, zonal pelargoniums) from the side of the apartment and blue, white, purple petunias paired with yellow marigolds, mignonette, blue ampelous lobelia from the side of the street are successful.

Instead of ampelous plants in the outer row, you can place low-growing red-white fuchsias, pink ever-flowering begonias, blue petunias or ageratums, and on the inside, red tuberous begonias and yellow calceolaria, respectively. These options are suitable for semi-shady and shady balconies.

To create a bright flower spot that attracts attention from the street, red and white pelargoniums, red salvias, yellow marigolds, calceolaria, nasturtiums are good.

Ageratum, mignonette, kobeya, beans, lobelia, daisies, stonecrops and balsams are expressive near.

Some plants are good only in the same type of planting: purslane, gazania, godetia, celosia, erica, dimorphoteca, doronicum, nemesia, aster, dahlias, coleus, chrysanthemums and lantana.

Microclimate and seasons on the balcony

On insulated, frost-free balconies or loggias, you can carry out a successful early spring forcing of bulbous - crocuses, tulips and daffodils.

In autumn, a number of ornamental plants from the garden will migrate to the balconies and will delight in flowering all autumn (asters and chrysanthemums).

In summer, the balcony will also be decorated with houseplants that benefit from being outdoors: azalea, cyclamen, bromeliad, hydrangea, ficus, clivia, oleander, hippeastrum, agave, aloe, crassula, pomegranate, monstera, aspidistra, aucuba and cacti.

But indoor plants native to the humid tropics and subtropics do not tolerate open ground conditions (saintpaulia, or uzambar violets, peperomia, anthurium, royal begonia, philodendron, sansevieria and dieffenbachia), only a glazed "cottage" and high air humidity are useful to them.

Soil for balcony plants

For most annuals, humus-rich compost soil with the addition of peat chips (10-20%) and lime material (ground egg shells) is suitable. Especially sensitive to a neutral or slightly alkaline soil reaction are annuals such as sweet peas, asters, and chrysanthemums.

Melissa, catnip, bluebells prefer slightly alkaline soils (pH up to 7.0-7.5); azaleas, heathers, hydrangeas - acidic soils (pH 4.5-5), they are fertilized with superphosphate or potassium sulfate.

In general, the soil must have moisture permeability, for which river sand is added; be sufficiently moisture-intensive, which is achieved by adding peat chips, and always fresh and free from pathogens, in addition, the soil for balcony flowers must be changed annually.

It is important to remember that potting mixes containing too few nutrients are not suitable for balcony flowers. A three-meter balcony needs about 30 kg of soil mixture.

For flyers, you can use peat chips from briquettes enriched with nutrients: it will provide easier care, retain moisture for a long time, weigh less and be free from pathogens. For perennials grown in tubs, pots, humus cloddy soil with turf and clay additives is preferable.

Unlike annuals, which require replacing the old soil with fresh annually, perennials are transplanted into new soil after 2-4 years, with the exception of agapanthus: they prefer to stay in settled old pots for as long as possible, content with adding fresh soil.

Top dressing of balcony plants

Given the limited feeding area and the rapid depletion of the soil substrate, balcony flowers need more frequent feeding compared to garden flowers. Complex mineral fertilizers with microelements (manganese, boron, molybdenum) are excellent for these purposes.

Top dressing is carried out every 7-10 days, alternating with watering, using weak solutions (2-3 g per 1 liter of water). The first top dressing is carried out 4-6 weeks after planting and rooting seedlings. Top dressing continues until the end of August.

Minimal top dressing (every 2-3 weeks) is given to nasturtiums, gatzanias, purslane, stonecrops, godetia and dorotheanthus: on highly fertilized soil, they form many leaves to the detriment of flowering, or even do not bloom at all, the purchased soil for them is diluted by 30% river sand.

How to plant balcony flowers

It is important not to thicken the flowers when placed in boxes: the optimal distance between seedlings of dahlias, chrysanthemums, salvia, gazania, petunias, pelargoniums, asters, lantana, tuberous begonias, fuchsia and celosia is 20-30 cm; for verbena, heliotrope, balsam, godetia, Drummond's phlox, viols, zinnias, daisies, mignonette, marigolds and ever flowering begonias - 12-15 cm; for fiery red beans and sweet peas - 10 cm.

