When flower bowls are in full bloom in summer and autumn, they act as visual highlights in the garden, on the balcony and on the terrace. Thanks to their flexible mobility, the small islands of opulence give the gardener all the trump cards of creative design. Even inhospitable locations can be transformed into enchanted places in no time if the plant community is combined correctly. Be inspired here by imaginative ideas for individual planting of flower bowls for sunny, semi-shady and shady locations.
Important quality criteria
The high appreciation of flower bowls is based on both decorative and practical aspects. Thanks to their round to elongated oval shape and larger contact surface with the ground, they prove to be more stable and more resistant to tipping over compared to taller pots and tubs. However, the shape alone is not crucial for using a flower bowl for creative planting. The following properties are also relevant:
- Weatherproof material, such as terracotta, ceramic, plastic, metal, fiberglass
- At least one floor opening as a water drain for irrigation and rainwater
- Ideally with small feet for ventilation from below
You can achieve a natural look with wooden flower bowls. Domestic types of wood such as robinia, larch or Douglas fir are usually reliably weatherproof without impregnation. In contrast, tropical woods are not only more expensive, but are also rarely used in private ornamental gardens for ecological reasons.
Tip:
Black flower bowls for summer planting have the disadvantage that the root ball can heat up significantly in a sunny location. Light colors that reflect the sun's rays are better.
Summer bloomers for sunny to partially shaded locations
The following plants transform flower bowls into a summer sea of flowers. Combine the recommended species and varieties as you wish to create a varied appearance.
Petunias (Petunia x hybrida)
Standing petunias are the lavishly blooming counterpart to the majestic hanging petunias in the balcony box. The busy summer flowers open their beautiful, large funnel flowers in enchanting colors. Reason enough to plant these graceful pieces of jewelry in your individual flower bowl. A location protected from the rain is recommended so that the delicate petals do not stick together due to moisture.
- Flowering period: May to October
- Growth height: 20 cm
Hardworking Lieschen (Impatiens spec.)
With a flowering period from spring to the first frost, busy lizards keep what their name promises. They are available in every color a gardener's heart desires, with single and double flowers. In order to perfectly stage a flower bowl, we recommend integrating the easy-care impatiens into the plant community.
- Flowering period: May to October
- Growth height: 15-20 cm
Blue lobelias (Lobelia erinus 'Blue Carpet')
To transform a flower bowl into a bright blue sea of flowers, you can't ignore lobelia. With their bushy growth and never-ending flowering period, the annual summer flowers enrich the creative planting plan for small and large plant pots. When the white false lobelia (Pratia pedunculata 'Alba') mixes with the blue flowers, it reflects the white-blue summer sky.
- Flowering period: May to September/October
- Growth height: 15-20 cm
Godetia (Godetia amoena)
The godetie owes its nickname summer azalea to its impressive blooms. With their white, pink or red flowers, the annual flowers are actually reminiscent of azaleas. They harmonize beautifully with Cape baskets (Dimorphoteca), golden poppies (Eschscholzia californica) or blue-flowering liver balm (Ageratum).
- Flowering period: June to September
- Growth height: 20-30 cm
Pansies (Viola cornuta)
Whether as an extra or the main actor, pansies are always a good choice for the flower bowl. From early summer to late summer, the flirtatious violets bloom tirelessly. If you cut off the withered flowers before seeds form, pansies will thrive as perennials.
- Flowering period: April to August
- Growth height: 10-20 cm
Cisanthe (Cisanthe grandiflora 'Brightness')
These annual summer flowers are the newcomers for creative planting in flower bowls. The pink or red flowers grow up to 5 cm large and are resistant to rain. Arranged in small groups, Cisanthe achieve an impressive long-distance effect.
- Flowering period: June to September
- Growth height: 20-40 cm
Annual ice plant (Dorotheanthus bellidiformis)
The sunnier the location, the more colorful the flower display. Annual ice plants are available in numerous varieties that leave nothing to be desired in terms of color. In addition, the little sun worshipers are extremely easy to care for and bloom happily.
- Flowering period: May to August
- Growth height: 10-20 cm
Red double concardium flower (Gaillardia pulchella 'Sundance Red')
With dark red flower balls, double concardium flowers in small tuffs refine every flower bowl into an unmissable eye-catcher in all sunny places. The annual, upright beauties form unique compositions in the garden and on the balcony with hanging petunias.
- Flowering period: July to September
- Growth height: 20-25 cm
Sunflower (Helianthemum x cultorum 'Sterntaler')
The individual planting of flower bowls is not limited to annual flowers. By placing a perennial, flowering small shrub in the center of the bowl, the planting plan gains a permanent aspect. For sunny locations, the bright yellow blooming sun rose performs this task just as reliably as it is easy to care for.
