How to chooseflowers for a sunny balconyand how to provide these plants with the right conditions to grow he althily and bloom beautifully? Discover the most beautiful flowers on your sunny balcony, such as geraniums, surfinas, verbena and many more. We present ideas for planting flowers on a sunny balcony and suggest what planting, growing and caring for flowers on a sunny balcony looks like.
Flowers for the sunny balcony. In the chest from the bottom: mossy hell, verbena creeping (before flowering), petunia, sanvitalia. The next floor is: dwarf var.dahlias, bed pelargonium and erected marigold. The background of the composition is conifers: Eastern Thuja (back) and creeping junipers (sides). In the lower left corner - tuberous begonia
Conditions for growing flowers on a sunny balcony
It would seem that a fully sunny place is perfect for most flowering balcony or terrace plants and it will be very easy to chooseflowers for a sunny balconyContrary to appearances, a sunny exhibition is a big challenge for plants and many of them just fail. So let's first think about the difficulties that plants growing in pots have to face, when they stay in the sun most of the day.
The most difficult in such conditions is the constant lack of moisture they have to endure flowers on a sunny balconyThe soil in the containers dries up very quickly because the high temperature increases the evaporation of water. Another risk is that the leaves are scorched by the sun's rays, which is why delicate plants, such astuberous begonias may not do well here. The temperature difference between day and night is also significant, which can be quite troublesome for flowers.
Being aware of these dangers, with the help of simple methods, we can help our plants a little. First of all, if we have such an opportunity, let's think about installing some form of shade on the terrace. It will be useful not only for flowers, but also for ourselves when we want to spend some free time on our sunny terrace. In this case, various types of extendable balcony awnings, mats or garden umbrellas, which will provide a refreshing shade in the hottest moments of the day, will be perfect.
Another important role is played by containers in which we plantflowers on a sunny balconyThey should be light (they heat up less in the sun than dark containers) and sufficiently large. The soil in dark or small pots will dry us much faster. Metal containers are also not a good idea, as they also heat up very much themselves, which can damage the roots.But wood pots work very well. Of course, it must be protected against moisture with an appropriate impregnation. Additionally, we can line the interior with a thick garden foil, in which we place the substrate and plant the plants.
Virginia Creeper climbs a decorative trellis. In a container on the wall, a bed pelargonium in combination with sanvital grows. In a long pot, various varieties of pelargonium (ivy and bedding), mossy hellette and verbena
If we have the option of connecting an irrigation system on the terrace (available for purchase in garden centers), it will of course make it easier for ustaking care of flowers on a sunny balconyHowever, such systems are often expensive and require additional technical conditions. So instead of this complicated apparatus, we can buy plastic pots, the construction of which is a simplified version of the irrigation system.They have a layered bottom from which water gradually seeps into the soil. Thanks to simple sensors, we can easily find out what the water level is at the bottom of the container, and if necessary, easily refill it.
However, also in classic balcony boxes, we can improve irrigation a bit and make it more effective, which will makeflowers planted on a sunny balconywithstand periods of heat and drought better. First of all, the soil should be mulched (e.g. bark, grass), such a treatment is quite effective in reducing evaporation and the development of weeds. Before planting, the substrate should be mixed with a hydrogel, which will retain some moisture. In a less visible place of the pot, we can also install our own irrigation system. You will need a clean plastic soda or mineral water bottle, without a stopper. At the bottom of such a bottle, we make a tiny hole with a needle, then, by closing the hole with your finger, fill the bottle with water.Then vigorously turn it upside down and place it with the neck in the substrate. As a result, the water will be gradually absorbed by the soil and used much more efficiently. Obviously, the larger the bottle, the longer the water will be in it. You must try this method first, as the bottle will not always empty as quickly as you would like.
Another composition in a pot. In the middle, various varieties of ivy-leaved pelargonium and spurge, on the sides of the herb and sanitary. On the right, a separate pot with tuber begonia
We must not forget about fertilizing, becauseflowers on a sunny balcony , like other floriferous plants, have a high demand for nutrients. Meanwhile, pots and containers have a limited capacity, so the nutrients contained in the soil are used up quite quickly. When using fertilization, choose the type of preparation for the plants to be grown and do not exceed the doses given by the manufacturer.It is easy to overdo the amount of fertilizer and seriously harm the plant. A very universal, valuable and safe fertilizer is biohumus, obtained from organic material. Earthworms contribute significantly to its formation. When using natural vermicompost, we do not have to worry about over-fertilizing the plants.
When we follow the above tips, we will be able to enjoy ourflowers on a sunny balcony for a much longer timeEspecially that a sunny balcony or terrace is not only a problem. In such conditions, fungal diseases appear much less often on plants than in other locations, the flowers are better colored and larger, and the choice of flowers that like full sun is quite large. The colors and shapes of plants, of course, largely depend on individual preferences. However, regardless of your preferences, they certainly look better in compositions than alone.
