A balcony offers the opportunity to grow a wide variety of plants. What is important here is not only the space available, but also the location of the balcony. Because there are suitable plants for the flower box for both sunny and shady places that bloom all summer long.
Prepare flower box for summer
So that the balcony plants grow and thrive magnificently in summer, it is worth preparing the flower box and balcony box for planting. For this purpose, the winter plants and the old soil are first disposed of. In order to kill any pathogens, the flower box should then be carefully cleaned with detergent. The substrate can then be filled in, paying attention to the following:
- Create drainage
- Expanded clay, gravel or pottery shards
- Fill in soil
- commercial potting soil is sufficient
Note:
Conventional potting soil already contains fertilizer, which is why additional fertilization is not recommended in the first few weeks after planting.
Prefer summer flowers for balcony boxes
Most summer flowers can be sown on the windowsill yourself with a little skill. All you need are seeds, small containers and enough potting soil. To ensure that sowing is as successful as possible, the following points should be taken into account:
- Fill the container with potting soil
- Distribute seeds evenly
- cover with some soil
- pour carefully
- Cover the container with foil
- place in a bright location
Note:
The ideal date for sowing is usually noted in the seed instructions manual.
During germination, the soil should always be kept moist. To prevent mold from forming, it is advisable to remove the cover regularly. This ensures that the air can circulate. After small young plants have developed after a few weeks, they can be pricked out and hardened off before they are finally placed in the flower box:
- Prick out when “real” leaves appear after cotyledons
- best with a pricking rod
- Put young plants in their own containers with fresh soil
- water daily, soil should always be moist
- harden off as soon as young plants are stronger
- Put outside in a protected place for a short time
- after about a week put plants in flower box
- Time: after Ice Saints, when no frost is expected
Sunny to partially shaded
Browallie (Browallia speciosa)
- Origin: Colombia
- Sowing: February
- Flowering period: June to September
- Flower color: blue-violet, white
- Special features: the cooler, the longer the bloom lasts
Blue Fan Flower (Scaevola aemula)
- Origin: tropical and subtropical areas of Australia and Polynesia
- Sowing: not recommended, propagation via top cuttings recommended
- Flowering period: May to October
- Flower color: blue, yellow, pink, white, violet
- Special features: evergreen, hairy
Blue Daisy (Brachyscome iberidifolia)
- Synonyms: Australian daisy
- Origin: Australia
- Sowing: from April
- Flowering period: May to October
- Flower color: blue, pink, white, violet
- Special features: light scent
Blue Mauritius (Convolvulus sabatius)
- Synonyms: Creeping Winds
- Origin: Italy, Northwest Africa
- Sowing: from March
- Flowering period: May to September/October
- Flower color: blue
- Special features: flowers close when it rains
Chinese carnation (Dianthus chinensis)
- Synonyms: Chinese, Heddewig's carnation, imperial carnation
- Origin: temperate to tropical Asia
- Sowing: from March
- Flowering period: June to September
- Flower color: purple, pink, white
- Special features: grows perennial, bee-friendly
Elf Mirror (Nemesia strumosa)
- Origin: South Africa
- Sowing: from March
- Flowering period: June to October
- Flower color: blue, yellow, orange, pink, white, multicolored
- Special features: grows bushy when cut regularly
Fire sage (Salvia splendens)
- Origin: Rainforests of Brazil
- Sowing: from February/March
- Flowering period: May to September
- Flower color: red
- Special features: the brighter the place, the stronger the growth
Bellflower (Campanula)
- Origin: many areas in the northern hemisphere
- Sowing: from the end of February/beginning of March
- Flowering period: June to September
- Flower color: blue, violet
- Special features: summer green
- Location: sunny to partially shaded
Rooster Head (Celosia)
- Synonyms: firecrest, plume, cockscomb
- Origin: Tropics and subtropics
- Sowing: from March
- Flowering period: July to September
- Flower color: yellow, orange, pink, red, violet, white
- Special features: yellow flowers contain dopamine
Hussar Button (Sanvitalis)
- Synonyms: hussar button, dwarf sunflower
- Origin: Mexico, Guatemala
- Sowing: from February/March
- Flowering period: June to autumn
- Flower color: yellow
- Special features: grows slightly overhanging
Kapaster (Felicia bergeriana)
- Synonyms: Aster
- Origin: South Africa
- Sowing: from February/March
- Flowering period: May to October
- Flower color: blue
- Special features: Flowers remain open even at night
Cape Basket (Osteospermum)
- Synonyms: Bornholm daisy, paternoster bush, Cape marigold, Cape daisies
- Origin: South Africa
- Sowing: from February
- Flowering period: May to September
- Flower color: orange, pink, white, violet, multicolored
- Special features: Flowers only open when the sun is shining
Cockade flower (Gaillardia x grandiflora)
- Origin: North and South America
- Sowing: from the end of April
- Flowering period: July to October
- Flower color: yellow, orange, red, multicolored
- Special features: good source of nectar for insects
Levkojen (Matthiola incana)
