Urban flower lovers often have problems with growing them in apartment conditions, or more precisely, with the location of their placement. And an excellent solution would be to place them on the balcony. There are several positive points here, which are as follows:
- balcony decoration;
- masking the shortcomings of balcony repairs;
- freeing up a lot of space.
And among other things, it’s very pleasant to relax on the “green” balcony. You can put a chair there and sit with a book in the evening, admiring the variety of flowering plants. In order to make your balcony a green corner, you need to solve a number of issues: choose the right pots or boxes, choose the location of the flowers and the method of attaching them.
Boxes and pots for plants
On the balcony, flowers are placed in special boxes, flowerpots and pots. Flower boxes are mounted on railings or placed along the fence. Lightweight pots can also be mounted on railings. Heavier pots are placed on the floor near the wall. To decorate a balcony, it is convenient to use various shelves and hanging baskets.
Stationary grilles and how to hang them correctly?
Stationary flower lattices compactly accommodate several pots or boxes at once and are placed behind a balcony or window. They will help save space and create comfortable conditions for caring for flowers for a long period.
It is only important to correctly calculate the size of the lattice, its length and height, which will suit the size of the boxes and plants that you plan to plant. It is also necessary to take into account the installation height of the stand so that it is convenient to water the plants, rearrange the pots and care for them.
If the grille is placed outside the window, it is necessary to hang the structure so that it does not interfere with opening the window frame.
Typically, forged or metal grilles are made to order to fit the size of a balcony or window. It is recommended to entrust installation to specialists who have the necessary tools and skills.
Removable railing hangers
In addition to decorative functions, flower holders help plants give them the desired shape. Removable holders for flower pots are divided into several types.
T-shaped
Attached to the wall by screwing. Advantages: reliable fastening of the pot, durability. Disadvantage: not very beautiful appearance.
U-shaped
Attached to the wall using screws. Pros: strong and reliable type of fastening. Cons: not easy to use, unattractive appearance.
With hook
Attached to the ceiling or to a special bracket. Pros: easy to use, beautiful options available. Cons: not very strong and stable.
Slip-on
Equipped with hook-shaped fastenings. With their help, the pot can be hooked onto the railings inside or outside the balcony. Snap-on mounts also allow you to hang pots from the ceiling or wall.
Advantages: large assortment, reliable fastening, beautiful appearance. Disadvantages: high cost.
Basket
Attaches without screwing. Attached to the wall, ceiling, outside and inside the balcony. Advantages: different design options, the pot sits tightly in such fasteners. No deficiencies were identified.
Additional requirements for flower containers
Before you start hanging flowers on the balcony, you should make sure not only of the reliability of the fastenings and the quality of the container, but also that the pots are perfect for growing a certain type of flower in them. To do this, carefully inspect the container for the presence of:
- drainage (holes in the bottom of the pot designed to drain excess water. The ideal dimensions of such holes should not exceed 1 cm;
- thin walls (thick walls of flower containers will not allow heat and oxygen to pass through to the root system of flowers, which can lead to their rotting);
- tray (in order to prevent water from the balcony from pouring onto the heads of passers-by during watering, the flower pot must have a tray, the ideal height of which can reach 2-3 cm).
Also, you should not choose too small containers for flowers on the balcony. On average, a normal container should easily accommodate the entire root system of the plant, leaving another 2-3 cm of empty space above the soil.
However, when choosing a large container for flowers on the balcony, you should remember that its weight will also increase. And the peak load on the fastenings will be reached during watering of flowers, since wet soil has a slightly larger mass than a dry earthen lump.
Bracket or hooks for plant pots
Hanging flowerpots can be placed on the balcony as follows:
- Place them behind the balcony. For this, special brackets or hooks are used. On one side they are attached to the railing, and on the other they are stands for the box.
- Place pots on the walls of the balcony. For this, rope or metal brackets are used that are attached to the wall.
- Hang the pot from the ceiling. Rope holders are used for this.
If the flowers are placed on the windowsill, then you can use multi-tiered flowerpots.
Other Features
The boxes must be secured very carefully so that they do not fall. It will be very unpleasant if the box breaks and falls on a person. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the selection of brackets for balcony pots. You should also take care of a good suspension for flowers that will hang from the ceiling, because they can begin to sway under gusts of wind or other natural influences. By the way, you need to remember the last factor when choosing a container for flowers, because they will constantly be exposed to sunlight, wind, and rain.