Which flowers to choose for a sunny balcony?
Typicalflowers for a sunny balconyare of course geraniums. They not only like the sun, but are also relatively resistant to temporary water shortages. The popularity of pelargoniums is also influenced by the fact that they bloom practically throughout the season and have flowers of various shapes and colors. The selection of geraniums varieties is really wide, from the popular bed geraniums, through ivy-leaved geraniums (often pendulous), to original English geraniums with beautiful, large flowers. The latter are more sensitive to drought.
The species often recommended for balconies include the osteospermum and the glistening gazania, and they actually love the sun. But on cloudy and rainy days, they like to curl petals, which is worth remembering when including them in compositions. In such places, marigolds (a multitude of varieties), bakopa, sanvitalia, garden petunia and its derived surfinia, verbena, lobelia, nasturtiums, sage, nemesis, stalks (strongly shrubs) and lavender will also work perfectly.However, these plants are very sensitive to lack of water and can wilt quickly in drought. In addition, most of them (e.g. verbena or marigolds) are tasty morsels for aphids. Therefore, you should regularly check your plants for feeding, as controlling aphids will likely be a must.
A floral composition of white blooming bacopa, yellow sanvita and red bed pelargonium. The whole on the sides is complemented by herbs
So whatflowers for a sunny balconywill be better able to withstand heat and drought? Much greater resistance to moisture deficiencies is shown on a sunny balcony by spurgeons, continuously flowering begonia, heliotropes and lanthanas. They bloom all season and are not particularly demanding. Old trees are also very interesting plants, having silvery-gray, hairy leaves and perfect for growing in containers. Particularly noteworthy is purslane large-flowered, low plant (about 15 cm high.) blooming beautifully all summer. She loves the sun, grows poorly in the shade, and its very important advantage is resistance to drought. It owes this feature to its fleshy leaves that store water.
Another excellentflowers for a sunny balconyare the hairy (mossy) helichrysum. Strongly branching plants with hanging habit, with mossy leaves, yellow, silver-gray or bicolour. They can be trimmed, then their habit becomes more compact and compact. The same role is played by grasses, from which the striped Sternberg herb is in the first place ( although there may also be a green variety). However, when planting it in compositions, it is worth placing the plant in a separate pot. It tends to form extensive, bulbous roots, which may hinder the development of the roots of other plants. A more subtle decoration will be blue fescue, grass with a low, compact habit and silvery, needle-shaped leaves.
Among the interesting species, which prove themselves asflowers for a sunny balcony , and rarely found on our balconies, there are garden hells.Usually we associate them with dried bouquets and tall flower stalks, but there are also short varieties with a compact, bushy habit, and these are perfect for balconies. We also rarely find dahlias in containers, and dwarf varieties are perfect for such cultivation. One should only bear in mind the fact that the dahlia is a very voracious plant, so you should not forget to fertilize it regularly. "
An interesting plant is also a relative of petunia - million bells. It is a very profusely and long-flowering spherical plant. Planted singly in a hanging pot, it can form a dense ball covered with flowers. It blooms until late autumn, the flowers resemble miniature petunias and appear on the plant in large numbers. However, they cannot cope with the lack of water, so you should keep an eye on the substrate's moisture content.
It is also worth consideringflowering vines on a sunny balconyOn this occasion, an exotic newcomer - sundaville comes to the fore.It is a beautiful climber with rather large, trumpet-shaped flowers, white, pink or red in color, blooming profusely from June to late autumn. However, it is sensitive to water scarcity and low temperatures. Therefore, you should always check the moisture content of the substrate and place the plant outside only after spring frosts.
A universal and hardy climber that does well in a variety of conditions is Virginia Creeper. It does not delight us with such beautiful flowers as the sundaville, but it is vigorous, pruning and winters in a container on the terrace. In summer, it creates a beautiful green wall, while in autumn, it delights with its wonderful red leaves and decorative, navy blue fruit gathered in clusters. Wolf, tunbergia or climbing kobea will also do well on a sunny balcony.
Most of the plants listed are either annuals or need to be kept warm in winter.Flowers for a sunny balconymost often stored over the winter are geraniums, sundavillas and heliotropes.We buy others in the form of seedlings in spring, then choosing species such as Bakopa, Helichrysum, Surfinia or Petunia. However, some of them can be easily grown on their own, from seeds collected in autumn. The best for this purpose are: marigold, climbing nasturtium, sweet peas or sanvitalia.
As you can see, a sunny balcony can be successfully transformed into our own beautiful and colorful mini garden, where we would like to spend every free moment with great pleasure.