It is important to remove flowers immediately after flowering, preventing the formation of ovaries if it is not necessary to collect seeds. When the flowering of ageratum, lobelia and nemesia is weakened, it is important to cut off the upper part of the plant, leaving only stems 3-5 cm high: they soon form young shoots and flower buds.

Diseases and pests of balcony plants and how to deal with them

Given the right place and proper care, balcony plants are rarely affected by diseases.

Reddish at the edges or yellow color of the leaves occurs with severe waterlogging (lack of drainage) or overdrying of the soil.

Poor flowering may indicate an excess of nitrogen in the soil, and in combination with oppressed growth and yellowing of the leaves, a lack of nutrients.

Plants can be damaged by pests.

Ugly, curved tops of the shoots and leaves covered with sticky juice indicate an aphid invasion that occurs in dry, warm summers. Do not rush to the store for pesticides, but do not put off pest control either: they multiply at an unprecedented rate and can quickly eat up your entire flower garden. Spray the affected plants with an infusion of garlic, nettle, at worst - soap or washing powder.

Sometimes the leaves are eaten by caterpillars - remove them and destroy them. A mini-garden of spicy herbs, planting marigolds will help scare away pests. Finally, a tiny ladybug will finish the job.

In dry, warm summers, sometimes the leaves and stems are covered with a white powdery coating - real powdery mildew. Spray the plants with a strong solution of potassium permanganate (15 g per bucket of water) or fermented infusion of fresh minced garlic (40 g per bucket).

The most effective means of protection are, contrary to popular belief, not strong poisons that destroy pests and pathogens, but simple and generally accessible preventive measures that stimulate the plant to effectively defend itself.

Do not overmoisten the soil and do not thicken the plantings - your asters, marigolds, lobelia will not get sick with black leg and fusarium. Do not use acidic soils - get rid of rot. Annually change the earth in boxes to fresh - there will be no soil fatigue and pathogens.

Not every city dweller has a dacha, but if you have a loggia, you can arrange a green corner on it. With the right approach, this will not be difficult to do.

What flowers to plant on the balcony? There are many suitable varieties, but when choosing a particular variety, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the culture, such as frost resistance and the ability to grow in the shade or in the sun. In other words, first of all, you need to focus on the degree of illumination of the loggia and climatic conditions terrain.

For reference. Balconies facing south, southwest and southeast are considered sunny. They are illuminated for more than 12 hours a day. Penumbral loggias are located on the northwestern and northeastern sides, their rays of the sun illuminate less than 10-12 hours. And, finally, the sides located in the north are considered shady, where the sun penetrates no more than 6 hours a day.

Flowers for balconies: name, description and photo

Flowers for balconies should be unpretentious and suitable for growing in urban areas. Below are the most common varieties.

Begonia - plant for partial shade

Many people want to plant such plants on the balcony so that they bloom all summer. In this case, the best choice would be undersized begonia varieties. The flowering period of this culture lasts from May to October, and the range of shades is striking in variety. Petals can be painted in white, yellow, salmon, raspberry and bright red. Flowers simple, double or semi-double.

It is better to place begonia pots in the northwest or northeast, and in winter time remove the tubers in a cool room and store until the beginning of March in sand or peat chips at a temperature of 8-12 degrees.

Bougainvillea - light-loving plant for the balcony

This is climbing plant with purple flowers will become a real decoration of a balcony or terrace. Graceful shoots wrapping around the railing, placed on specially installed gratings, will look simply luxurious.

Culture prefers to grow in lighted places with normal humidity, so for its location it is better to choose loggias located in the south, southwest or southeast.

Verbena - a medicinal plant with a long flowering period

In the people, this plant is called "pigeon grass" or "Juno's tears." Culture is valued not only for its decorative qualities, but also for its medicinal properties. Since ancient times, it has been used to prepare medicinal decoctions and tinctures.