- Flowering period: May to August
- Growth height: 20 cm
Summer splashes of color in dark places
Where the sun's rays rarely reach even in summer, you don't have to do without colorful accents. The following plants do not let low-light locations prevent them from flowering or they stand out with their colorful leaves:
Purple bells (Heuchera 'Chocolate Ruffles')
Representative of the large family of purple bells, we would like to recommend the variety 'Chocolate Ruffles' to you. The plant has all the properties that we want for tailor-made planting of flower bowls. The hardy perennial has its red-brown to dark purple decorative leaves almost all year round. Where the location is not too dark, a decorative, white flower emerges in summer.
- Flowering period: June to August
- Growth height: 20-30 cm
Small Hosta (Hosta 'Hydon Sunset')
A delicate silhouette, purple flowers and beautiful, golden yellow leaves make the small hosta the ideal candidate for plant pots in low-light locations. In contrast to its expansive counterparts on the edge of the wood, this variety only forms small clumps.
- Flowering period: July to October
- Growth height: 15-20 cm
Autumn sunbathers for the flower bowl
In autumn, warm color nuances replace the brightly colored spectacle of summer. In a sunny location, the following types of flowers look impressive until the first frost:
Low Girl's Eye (Coreopsis lanceolata 'Robin')
Golden-yellow flowers, reddish-brown eyes, with these attributes 'Rotkehlchen' promotes its consideration in the autumn flower bowl. With its dense, bushy growth, the girl's eye likes to take the middle position in the plant container, surrounded by dark red concardium flowers (Gaillardia pulchella) or delicate, blue-violet hanging bluebells (Campanula poscharskyana).
- Flowering period: July to October
- Growth height: 20 cm
Siebold’s sedum (Sedum sieboldii ‘Oktoberle’)
In the imaginatively planted flower bowl, the small sedum acts as a picturesque underplant. The blue-green leaves retain their color all year round and are complemented by dark pink flowers in autumn. The drought-tolerant perennial is also completely winter hardy, making 'Oktoberle' suitable for permanent planting.
- Growth height: 10-15 cm
- Flowering time: September and October
Autumn pot plants for shady locations
If the sun rarely appears at the location from September onwards, indestructible survival artists and ornamental fruit plants are growing in flower bowls. Be inspired by the following ideas for individual planting:
Mountain Forest Cranesbill (Geranium nodosum 'Silverwood')
Once planted in the flower bowl, the mountain forest cranesbill repeats its white flowering period every late summer and autumn. The shade-tolerant perennial remains at an ideal growth height, so it is recommended for both small and large planting bowls.
- Flowering period: July to November
- Growth height: 20-30 cm
Lily grape (Liriope muscari)
Bulb flowers are ideal for decorating the autumn flower bowl. When placed in the substrate in spring, they give priority to the summer flowers and patiently wait in secret for their floral appearance. The violet-blue flower candles and the delicate foliage are reminiscent of the spring-blooming grape hyacinths. In contrast, lily clusters impress with a week-long flowering period and wintergreen leaves in semi-shady to shady locations. Combined with the white-flowering autumn saxifrage (Saxifraga cortusifolia var. fortunei), you create a floral picture in the bowl whose magic no one can escape.
- Flowering time: August to October/November
- Growth height: 20 cm
Mock strawberry (Duchesnea indica)
If the mock strawberry finds its way into the imaginative plant arrangement of autumnal flower bowls, you are sure to get amazed looks over the garden fence. Even though sunshine is in short supply, the mock strawberry enchants with golden-yellow flowers and red fruits. Given the decorative value of the winter-hardy perennial, we can get over the fact that the strawberries are not suitable for consumption.
- Flowering period: May to October
- Growth height: 10 cm
Golden nettle (Lamiastrum galeobdolon 'Silver Carpet')
It's not the yellow spring blossoms that excite us about the delicate golden nettle, but rather its beautiful foliage. The broad, lanceolate leaves taper to a point and have a serrated edge. Silvery, green and golden tones shimmer on the leaves, which create a gray autumn atmosphere in shady locations.
- Flowering period: May to July
- Growth height: 15-25 cm
White deadnettle (Lamium maculatum 'White Nancy')
You can create impressive accents in shady niches with a flower bowl using white deadnettle and golden nettle. The silvery leaves of a 'White Nancy' are framed in green, creating a multifaceted play of colors with the silvery-green-golden leaves of a golden nettle. This ingenious plant community will stick with you through thick and thin, thanks to its robust undemanding nature and reliable frost hardiness of up to -30 degrees Celsius.
- Flowering period: May to June
- Growth height: 15-20 cm
Tip:
First fill a flower bowl with a 3-5 cm thick layer of pebbles, clay granules or clay shards as drainage. The potting soil extends 2 to 3 cm below the edge of the bowl so that the water does not spill over.
Conclusion
Are you looking for new ideas for your flower bowl? Then let yourself be inspired by a wide range of plants for sunny to shady locations. Discover tried and tested classics such as lobelias and pansies alongside newcomers such as Cisanthe grandiflora. Combine the floral pieces of jewelry as you wish so that your individually planted bowl presents itself in new facets from summer to autumn. By mixing annual flowers with perennials, you can draw new garden pictures every year that won't let you get bored.
