Balcony garden ideas: find the best flowers for the balcony

Many homeowners dream of a stunning garden with a balcony. Plants on the balcony not only attract attention, but also help you relax. To reach the goal, one must find out what types of plants to choose. Not all of them are suitable for every balcony, some can wither quickly. Are you wondering what are the best plants for your balcony? Check out some popular balcony flowers and how to care for them. Thanks to several simple tips, your balcony garden will impress the whole neighborhood. Check what you should know about them.

What are the best balcony plants?

Potted flowers, such as miniature roses, are perfect potted plants for balconies. Miniature lilies or convallarias look particularly interesting in a balcony garden. You can buy the seeds at all garden stores. What other plants can grow in a balcony garden? Check peonies, lilies, and dahlias – Dahlia pinnata is an extraordinarily beautiful flower.

Choosing the right flowers for your balcony garden triggers several fundamental problems. Keep in mind that each balcony or patio has different factors. To make your task easier, you can refer to some specialist guidelines. Use your knowledge to learn how to make your balcony garden splendid.

Garden balcony - important aspects

Flowers are one of the most popular balcony decorations. They are generally not very difficult to care for. The location of the balcony is equally important. If the location is exposed to direct sunlight, choose balcony plants that need plenty of natural light for proper growth. If you decided to cover the balcony, then choose plants that like shade.

Despite general advice, many homeowners find it difficult to choose the right plant for their balcony garden. Before you buy anything, think through everything and consider several important aspects: the needs of the plant, the growing conditions, and any diseases that may occur.

Balcony garden plants - growing conditions

One of the most important criteria on which the choice depends is the conditions of the balcony. Therefore, one might wonder: which balcony plants to choose for a south-facing or north-facing balcony? Which species are best for a sunny location and which are best for growing in the shade? The struggle is real. Plants that grow on a sunny balcony, for example, must be resistant to excessive drying. Another important issue is the amount of time one can dedicate to caring for their plants. Certain species require regular fertilizing, pruning, and misting. There are also plants that only require watering.

One's individual taste also matters. It is good to consider the color scheme and the general decoration of the balcony and choose the plants accordingly. If one lives in an apartment block, one must take into account the aesthetics of a building as a whole. It should be known if the owner of the building has established a guideline on the plants allowed.

It is good to remember about your neighbors. If you live upstairs, avoid trees and vines that shed leaves in the fall. They could dirty your neighbor's balcony. In some cases, one must also decide not to hang flower pots outside the railing. They could fall and seriously injure someone.

Garden balcony - orientation

The choice of suitable plants depends primarily on the covering of the balcony. Most of the buildings have their balconies facing west and south. Architects prefer to avoid designing shady balconies, although it does happen occasionally. The good news is that one can find suitable plants for both types and they will grow just fine.

Plants for a sunny balcony?

The sunny balconies are those facing south or west. Garden plants on a balcony where the sun is strong all day must be resistant to excessive drying. Since the sun shines almost all day in such places, the water immediately evaporates from the ground. Sunlight could also damage the brittle leaves.

For this reason, plants such as begonia and fuchsia will not grow in such places. Plants for a sunny balcony garden must be resistant to intense heat. The best species that can be planted in such a place are:

Geraniums – These are the most popular balcony garden plants. They love full sun. They also need a lot of water, even twice a day.

Petunias - their characteristic feature is very lush flowering. There are many types of petunias in various colors. They can be quite demanding balcony garden plants, however they are well worth the time. They make up for the effort with beautiful looks.

Surfinias – They are very showy and form glamorous cascades. They are available in a range of colors and bloom most intensely in full sun.

Verbenas – Those balcony plants have colorful flowers that bloom into beautiful spheres. They look particularly beautiful in hanging pots.

Lobelias – have characteristic small blue, white, or purple flowers. They do not like wet soil, therefore they should be watered sparingly. It is a plant that grows downwards, it will look great in a hanging pot.

Lavender – A fantastic balcony garden plant that loves to grow in sunny, dry locations. Colors range from white to purple. As and in addition, lavender gives off an intense smell that repels insects.

Which balcony garden plants grow in the shade?