You can grow verbena both in pots on the balcony and in flower beds. The flowering period of the culture is long, and lasts from June to November. Lighting for verbena needs moderate, and it is better to place this flower on the east or west side.

Heather - beautiful balcony in winter time

To keep the balcony beautiful in winter, it is worth planting heather. This is a frost-resistant shrub, the flowering period of which lasts from January to April. Even in very coldy culture does not lose its decorative effect.

Such a plant needs moderate lighting, and it will feel best on a loggia located on the east or west side.

Bindweed - ease of care and unpretentiousness

Often on city balconies you can see one or another type of bindweed. This is due to the fact that such plants are undemanding to the composition of the soil and do not need abundant watering. In addition, bindweed has a high "tenacity" and is able to braid any support.

Despite resistance to drought, in very dry soils, the culture loses its decorative effect, its leaves and flowers become smaller. Therefore, the sunny side is not the best place to place bindweed. But in cases where there is nowhere else to put the pots, you will need to ensure that the earth in the containers does not dry out, and also regularly spray the plant with water. The main thing is not to do this at the moment when the sun "looks" at the balcony, and to manipulate early morning or in the evening.

Geranium (Pelargonium) - a flower that needs a lot of sun

By placing such a plant on a balcony located with south side, do not be afraid that the leaves will receive sunburn. Under the influence of ultraviolet light, pelargonium only grows better and enhances flowering, which lasts quite a long time.

To keep the geranium from dying, it needs abundant daily watering, as it quickly draws moisture from the soil.

Godetia - a cold-resistant annual for a sunny or penumbra balcony

This is beautiful plant with large silky inflorescences of white, pink or red color can be grown both in flower beds and in pots. If the dried buds are cut off in time, the bush will bloom again and this process will last until the frost.

Godetia is resistant to cold, but demanding on watering, which will need to be done regularly. The best place to accommodate this culture will be the south, southwest and southeast side. However, with proper care, the flower will feel great in the northeast and northwest.

Ipomoea - a bindweed that loves shade

This lush liana with beautiful bright colors- a great option for landscaping a balcony. The main thing is to make sure that the shoots have something to cling to. To do this, you need to install a grid or pull the ropes.

In general, such a culture is unpretentious, but it is better to protect it from direct sunlight. Therefore, the northwest or north side will be the best place to place it.

Calistegia - perennial bindweed for a sunny or semi-shaded balcony

This is a beautiful climbing plant with bright green leaves and luxurious pale pink flowers. Their shape is most often bell-shaped, but there are varieties with a terry type of petals.

Calistegia is not capricious and easy to care for, it takes root well in any type of soil, it feels best on the south or east side.

Clematis - light-loving flower for the south or east side

This plant with small herbaceous emerald leaves and flowers ranging from white-lilac to deep purple is perfect for growing on a sunny balcony. The main thing is to choose a frost-resistant variety of culture, and then there will be no problems.

Owners of dimly lit loggias facing the north side, it is better to opt for another plant. Clematis in conditions of lack of sun will grow poorly and quickly die.

Daisy - unpretentious culture with a long flowering period

Daisies, depending on the variety, have rounded or elongated, "needle" leaves of a dark green color, and the shade of the flowers can be very diverse.

They are unpretentious and undemanding to the composition of the soil and watering. However, it should be noted that a large number sunlight does not affect the plant too well, so shaded balconies are best for it.

Nasturtiums - annuals for the southern balcony

This is an unpretentious culture that even a novice gardener can grow from seeds.

The abundance of varieties that are completely different from each other allows you to create original compositions from nasturtium, which can be:

• bushy;
• ampelous;
• curly.

The flowering period of the culture begins in July and lasts until the end of September. Since this plant is photophilous, it should be placed on the loggia, located on the south side.

Primroses - a kaleidoscope of colors in early spring

Often early flowering plants found in city flower beds and front gardens of household plots, planted in open ground. But they can also be grown on the balcony, in separate containers or in a common pot, into which other flowers will then be “settled”.

