Table of contents
- Plants for the small balcony
- sunny side
- Balcony planting for a predominantly shady balcony
- Lush potted plants for the expansive balcony
- Sun loving varieties
- plants for shade
- Attract pollinators - for even greater flowering joy
- The experienced hobby gardener knows
Colourful, decorative and hardy - these plant characteristics often play a major role when choosing balcony plants. Perennial flowering plants guarantee year-long plant pleasure; However, aspects such as the available space or location should also be taken into account during planning. In this way, every hobby gardener can put together their very own selection of flowering and hardy potted plants that turn the balcony into a blooming oasis.
Plants for the small balcony
No matter how small your balcony is, at some point almost all hobby gardeners want to use the available space to plant flowering plants.
sunny side
The following potted plants are suitable for a small terrace on the sunny side:
gold basket
Goldbaskets reach a size of around 25 centimeters and can therefore be planted in smaller pots. With their bright yellow flowers, which bloom over a long period from May to September, they are a visual highlight.
pasqueflower
The pasque flower forms a pretty color contrast, which depending on the variety has white, red or violet flowers and is almost the same size as the golden basket; however, the flowering period is significantly shorter.
Shrub immortelle & bobbed hair
The shrub helichrysum and the bobbed head still bloom in October. While the yellow straw flower (here the "Silber Nadel" variety) reaches up to half a meter in height and therefore also suitable for background planting on the balcony, the bobbed head is often used to fill up open spaces deployed. Cleverly sown in a low plant box, the hobby gardener can get one from May to October extraordinarily decorative carpet of flowers made of light blue star blossoms - which is only 5cm in size overall reached.
Balcony planting for a predominantly shady balcony
The following varieties are suitable for this:
primrose
The flowering season for potted plants to be cultivated in semi-shade or in the shade begins in April when the first primroses appear; the "Gold Lace" variety blooms with golden-brown flowers and grows to a maximum height of 30 cm.
Bergenia
At the same time, bergenias appear, which are particularly decorative in bright pink; in winter the plant impresses with the reddish coloring of the leaves. Also the Bergenia does not get higher than 30cm.
foam flower
However, if you prefer light colors or pastel shades on the balcony, you should reach for the foam flower produces white or light pink flowers, which hobby gardeners will also enjoy in April and May can.
white-edged hostas
In July and August, white-edged hostas join the flowering plants on the balcony; the "El Nino" variety blooms in a rich blue-violet, while the leaves turn green-blue.
Autumn Saxifrage
The conclusion of the shade-tolerant balcony bloomers is the autumn saxifrage, which grows between September and October develops its white or pink flowers and a total height of maximum 30cm reached.
Tip:
To save even more space, special flower racks can be fitted for vertical gardening; In this way, the free space is used even better!
Lush potted plants for the expansive balcony
If you have a lot of space on the balcony, you can also use slightly larger plants to complement your selection.
Sun loving varieties
Mediterranean Spurge
- green-yellow inflorescences from April to July
- Total height between 80 and 130cm
Dwarf Whitsun Carnation
- dainty white flowers in May
- strongly scented
- 5cm high
cranesbill
- blooms from June to October
- Blue and red varieties available
- grows to around 50cm high
Goldhair Aster
- blooms in August and September
- rich yellow flowers in dense racemes
- becomes 30 – 40 high
Purplebells
- Flowering time between August and October
- cream flowers
- brown leaves
- Total height up to 50cm
Dainty torch lily
- blooms in a prominent
- intense orange tone between August and October
- grows up to 80cm high
gold bar grass
- with its light golden flowers
- which appear in late summer
- a real eye-catcher
- reaches a height of over one and a half meters
diamond grass
- develops silvery-pink flower spikes in autumn
- up to a meter high
plants for shade
goatee
- "Woldemar Meier" forms white flowers on reddish stems in June and July
- becomes 30cm high
mountain forest cranesbill
- purple flowers from June to October
- grows half a meter tall
splendor pier
- the “Sprite” variety is particularly attractive
- develops numerous light pink flower panicles in July
Scarlet Fuchsia
- intense violet flower tone
- blooms between July and October
- grows up to 60cm high
lily cluster
- blue or purple flowers
- August to October
- grows up to 40cm high
Attract pollinators - for even greater flowering joy
Many hobby gardeners who plan their balcony design with flowering and hardy potted plants easily forget that the flowers also need to be pollinated. However, many newer breeds and especially double varieties do not represent an attractive target for pollinators such as bees and bumblebees; the problem has become even more acute in recent years because there has been a general decline in insects in Germany too. For this reason, it has proven to be useful to lure bees and co. to the balcony with selected plants - where they can then also pollinate the other plants. Bee-friendly varieties include:
beard flower
Bearded Beard flowers from July to October and comes in a variety of shades of red and blue. It can reach a height of up to one meter and bears ornamental grey-green leaves
lavender
The garden lavender, which is one of the most popular plants on the balcony and is easy to grow in a bucket, also acts as a bee magnet. The plant forms pretty blue flower cushions and exudes an intoxicating scent.
Strawberries & berry bushes
Last but not least, various edible plants can be counted among attractive bloomers and insect magnets alike. The strawberry variety "Ruby Ann", for example, develops extraordinarily decorative, dark red flowers that beautify every balcony. Some blackberry or gooseberry bushes, which attract huge numbers of bees when they are in bloom, also look appealing on the balcony with their delicate pink or white flowers.
The experienced hobby gardener knows
Only with a selection of bee-friendly flowers can all other plants be pollinated in such a way that the maximum bloom can develop - every year anew.
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