- Synonyms: Origin: Southwest Europe, Asia Minor, North Africa, Canary Islands
- Sowing: from February/April
- Flowering period: June to September
- Flower color: yellow, pink, red, white, violet
- Special features: smells particularly intense in the evening hours
Männertreu (Lobelia erinus)
- Synonyms: Blue Lobelia, Lobelia, Carpet Lobelia
- Origin: Cape Region South Africa
- Sowing: from March/April
- Flowering period: May to September
- Flower color: blue, light blue, violet, multicolored
- Special features: poisonous
Lunchflower (Dorotheanthus bellidiformis)
- Synonyms: iceweed flower, soda plant
- Origin: South Africa
- Sowing: March or April
- Flowering period: June to August
- Flower color: multicolored
- Special features: Leaves are covered with small bubbles
midday gold (Gazania)
- Origin: South Africa
- Sowing: between January and April
- Flowering period: May to October
- Flower color: orange, yellow, pink, white
- Special features: flowers close in cloudy weather
Pelargoniums (Pelargonium)
- Synonyms: geraniums
- Origin: South Africa
- Sowing: from January, February at the latest
- Flowering period: May to late autumn
- Flower color: purple, pink, red, white
- Special features: Flowering possible until November
Petunia (Petunia)
- Origin: tropical South America
- Sowing: end of February
- Flowering time: May to first frost
- Flower color: blue, pink, white, violet
- Special features: Growth upright or hanging
Purslane foliage (Portulaca grandiflora)
- Synonyms: Large-flowered Purslane
- Origin: South America
- Sowing: from March/April
- Flowering period: June to August
- Flower color: yellow, orange, pink, red, white, violet, multicolored
- Special features: some varieties have a sweet evening scent
Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)
- Origin: India, Japan, Vietnam
- Sowing: not recommended, better recommended using cuttings
- Flowering period: April to August
- Flower color: white
- Special features: require climbing support, evergreen
- Location: sunny to partially shaded
Bird's eye (Gilia tricolor)
- Synonyms: Birds Eyes, Gilie
- Origin: North America
- Sowing: from March
- Flowering period: June to September
- Flower color: white, violet
- Special features: good nectar source, very bee-friendly
Magic Bells (Calibrachoa)
- Synonyms: Mini Petunia, Millionbells
- Origin: pure cultural form
- Sowing: from January
- Flowering period: May to October
- Flower color: blue, yellow, orange, pink, violet, white, multicolored
- Special features: poisonous, suitable for hanging baskets or pots
Twintooth (Bidens ferulifolia)
- Synonyms: Goldkosmos, Goldmarie
- Origin: Mexico, Arizona
- Sowing: January to March
- Flowering period: May to October
- Flower color: yellow
- Special features: bee-friendly
Partially shaded and shady
Balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus)
- Synonyms: Chinese bellflower
- Origin: Northeast Asia
- Sowing: from the end of February
- Flowering time: July to August
- Flower color: blue, pink, white, violet
- Special features: good to very well hardy
Begonia (Begonia boliviensis)
- Synonyms: crooked leaf
- Origin: tropical and subtropical areas
- Sowing: only recommended to a limited extent, propagation by rhizomes or leaves is recommended
- Flowering period: April to September
- Flower color: yellow, orange, pink, red, white
- Special features: some varieties tolerate both sun and shade
Mountain Forest Cranesbill (Geranium nodosum)
- Origin: Mediterranean mountains
- Sowing: Spring
- Flowering period: June to September
- Flower color: light purple
- Special features: insect-friendly
Scented Stone Rich (Lobularia maritima)
- Origin: Mediterranean region
- Sowing: from March
- Flowering period: May to October
- Flower color: white
- Special features: intense scent
Edellieschen (Impatiens Neuguiena hybrids)
- Origin: Highlands of New Guinea
- Sowing: from March
- Flowering period: April to October
- Flower color: yellow, orange, pink, red, white, violet, multicolored
- Special features: protected location
Hardworking Lieschen (Impatiens walleriana)
- Synonyms: Süüfferli
- Origin: mountainous regions of East Africa
- Sowing: from March
- Flowering period: May to October
- Flower color: orange, pink, red, white, violet, multicolored
- Special features: evergreen, fruits pop open when touched lightly
Goldtaler (Pallenis maritima)
- Synonyms: ducat flower, gold coin, coastal beach star, star eye
- Origin: Mediterranean region
- Sowing: Spring
- Flowering time: August to September
- Flower color: yellow
Fuchsia (Fuchsia)
- Origin: Central and South America, Tahiti, New Zealand
- Sowing: directly after harvest, seeds quickly lose germination
- Flowering period: May to October
- Flower color: pink, red, white, violet
- Special features: new hybrid breeds tolerate sun
Daisies (Leucanthemum)
- Origin: Europe
- Sowing: from May
- Flowering period: April to October
- Flower color: yellow, pink, red, white
- Special features: tolerate wind and rain
bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis)
- Synonyms: Herzerlstock, Flaming Heart
- Origin: China, Korea
- Sowing: January to February
- Flowering period: April to June
- Flower color: pink, white
- Special features: requires a period of frost to bloom properly
Snowflake flower (Sutera cordata)
- Synonyms: Bacopa
- Origin: South Africa
- Sowing: January to March
- Flowering period: May to October
- Flower color: blue, pink, white, violet
- Special features: if there is too much shade it becomes lazy to bloom