Such crops bloom early, and this period does not last long, but if you combine them with plants with later bud formation, the loggia will look attractive throughout the warm season.

Petunia - ampelous annual with abundant flowering

If there is not enough space on the loggia to arrange containers with flowers, you should pay attention to the petunia. This is ampelous plant suitable for growing in hanging pots.

Such a culture reaches 25 cm in height and is characterized by a compact form of a bush and abundant, bright flowering, lasting until the November cold.

On the south or southeast balcony, you can grow any variety of petunia, and if the loggia is on the north side, only frost-resistant hybrids will survive here.

Ivy - a thick "veil" for any loggia

Ivy, densely wrapping around the balcony, will reliably protect the room from the penetration of bright sunlight better than any blinds. It is not difficult to care for such a culture, it does not need frequent watering and is able to grow on loggias located anywhere: both in the sun and in the shade.

However, in order for the foliage to remain thick and not lose color saturation, you will need to regularly spray the ivy with water, and, if possible, pour it over with a hose.

Polyanthus roses - light-loving long-flowering culture

The "Queen of Flowers" can be called a win-win option for a flower bed or balcony, this lush plant with dark green leaves and light pink medium-sized flowers will become a real decoration of the loggia. The flowering period of the culture is long and lasts throughout the summer.

Rose polyanthus will need watering as needed and regular feeding and plenty of sunshine. Therefore, it is better to place pots on balconies located on the south side.

Zinnia is an annual that is heat and drought tolerant

This beautiful plant with dense green leaves and large, bright flowers is able to survive and remain decorative even in the hottest and driest summers. The main thing is to ensure regular watering of the crop during a prolonged drought, and act carefully so that moisture does not get on the leaves.

It is best to place pots with such flowers on balconies located on the south, southeast or southwest side.

In full review.

Rules for growing flowers on the balcony

To turn your loggia into a real flowering corner, you need to familiarize yourself with the rules for growing plants on the balcony.

You should pay attention to the following criteria:

In this video, the specialist tells which flowers are best grown on the balcony.

Who does not dream of their own flower garden, but not everyone has their own dacha. There is an exit! An incomparable flower garden and even an amazing miniature garden can be planted without leaving your home, right on the balcony. And thus allow the sun, summer and a piece of wildlife to always be there.

Flowers are living organisms that require certain conditions - appropriate humidity, temperature, lighting. In many ways, the choice of plants determines the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room. A small balcony is landscaped in a completely different way than a spacious loggia (not to mention a terrace), and the arrangement of an “oasis” on a glazed heated one is fundamentally different from the spring-summer gardening of its open version.

Which flowers to choose for growing on the balcony depends not only on our preferences. In this matter, an important role is played by which side the balcony faces. As you know, there are four cardinal points. From the standpoint of floriculture, only three are good - east, west and south. They allow, with sufficient nutrition and watering, and required quantity heat to grow any decorative flowering and climbing plant.

Annual flowers for the balcony

On the balcony is the easiest to breed annual plants- they are easier to plant, and there is no need for complex agricultural technology. They go through the entire development cycle in one season. In autumn, you can collect seeds from plants to sow the next year.
If annuals are sown in May, then in July they will begin to bloom. Usually the peak of flowering of the vast majority of annuals occurs around July - August. But depending on what flowers are planted and the method of planting, you can "make" them bloom much earlier, so that in June you will have the opportunity to admire the wonderful view. flowering plants on the balcony.

Planting of plants in this case is carried out by seedlings. This method is great for plants with a long growing season, that is, between their shoots and flowering takes quite a long time like, say, aster and lobelia.

At the same time, there are also such annuals, for example, marigolds, in which the growing season takes only a month, but they take root and bloom perfectly, even if they are planted quite early in the spring. That is, if every year in April marigold seeds are planted in small pots, then in May seedlings with flower buds that have already formed can be planted in the ground. Marigolds, therefore, begin to bloom in a period when there is practically no greenery yet, and continue to bloom until late autumn.
Or, for example, aster, it can also be grown through seedlings. Aster is sown a little later, around mid-April. Grown in this way, they bloom in three months, in mid-June, and continue to bloom until October.