Balconies facing north and east receive the least amount of sun throughout the day. A similar problem is when trees or other buildings block sunlight. Choosing the right plant for a shady balcony can be problematic. Plants in such places often barely grow and do not bloom at all. The solution is to choose the correct species. Shade-loving plants are the best option, in this case.

The choice can be limited compared to sun-loving plants. However, there are many plants that will enjoy those conditions. The best balcony flowers for a shady balcony garden are:

Begonia - a very decorative plant with colorful flowers. There are also types with decorative leaves. It is very easy to care for.

Touch-me-not - is an annual plant. Its characteristic feature is a large number of flowers. Touch-me-nots like moist soil, therefore they must be watered often.

Fuchsia – This plant for a balcony garden has purple-red flowers. It can grow up with the help of sticks, or it can hang down. It is an annual plant, however it can be brought indoors during the winter.

Forget me not – This beautiful plant loves both shade and sunlight. Shady locations are best, making them bloom for up to two more months. A forget-me-not has small blue flowers.

Flossflower – Those plants are commonly placed in a balcony garden because they bloom for a long time. The flowers are bushy, purple or pink.

Spiderwort – They are not very demanding plants, which makes them perfect for a balcony garden. They have purple flowers and long green leaves that look like grass.

Because the air in a shady balcony garden is neither dry nor hot, the plants require relatively little water. Monitor soil moisture and make sure no water remains in the saucers. It could cause the flowers on the balcony to rot and die.

Balcony flowers - arrangement ideas

Carefully selected balcony garden plants are not enough to make the place look good. When planning balcony decoration, one should think about a suitable arrangement of plants and combine them, creating interesting shapes. Which flowers can be used together depends on your individual needs, shapes and colors.

It is important that flowers planted in a pot have similar needs. Plants that love moist soil cannot share a box with those that need little watering. For this reason, you cannot combine a plant like fern with lobelia, which hates excess water. An example of a good flower arrangement is placing a begonia and a plecanthrus in a pot. Both species do not like excessive watering, therefore they should grow well in the company of each other. Plecanthrus is a versatile plant that can also grow in a sunny balcony garden. It can be combined with a geranium, for example. Although the geranium needs a lot of water, it evaporates quickly enough, without harming the plecanthrus.

The colors depend on individual taste, but also on the decoration of the balcony. It's a good idea to combine similar colors in various shades, such as pink and purple. Pastel tones accompanied by white is another great idea, in case strong colors seem too flashy for you. Apart from the color of the flowers, you also have to think about the tone of the boxes.

No arrangement will look good unless it is well cared for. Remember to water and fertilize the plants regularly. If a particular species needs it, prune or cut back the flowers that have finished blooming. That encourages plants to grow.

Balcony garden plants - grass and vines

If you don't have time to properly care for flowers, you might consider choosing non-flowering plants. Grasses and vines are perfect for this purpose. There are many species of decorative grasses that are becoming more and more popular. Many of them are frost hardy, so you don't even need to move them inside for the winter. All you have to do is protect them from the cold.

Grasses and sedges can be very decorative balcony garden plants. The available species have various shapes, sizes and colors. It is a good idea to plant them in tall pots, they will serve as a beautiful decoration.

Yet another idea is to plant vines and ivy in your balcony garden. They are not only very decorative, but also provide shade on a sunny balcony. In this way, you can create a green and secluded corner, separating yourself from the neighbors and the noise of the street. The choice is wide: you can choose fast-growing annual vines, such as sweet pea or moonflower. Perennial plants like ivy or honeysuckle grow slower, but are more durable.

Growing plants on your balcony is a great idea to decorate the place. Carefully selected balcony garden plants can help you create a pleasant place to relax. Spending a summer afternoon on a balcony surrounded by plants is a great way to kick back and relax.

Where to buy vegetable plants for a garden?

Vegetable plants can be purchased at any garden center. You can also search for sales online. A good idea is to ask local farmers. They may be ready to sell some seedlings for cheap.

How to protect plants from frost in a garden on a balcony

Wrap the boxes with a material to provide insulation. You can use blankets, cloths, and plastic covers. Use burlap to cover the plant. If you can, you can also move the plants to the garage or a shed.