Planting summer window boxes: 36 planting examples

A balcony offers the opportunity to grow a wide variety of plants. The decisive factor here is not only the space available, but also the position of the balcony. Because there are suitable plants for the window box for both sunny and shady places that bloom all summer long.

Prepare flower box for summer

So that the balcony plants grow and thrive magnificently in summer, it is worthwhile Flower box & balcony box prepare for planting. For this purpose, the winter planting and the old soil are first disposed of. In order to kill any pathogens, the flower box should then be carefully cleaned with soapy water. The substrate can then be filled in, paying attention to the following:

• create drainage
• Expanded clay, gravel or potsherds
• fill in soil
• commercial potting soil is sufficient

Prefer summer flowers for balcony boxes

With a little skill, most summer flowers can be sown on the windowsill yourself. For this, only the seeds, small containers as well as sufficient potting soil needed. To ensure that sowing is as promising as possible, the following points should be taken into account:

• Fill the container with potting soil
• Distribute seeds evenly in it
• cover with some soil
• pour carefully
• Cover the jar with foil
• place in a bright location

The soil should always be kept moist during germination. To avoid mold growth, it is advisable to remove the cover regularly. This ensures that the air can circulate. After small young plants have developed after a few weeks, they can be pricked out and hardened off before they are finally placed in the flower box:

• Prick out when "real" leaves show after the cotyledons
• preferably with a pricking stick
• Place young plants in their own containers with fresh soil
• water daily, soil should always be moist
• harden off as soon as young plants are stronger
• put outdoors in a protected place for a short time
• put plants in flower boxes after about a week
• Time: after Eisheiligen, when no frost is to be expected

Sunny to semi-shady

Browallie(Browallia speciosa)

• Origin: Colombia
• Sowing: February
• Flowering period: June to September
• Flower color: blue-violet, white
• Special features: the cooler, the longer flowering lasts

Blue fan flower(Scaevola aemula)

• Origin: tropical and subtropical areas of Australia and Polynesia
• Sowing: not recommended, propagation via cuttings recommended
• Flowering period: May to October
• Flower color: blue, yellow, pink, white, violet
• Special features: evergreen, hairy

Blue Daisy(Brachyscome iberidifolia)

• Synonyms: Australian daisy
• Origin: Australia
• Sowing: from April
• Flowering period: May to October
• Flower color: blue, pink, white, violet
• Special features: light fragrance

Blue Mauritius(Convolvulus sabatius)

• Synonyms: Creeping Winds
• Origin: Italy, Northwest Africa
• Sowing: from March
• Flowering period: May to September/October
• Flower color: blue
• Special features: flowers close when it rains

Chinese carnation(Dianthus chinensis)

• Synonyms: Chinese, Heddewig carnation, Kaiser carnation
• Origin: temperate to tropical Asia
• Sowing: from March
• Flowering period: June to September
• Flower color: purple, pink, white
• Special features: grows perennial, bee-friendly

elf mirror(Nemesia strumosa)

• Origin: South Africa
• Sowing: from March
• Flowering period: June to October
• Flower color: blue, yellow, orange, pink, white, multicolored
• Special features: grows bushy when cut regularly

fire sage(Salvia splendens)

• Origin: Rainforests of Brazil
• Sowing: from February/March
• Flowering period: May to September
• Flower color: red
• Special features: the brighter the place, the stronger the growth

bluebell(campanula)

• Origin: many areas in the northern hemisphere
• Sowing: from the end of February/beginning of March
• Flowering period: June to September
• Flower color: blue, violet
• Special features: summer green
• Location: sunny to semi-shady

rooster head(Celosia)

• Synonyms: Brandschopf, Federbush, Hahnenkamm
• Origin: tropics and subtropics
• Sowing: from March
• Flowering period: July to September
• Flower color: yellow, orange, pink, red, violet, white
• Special features: yellow flowers contain dopamine

hussar button(Sanvitalis)

• Synonyms: Husarenköpfchen, dwarf sunflower
• Origin: Mexico, Guatemala
• Sowing: from February/March
• Flowering time: June to autumn
• Flower color: yellow
• Special features: grows slightly overhanging

capaster(Felicia bergeriana)

• Synonyms: aster
• Origin: South Africa
• Sowing: from February/March
• Flowering period: May to October
• Flower color: blue
• Special features: Flowers remain open at night

cape basket(osteospermum)

• Synonyms: Bornholm marguerite, paternoster shrub, caper marigold, cape marguerite
• Origin: South Africa
• Sowing: from February
• Flowering period: May to September
• Flower color: orange, pink, white, violet, multicolored
• Special features: Flowers only open when the sun is shining

blanket flower(Gaillardia x grandiflora)

• Origin: North and South America
• Sowing: from the end of April
• Flowering period: July to October
• Flower color: yellow, orange, red, multicolored
• Special features: good source of nectar for insects

Levkojen(Matthiola incana)

• Synonyms: Origin: Southwest Europe, Asia Minor, North Africa, Canary Islands
• Sowing: from February/April
• Flowering period: June to September
• Flower color: yellow, pink, red, white, violet
• Special features: smells particularly intense in the evening hours

loyal to men(Lobelia erinus)