So that, seedling method plant propagation allows you to achieve flowering much earlier and makes it possible to enjoy flowering plants not only throughout the summer, but even in the autumn months.

In this group of plants - the most unpretentious. They are undemanding to the soil and care, some cope well even with a lack of light. At the same time, they are ways in a short time to create an amazing decorative effect- ampelous.

Ampel

Balconies with a beautiful cascade of colorful leaves and flowers immediately attract attention. These plants (they are called ampelous) with long falling shoots, completely strewn with flowers, are grown in hanging vases, baskets, planters, containers. By the way, the German word "ampel" is translated as a hanging vase.

Exceptionally good for planting on balconies in a hanging container and lobelia. It's amazingly beautiful perennial grown as an annual. Her escapes from small leaves dark green and flowers of blue, pink, purple and white colors up to 15 mm in diameter, hanging from hanging containers or baskets, form, as it were, a living waterfall. Lobelia can be sown for seedlings in early spring, March-April, and planted in May, then it will bloom in June.

Among the most popular ampelous flowers, it is worth noting petunia, pelargonium, surfinia, fuchsia, nasturtium and verbena. These flowers can be planted both individually and in combination - picking up plants of various lengths and various colors.

There is only one thing to pay attention to - plants can need moisture in different ways. Therefore, it is better to choose less demanding watering.

Ampelous flowers have a number of other advantages. Their location can be easily changed. It is enough, say, to move the pot from one corner to another, as the balcony will acquire new look. It is worth noting that ampelous flower you can hide some of the flaws in the finish.

The best varieties

Flowers on a glazed balcony are chosen not only according to your taste, but also taking into account the microclimate of their content, sun exposure during the day, the degree of protection from wind and sunlight, and more.

We note several types of plants that are often used in landscaping balconies.

Nasturtium

Modern varieties of nasturtium are striking in their diversity. Among them are compact plants (height 15-20 cm), and middle plants, and giants, whose length exceeds 2.5 m. They differ not only in their size, but also in their shape - bushy, climbing or climbing.

Nasturtium loves warmth and sun, although it can be satisfied with light partial shade. Its curly varieties are most often used for vertical gardening, creeping ones look better in boxes. As for dwarf varieties, then they are grown in pots, and when planted in boxes, they are combined with companion plants.

Petunia

This light-loving and heat-loving plant is unlike any other annual plant. It is impossible to confuse its graceful funnel-shaped flowers with any other flower. Petunia can have almost any color, and hybrid petunia flowers are also striped.

It is grown as an ampelous or creeping plant, directed down, up or collected in one dense flowering bunch. Petunia seeds are quite small, so when planting they are simply poured onto moist ground and flower pot covered with glass until sprouts appear.

Brachycoma iberisoloista

Although the flowers of this plant are small, but due to their large number and beautiful color, white, pink, blue, blue and purple, they look great against the background of leaves that have a pinnately dissected shape. Brachykoma shoots up to 30 cm long form a kind of cascade of flowers, gracefully hanging from the edges of a basket or container, as in small balcony, and a wide loggia.

Brachycoma is very sensitive to the frequency of watering. It hardly tolerates both dry soil and excessive moisture. Its condition is easily determined by the leaves and stems - their sharp yellowing indicates a violation normal balance moisture in the soil. Planters help to decorate flowers in an original way.

Daisy

The flower stalks of the daisy are long and straight. They carry up baskets of reed and tubular flowers of white, pale pink, or carmine red. Daisy begins to grow in spring and blooms profusely in early summer. Many of its varieties differ in the shape of baskets, their size and color. Daisies are an unpretentious plant that develops well both in the sun and in partial shade.

Ampel tomatoes

This variety was bred relatively recently. Hanging tomatoes are ideal for hanging baskets. For dwarf tomatoes special care not required: watering and fertilizing - if necessary. In order not to inadvertently “fill in” the plant, holes and a drainage layer must be provided in the container.

When choosing flowers for a balcony, you need to consider that partial shade and diffused light are more suitable for most flowering plants.