The possibilities of arranging a balcony depend to the greatest extent on its surface. On the spacious balconies, you can build an effective and fully functional green corner, with many plants, a set of garden furniture and decorations. Small balconies, e.g. in old city buildings, will not be that universal. Their potential is much lower. However, they can still be spectacularly decorated with plants.
What plants cannot be missing on the balcony?
Balcony plants are a flexible group and, in fact, a variety of groups and species can be grown on balconies, from annuals to dwarf varieties of trees. The most popular are balcony flowers - petunias, surfinas, lobelia, geraniums, begonias, osteospermums and verbena. They are often planted in boxes or pots mounted on the railings of the balcony. Heather, lavender and hydrangeas also have their own five minutes.
On shaded balconies, more emphasis is placed on ornamental species made of leaves, e.g.
• plectrants,
• funkie,
• darts and darts.
In such places, you can also successfully grow a variety of herbs, e.g.
• basil,
• mint,
• savory.
In recent years, the cultivation of edible plants has been fashionable on the balcony. The yield can be obtained from a wide variety of species - from radishes and lettuces to peanuts.Some vegetables (kale, beets with colorful petioles, cherry tomatoes, sweet potato) have great decorative value and it is worth combining them in compositions with ornamental plants. The key is to have a pot or crate that is large enough, especially for root vegetables. The balcony is sometimes covered on the sides - the ways are different. Often it is the cultivation of vines on trellises, arranging shrubs and trees, and even the construction of simple vertical gardens.
Balcony and indoor plants
In lightly shaded balconies, not exposed to direct sunlight, many indoor plants can be grown from late spring to the end of summer. In addition, such treatment positively influences their development. This way you can emphasize the style of the arrangement. On balconies referring to the Mediterranean region, it is worth placing myrtle, laurel (laurel tree), oleander and citrus.
Bamboo-like plants will work well on an oriental balcony, for example :
• dracaena "Lucky Bamboo",
• ficuses,
• bonsai,
• palm trees,
• cacti and succulents.
Flower pots for the balcony are of great importance, e.g. clay and ceramic are the most suitable for the Mediterranean style. It should be remembered that many plants are sensitive not only to frost, but even to cold (they can, for example, lose flowers). They should therefore be brought back into the room in late summer. The aforementioned greenery, apart from the group of cacti and succulents, reacts badly to drought.
Vertical garden on the balcony - green wall
A proven solution that will allow you to shield the balcony from the curious eye of other people, and at the same time create a living, green wall is a vertical garden. Most often it is installed against a wall (you need to provide adequate insulation) or on the side of the structure.Ideas for vertical gardens are diverse - ready-made models can be bought or made by yourself. You can easily find tutorials and DIY about building vertical gardens yourself on the Internet.
The most common way is to use euro-pallets. In addition, the structure for the cultivation of plants can be built from wooden crates, old hanging flower beds, and even from plastic bottles. They are grown in ornamental or edible greenery (vegetables and herbs). It is possible to build a small vertical composition even from pot covers, which are placed on top of each other.
Check the offer of balcony and potted plants at IKEA.
Use of the railing and window sill
The greatest possibilities of installing flower pots and boxes on the balcony are provided by railings and a window sill. Pots for the IKEA balcony are diverse, models with a built-in handle are available for sale. This will ensure that they are held firmly and will not fall off the railing.As a rule, short plants with a creeping or partially creeping habit are grown in such containers. At the same time, the installation of the pots on the railings will provide a bit of shade to the plants below, grown in free-standing containers. Such a trick (as well as the installation of covers on the railings) will allow you to grow plants even on sunny balconies. Heavier ceramic pots should be placed on stands on the external window sill. They can be additionally secured, e.g. with a string. Wall panels are often mounted next to railings, on which vines can be easily guided. The arrangement possibilities will be increased by stands for plants and garden shelves.
Green ceiling arrangements
Covered balconies enable the creation of an even more spectacular mini-garden. In this case, the object can be slightly shaded and visually more attractive by installing hanging pots under the ceiling. The casings with attached chains are hung under the canopy with a hook. A few or a dozen of such pots will give the balcony a more intimate character and partially enclose the space.
Ivy (and other) geraniums, plectrants, surfinas, petunias, ivy and fuchsia are often grown in hanging containers.
More original balcony decorations include:
• wing flowers,
• anthurium,
• epipremnum and herbivores.
These are thermophilic species, traditionally grown in apartments. Before the onset of cold weather, they should be moved to the room.
Balcony accessories: pots, watering cans, baskets
Pots:Balcony greenery is often grown in plastic working pots. They are not particularly aesthetic or durable, their main advantage is the price and the ability to easily make holes in the bottom (if they do not have them).
To make the balcony even more beautiful, it is recommended to place them in decorative covers, e.g.
• ceramic,
• technorratan (it is also a synthetic material, but of a much higher quality),
• rattan,
• traditional - wooden.
The last two materials are sensitive to moisture and should not come into direct contact with the soil. Baskets work well as hanging containers. Skilfully matched pots will give the balloon a specific style.
What is useful for watering balcony plants:
•Watering cans:A watering can is a convenient equipment for watering plants. Thanks to it, irrigation is more precise, it is easier to reach the root ball (e.g. in strongly growing plants) and to avoid flooding the area outside the pot. IKEA watering cans for a balcony are diverse - apart from the material of manufacture and general appearance, pay attention to their capacity.
•Sprinkler:A sprinkler is useful for plant care.Many balcony plants respond positively to regular sprinkling. Treatments should be performed in the morning or evening. It is not recommended in the afternoon and afternoon hours, as it could cause burns to the leaves or flowers. Sprinkling plants can also reduce the risk of certain pests, such as spider mites. Fuchsia and citrus are particularly susceptible.
•Automation:The holiday period is difficult for plants in the house and on the balcony. The best way is to ask someone you trust to water. It is not always possible, so it is worth protecting yourself for a spare. Plants can be moved to a more shaded place. It is worth equipping them with an automatic irrigation system. For shorter holidays, water dispensers may be sufficient. In plants sensitive to drought, a hydrogel can be used at the planting stage (it is mixed with the substrate). Modern pots and boxes with an automatic irrigation system are also available for sale.
Setting up a balcony and then spending your free time on it can be a lot of fun. Creating a place that will allow you to relax and de-stress is not particularly difficult. Various plants are a powerful ally in achieving your goal. They delight with their view and relax. The choice of specific species is an individual matter.
