Blossoming balcony »The best ideas for a sea of ​​flowers in the house

Vertical bed, hanging pots and plant bags

Vertical beds or flower stairs offer the opportunity to grow a multitude of wonderful plants in a small space. There is space for a colorful variety of flowers in several shelves arranged one above the other. They are also ideal as privacy screens. Trendy plant bags are another option for planting. Made of robust textile fabric, they offer a modern alternative to classic hanging pots. In addition to flowers, plant bags are good for your own small herb garden or even for growing potatoes. If there is a desire for more demanding plants, a small greenhouse is the right choice. A shelf clad with translucent walls with various ventilation options always offers the hobby gardener the opportunity to create the optimal conditions for his plants. Tchibo has great offers for the balcony and other tipsso that the balcony becomes a real eye-catcher.

Plants for the balcony

Countless plants are available for planting. However, it is important to note how much sun falls on the balcony. Some are ideal for south-facing balconies with lots of sunlight, others prefer (semi) shade. The following table shows which popular plants are well suited for the respective location:

With this colorful selection, there is sure to be something for everyone. But of course there are a few more that are wonderfully suitable. When choosing, you should always consider what should be done with the plants in winter, because most balcony plants are not winter-proof. If there is no space available for storage in winter and the plants last longer than one season, it is advisable to use special plant species. Ferns and hostas survive cold weather, Hydrangeas and rhododendrons, if they have been severely cut back, will bloom again in the next summer. Of course, there are also many tips on how to get the Winterize plants permit.

The care of the balcony plants

The first question that arises when planting is that of the right soil. Because in narrow pots or boxes, the plants are particularly dependent on a good substrate. It is therefore advisable to use branded earth. This offers a good capacity for water and fertilizer and remains loose and permeable. Many substrates for balcony plants already contain fertilizer, some even Slow release fertilizerthat is used up after more than a month. After that, it is advisable to rework with liquid fertilizer. Depending on the manufacturer's instructions, this can be added directly to the irrigation water and should be added to the plants every one to two weeks.

The vegetable balcony

Not only can plants look great, they can be useful too. In addition to colorful flowers, there is the possibility of growing fresh vegetables and herbs - and that on the balcony. Tomatoes, peppers or garden herbs such as basil and rosemary are particularly suitable. The herbs in particular are very easy to care for and give off a wonderful smell. But special varieties of eggplant and carrots can also be grown in pots. However, in order for the plants to thrive, they need adequate care. In addition, the larger the vessel, the greater the yield. Pots that are too small can lead to disappointment. For climbing vegetables like cucumbers or zucchini, firmly anchored climbing aids are essential. Lettuce can be grown optimally in the raised and vertical beds described in the upper part.

When there is enough time to care for and enjoy gardening, it is best to grow the plants from seeds. On the one hand, this is significantly more cost-effective, and on the other hand, garden centers often do not offer special young plants for balcony vegetables. From April on, the sowing begin sowing on west or east balconies from May.

Creative ideas for the balcony

In order to save the standard clay pots, fashionable containers for plants can be made from old tin cans. Painted black and provided with small holes in the bottom, they form the perfect home for garden herbs of all kinds.

Often they are not a pretty sight Flower boxes(€ 149.00 at Amazon *) from plastic. So why not build your own from old wine boxes? With the help of belts (fixed with hot glue or nails) the box can easily be attached to any railing.