• Synonyms: blue lobelia, lobelia, carpet lobelia
• Origin: Cape region of South Africa
• Sowing: from March/April
• Flowering period: May to September
• Flower color: blue, light blue, violet, multicolored
• Special features: poisonous

ice plant(Dorotheanthus bellidiformis)

• Synonyms: ice herb flower, soda plant
• Origin: South Africa
• Sow: March or April
• Flowering period: June to August
• Flower color: multicolored
• Special features: Leaves are covered with small bubbles

midday gold(Gazania)

• Origin: South Africa
• Sowing: between January and April
• Flowering period: May to October
• Flower color: orange, yellow, pink, white
• Special features: flowers close in cloudy weather

geraniums(Pelargonium)

• Synonyms: geraniums
• Origin: South Africa
• Sowing: from January, at the latest in February
• Flowering time: May to late autumn
• Flower color: purple, pink, red, white
• Special features: flowering possible until November

petunia(Petunia)

• Origin: tropical South America
• Sowing: end of February
• Flowering time: May to the first frost
• Flower color: blue, pink, white, violet
• Special features: Growth upright or hanging

Purslane(Portulaca grandiflora)

• Synonyms: Large-flowered purslane
• Origin: South America
• Sowing: from March/April
• Flowering period: June to August
• Flower color: yellow, orange, pink, red, white, violet, multicolored
• Special features: some varieties have a sweet evening scent

star jasmine(Trachelospermum jasminoides)

• Origin: India, Japan, Vietnam
• Sowing: not recommended, better recommended via cuttings
• Flowering period: April to August
• Flower color: white
• Special features: need climbing aid, evergreen
• Location: sunny to semi-shady

bird eye(Gilia tricolor)

• Synonyms: Birds Eyes, Gilie
• Origin: North America
• Sowing: from March
• Flowering period: June to September
• Flower color: white, violet
• Special features: good source of nectar, very bee-friendly

magic bell(Calibrachoa)

• Synonyms: Mini Petunia, Millionbells
• Origin: pure cultivated form
• Sowing: from January
• Flowering period: May to October
• Flower color: blue, yellow, orange, pink, violet, white, multicolored
• Special features: poisonous, suitable for traffic lights or buckets

two teeth(Bidens ferulifolia)

• Synonyms: Goldkosmos, Goldmarie
• Origin: Mexico, Arizona
• Sowing: January to March
• Flowering period: May to October
• Flower color: yellow
• Features: bee friendly

Half shade and shade

balloon flower(Platycodon grandiflorus)

• Synonyms: Chinese bellflower
• Origin: Northeast Asia
• Sowing: from the end of February
• Flowering period: July to August
• Flower color: blue, pink, white, violet
• Special features: good to very good winter hardiness

begonia(Begonia boliviensis)

• Synonyms: slate sheet
• Origin: tropical and subtropical areas
• Sowing: only conditionally recommended, propagation by rhizomes or leaves is more advisable
• Flowering period: April to September
• Flower color: yellow, orange, pink, red, white
• Special features: some varieties tolerate both sun and shade

mountain forest cranesbill(Geranium nodosum)

• Origin: Mediterranean mountains
• Sowing: spring
• Flowering period: June to September
• Flower color: light purple
• Special features: insect-friendly

scented stone rich(Lobularia maritima)

• Origin: Mediterranean
• Sowing: from March
• Flowering period: May to October
• Flower color: white
• Special features: intense fragrance

Edellieschen(Impatiens Neuguiena hybrids)

• Origin: Highland New Guinea
• Sowing: from March
• Flowering time: April to October
• Flower color: yellow, orange, pink, red, white, violet, multicolored
• Special features: sheltered location

Busy Lizzie(Impatiens walleriana)

• Synonyms: Süfferli
• Origin: mountainous regions of East Africa
• Sowing: from March
• Flowering period: May to October
• Flower color: orange, pink, red, white, violet, multicolored
• Special features: evergreen, fruits spring open when touched lightly

gold coin(Pallenis maritima)

• Synonyms: ducat flower, gold coin, coastal beach star, star eye
• Origin: Mediterranean
• Sowing: spring
• Flowering period: August to September
• Flower color: yellow

fuchsia(fuchsia)

• Origin: Central and South America, Tahiti, New Zealand
• Sowing: immediately after harvest, seeds quickly lose their ability to germinate
• Flowering period: May to October
• Flower color: pink, red, white, violet
• Special features: new hybrid breeds tolerate the sun

daisies(leucanthemum)

• Origin: Europe
• Sowing: from May
• Flowering time: April to October
• Flower color: yellow, pink, red, white
• Special features: tolerate wind and rain

crying heart(Lamprocapnos spectabilis)

• Synonyms: heart stick, flaming heart
• Origin: China, Korea
• Sowing: January to February
• Flowering time: April to June
• Flower color: pink, white
• Special features: needs a frosty period to bloom properly

snowflake flower(Sutera cordata)

• Synonyms: Bacopa
• Origin: South Africa
• Sowing: January to March
• Flowering period: May to October
• Flower color: blue, pink, white, violet
• Special features: if there is too much shade, it becomes lazy to bloom

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