Under the balcony boxes, you must remember to place a container in which water from irrigation will be collected. The depth of such a container for a box of the dimensions indicated above should be about 5 cm. This is enough to accommodate possible excess water. Recently, self-watering boxes have appeared on sale. They are designed in such a way that the plant itself takes water in the required quantities from a special tray. But before the plant starts doing this, you need to give it time to adapt. The water in such a container will last for 2-3 months, so you can fill it once without worrying about watering and can easily go on vacation for the whole summer.
Examples of brackets for mounting pots
Material: metal, forged and others
Brackets are made from different materials: wood, plastic, veneer, etc.
- Metal or forged ones are the most expensive. Do not deteriorate when exposed to sunlight. There are different types of models: horizontal (from the wall) and vertical (from the ceiling).
- Plastic holders are an economical option. Durable to use. Their service life is up to 7 years. Not very beautiful in appearance. They do not tolerate exposure to sunlight.
- Wooden fasteners are durable in use. They have a reasonable price. They do not tolerate exposure to moisture. They are only attached to the wall.
Which mount is better to choose?
The choice of a particular type of fastening depends on where it will be used. If you plan to use it outdoors, then it is better to purchase metal products. If the mount is used indoors, then you can choose wooden or plastic mounts.
The selected mount must meet the following requirements:
- The holder must support the weight of the pot.
- Do not place on a surface that is subject to spillage.
- The support must be made of environmentally friendly and safe materials.
Based on the type of design, it is better to choose hanging or basket options. They are easy to use and have an attractive appearance.
How to install the hanging stand outside?
To install flower pots behind the balcony, first of all, fasteners for the flower container are selected. The choice depends on the type of balcony: closed or open.
For an open balcony, it is better to choose fastenings in the form of hooks. They are securely attached to the railing, can withstand heavy weight and are suitable for any container size.
For closed balconies, brackets are used as fastenings. They are attached with self-tapping screws to the external wall.
Installing brackets takes longer than the hook option.
To place the stand behind the balcony you will need a special bracket. These can be s-shaped hooks. On one side they are attached to the railings, and on the other they are stands for drawers. The hook must be extended to a length equal to the length of the box and secured.
Metal or rope brackets are used to hang pots or boxes on the balcony walls. The bracket is attached to the wall and the box is inserted into it.
Influence of weather conditions
When installing a mount on the balcony for home flowers in stone, wooden and other pots, you should understand that from time to time they will be affected by natural factors, such as temperature, moisture, and wind. Therefore, in some cases it is better to make do with ordinary flower stands, which, in case of bad weather, can be taken from the balcony.
If the option with a portable mount for flowers on the balcony is not suitable, then you should pay special attention to the material of the flower container. First of all, make sure that the flower pots are well processed (metal and wood must be painted and varnished, and plastic pots must not have any defects).
The second thing you should pay attention to is the fastening element on the flower container itself. This is especially true for hanging pots for balconies. Since in strong winds they will experience the greatest load, which can cause them to fall off the fastenings, or even from the balcony.
Cooking with your own hands
A self-made holder will be more functional and will fit better into the interior.
Before making the holder, you need to determine the location of the flower. If the plant will be placed on the wall, then you can take small boards and connect them in the shape of the letter T. One of the boards is fixed to the wall, and the other is a stand. The support can also be made in the shape of the letter P.
It is easy to make a hanging structure for potted flowers.
To make it you need: several wooden shelves, a strong rope and a drill.
Instructions for making a shelf:
- Drill two holes on each side of the shelf. The diameter of the holes and the diameter of the rope must match.
- A rope is passed through the holes.
- Fix the rope using knots at the required level.
- The stand is secured using a rope.
This stand option is well suited for a window sill or loggia.
The video shows two more options on how to make a metal pendant and holder yourself:
Installation nuances
Finally, let's look at how the brackets are attached. In fact, the instructions for performing this work are extremely simple:
- Begin the installation by performing the markup. The latter should be applied taking into account the size of the box that will be installed on the fasteners. To ensure that the brackets are located in the same plane, markings should be made using a level;
- Next, you need to attach the fasteners to the markings and use a pencil to mark the location of the mounting holes;
- then, using a drill or even a hammer drill, you need to drill holes of the appropriate diameter and depth;
- after this you need to insert plastic dowels into the holes;
- Now you need to fix the products with nails that are driven into the dowels.
This completes the installation of the brackets. As mentioned above, the fasteners for the railings are simply hung on the latter like hooks.
