Flowers – Page 2 – Small Balcony Design

Flowers can really brighten up your dull balcony space. They can turn the seemingly cramped little area into a relaxing and soothing place. However, you need to know the right flowers to plant; otherwise, they might never grow, or they’ll end up looking drab and lifeless. The best flowers for a small balcony must be well suited to the specific conditions of your balcony. If the area is often shaded, the flowers should do well in shaded places. The flowers must also blossom in the right seasons when you use your balcony. This helpful guide details eight excellent flowers that you can match up with the right balcony. Source: Better Homes & Gardens Impatiens Impatiens flowers are well suited for shaded balconies. They’ll definitely make your dull balcony much brighter. Unlike many plants that grow better when spaced out, this flower actually grows taller when planted close together. You can expect relatively fast growth, to a maximum height ranging from 6-30 inches (15-76 centimeters). The flowers grow in spring and summer. That fits in well with the seasons when you’ll likely spend time outdoors enjoying the beautiful blossoms. Just make sure to water the flowers daily. It’s vital that you plant at the right time; otherwise, you might not get the perfect growth by summer. Therefore, you should plant after the last spring frost. The soil type is another critical aspect of successful growth. Make sure the soil is well-drained and rich in humus. You can get better drainage for your flowers by using a soil-less growing mixture in the flower pot. Also, shield your balcony from any wind to protect the flowers. Source: Better Homes & Gardens Angelonias If you want a flower that copes well with heat, then the Angelonia is a great choice. It would do well on balconies that get tons of sunlight. If you live in such a place as Florida, this flower will suit you perfectly. Better still, this plant flowers throughout the season. The flower is often called "summer snapdragon," because it produces snapdragon-like flowers. Different cultivars produce different colors, ranging from lavender, pink, and white, to purple. It’s not just the colors that are mesmerizing, but also the plant’s grape-soda scent would be a pleasing aroma. It will last long as a cut flower too. Some particularly interesting cultivars include: Angelface® Blue which has been tested and proven to do well in Florida"Hilo Princess" was declared the plant of the year in 1998 by the Florida Nursery Growers & Landscape Associationthe Carita seriesthe AngelMist series Million Bells (Calibrachoa) Million bells give you the pretty blooms you would expect from petunias, without fizzing out in hot, humid weather. The million bells blooms may be smaller, but they are just as beautiful to look at. The flowers come in a wide variety of colors, including pink, red, purple, orange, and yellow. Varieties of this plant grow in different ways. Some are bushy while others grow upright, reaching about 8 inches (20 centimeters) in height. You can even have a trailing variety, producing a beautiful cascading effect from a hanging basket in your balcony. Full sun exposure is ideal for this flower. Therefore, it would be best placed on a hanging basket outside your balcony railing. Just make sure it doesn’t get too shaded, which will decrease flowering. Fortunately, the plant is hardy in winter. The best soil for proper growth is moist and well-drained. However, this flower can tolerate drought. Marigolds Marigolds is one option that helps you get a beautiful balcony with less work. Since the plant is very hardy, it won’t require too much water to grow and thrive. If you normally find it challenging to take care of delicate flowers, this can be your best choice. From early spring to early fall, you’ll experience the beautiful bloom of this flower. The full sun and hot days won’t be a problem for the plant. So, you don’t need to keep it shaded. What’s more, the flower is pest resistant, helping repel pests like mosquitoes. Since the flower is suited to hot weather, it doesn’t do well in the cold. It may not survive the frost. The two main color varieties that you’ll find are oranges and yellows. The color and plant structure make the flower good for borders, edging, color massing, and simple container planting. Morning Glory The morning glory flower doesn’t grow as a shrub but instead grows as a vine. This gives you the opportunity to train it to cover different parts of your balcony. You’ll have as much as 15 feet (4 meters) of growth to work with. The vines will be full of flowers, which may be purple, pink, white, or blue. That means you can select the flowers with just the right color that matches your balcony decor. Although morning glories grow quite long, you’ll be surprised to know that they require little water. Complement that with full sun exposure plus some shelter from cold, and your plant will thrive. The right soil for your flower should be well-drained and consistently moist. As it grows, make sure to give the flexible vines a good support structure. Since the plant doesn’t do well in winter, you can bring the plant container into the house in fall. Alternatively, you may just start a new seed each spring. Pelargoniums Pelargoniums are also known as geraniums. They can give a rich mix of colors on your balcony with red, purple, pink, and white blossoms. Make sure to place them in a position where they get full sun all day so they can blossom. The plant grows to a significant height of 2 feet (0.6 meters). Therefore, check that your container has enough free vertical space, especially if you’re using hanging baskets. You can either fill a bed with just these geraniums or instead combine it with other flowers. The geraniums can serve as a colorful accent. Strangely enough, the plant won’t do well in hot and humid areas, despite requiring all-day sun to blossom. You should also keep it from frost. Therefore, you need to get the perfect balance of weather conditions: not too hot or too cold. Zinnias Zinnias produce single and double flowers in an extremely extensive range of colors. The plant comes in different varieties like the "Zahara" series, which gets to 18 inches (45 centimeters) height or the "Profusion" series, which can grow to 12 inches (30 centimeters) high. This flower grows best in sunny areas, so don’t put it under a shade. Only make sure to keep the soil moist and well-drained. To plant it, simply sow the seeds in the ground following the last frost date. One little trick to get a season-long bloom is to sow the seeds in 2-3 week intervals until the end of June. If you want the plant to bloom earlier in spring, you can even start sowing seeds 4-6 weeks ahead of the last frost date. Do this indoors to protect it from the cold. Also, pick out the disease-resistant varieties, so you don’t have to deal with complications during growth. Chrysanthemum The Chrysanthemum is often called mums. Cultivation of this flower dates back to the 15th century B.C. It was first cultivated as a flowering herb in China. Illustrations show that it had the appearance of a daisy-like flower. Through the years, the flower has attained a wide range of sizes, shapes, colors, and showy styles. The plant blooms in summer, just in time for you to enjoy the vibrant colors outdoors. The bright colors include red, pink, yellow, and purple. With full sun and well-drained soils, these flowers grow to about 2-3 feet (0.6-0.9 meters). Conclusion Each flower in this list offers a unique benefit to your small balcony. It’s up to you to determine which benefit you value most when selecting the right flower. You may prefer early-blooming more than bright colors. Or maybe you want disease resistance to avoid tiresome plant maintenance.