Flowers for the balcony north side

Undoubtedly, flowers brighten life. If rural residents can afford to plant a flower garden under their windows, it is difficult to do this in the city. The balcony helps out, but the trouble is that this area is not always sufficiently illuminated by the sun.

The second problem for flower growers is what to choose from the offered range of seeds and seedlings. And thirdly, proper care so that the mini-garden delights with abundant and long-lasting flowering.

Shade-loving plants for northern balconies

Plants for shaded verandas are conventionally divided into two groups:

Shade-tolerant - plants that tolerate shade. They would grow well in direct sunlight, but will also tolerate shade. Such plants can be planted on northern balconies - violets, astilbes, aquilegia.
Shade-loving - they develop much better in the shade than in the sun. Their natural properties do not allow them to grow in sunny areas. The leaves turn yellow and the plant begins to hurt. These include ferns, hostas, and periwinkle.

On the northern and shaded eastern side, many plants feel great and delight with their beauty and flowering. Representatives of the flora, naturally growing in the shade of other brethren, take root well and exist in shaded loggias.

Violets, cyclamens, fuchsias, and spathiphyllum thrive in such conditions. Amaryllis decorate the flowerbed - clivia, hippeastrum. Photos and names of balcony plants can be found in abundance on the Internet.

All kinds of ferns, growing in forests always in the shade, look amazingly harmonious on balconies. Beautiful companions of fern are chlorophytum and adiantum. Aeschynanthus and anthurium - delight with lush, variegated greenery, but without flowering.

Dicentra

An exquisite dicentra will decorate the northern balcony. Its heart-shaped flowers will not leave anyone indifferent! In addition, dicentra gets along well with other crops; you can plant it in the same flowerpot, for example, with hostas or primroses. In the sun the plant blooms faster (usually in the second half of May), but in the shade the flowering period lasts much longer. Sometimes the plant will bloom again in August, which will be a pleasant surprise.

How to care for dicentra on the balcony

Drained, oxygenated and well-moistened soil without stagnant water is what dicentra needs for proper growth. Regularly loosen the soil under the bush and feed the plant with nitrogen fertilizers during the flowering period. The flower does not like frequent transplants. After flowering, all branches need to be trimmed, leaving stems up to 5 cm long. This way you will ensure the plant has a quiet winter.

If you like this flower, you can plant it in the garden.

Growing dicentra in the garden
Everyone knows this amazing plant with clusters of hearts hanging from the branches. But how to grow it?

Lobelia, ivies and palms

Most often, lovers plant lobelia on their balconies. She loves the sun, but also takes root well on northern balconies and even blooms profusely. There are also varieties of drooping lobelia, which is used for hanging plantings. It blooms with pink and purple flowers. It produces many branched stems and enjoys long, abundant flowering. Lobelia is sown for seedlings at the end of February. Young seedlings are planted in a permanent place in May, keeping a distance of 20 cm between them. Flowering begins in June and continues until deep frost, especially if the plants are located on a glazed, wind-free loggia. This plant is demanding on root nutrition, so it is fed with a solution of mineral fertilizers twice during the growing season.

To create a real garden on a loggia, dwarf palms, for example, the Hamedorea bamboo palm, are perfect. Hibiscus (Chinese rose) also grows and blooms well in the shade.

Climbing plants such as cissus and hoya look spectacular when serving as a backdrop to flowering plants.

Attention! Variegated ivy in the shade loses the bright color of its leaves. It is best to grow it on the sunny side.

Begonia

An excellent option for a northern balcony is an unpretentious ever-blooming begonia. It tolerates shading well and also needs high air humidity, so it should like it on your balcony. Blooms all summer. Of course, it is not always possible to wait for lush flowering, but with proper care the plant will delight you with its charming flowers.

How to care for begonia on the balcony

Begonia is demanding on the composition of the soil and loves fertile, acidified soil most of all. Watering is needed regularly and abundantly, but do not allow moisture to stagnate. Use settled and soft water. The plant will be grateful if on dry and hot days you place the pot in a container with wet pebbles for cooling. You can feed begonia with the usual complex flower food (2 times a month).

Begonias are often affected by aphids, thrips and powdery mildew, so regularly inspect the plants and do preventive spraying with a soap solution.

Begonia from seeds and tubers: is it easy to grow?
If you cannot find begonia tubers of a certain variety on sale, you can get plants from seeds.

Araucaria, hydrangea and other shade-loving plants

If you wish, you can arrange a small piece of coniferous forest on your northern balcony. Araucaria is very similar in appearance to a Christmas tree. You can even dress it up for the New Year. Araucaria is a solitary plant. It feels good only when kept away from walls and other plants.
Hydrangea will add royal splendor to the shaded garden. Blooming in large inflorescences of white and shades of pink, it needs staking. The soil under hydrangeas is watered twice a year with a fungicide solution due to the plants’ weak “immunity” to fungal diseases. Balcony hydrangea flowers look very presentable.

Variegated Hosta attracts attention, as its name suggests, with its speckled leaves. From June to August, the beauty blooms in the center of the bush with pink, white, cream flowers framed by variegated leaves.
Periwinkle densely covers the soil with small green leaves and flowers of pink, white, purple, and blue. Shade-loving ferns and hostas grow beautifully on a periwinkle carpet.

Purslane

This plant is unpretentious, as it can grow even in the most unfavorable conditions. Purslane blooms throughout the summer, hanging beautifully from flowerpots. Flowers come in many different shades.

To create a real paradise on your balcony, you should combine various indoor plants that will fit perfectly into the overall composition. Lianas go well with purslane and will beautifully wrap around vertical supports.

Plants for sunny balconies

The choice of plants for a balcony on the sunny side is much wider than for the northern side. Which flowers to use in this case depends on your preferences, the microclimate on the balcony, average temperature and lighting. If the balcony is glazed, then the choice of plants increases significantly.

Verbena, petunia and geranium, brief information about these popular species:

Hybrid verbena and Canadian verbena look great on the balcony. Canadian can be grown in the form of ampel plantings, since its shoots hang down to 30 cm. Verbena is propagated by cuttings or seeds. Having sowed the seeds at the beginning of spring, the inputs are received in two weeks. The flower is not afraid of low temperatures and even light frosts. Therefore, it is planted on the balcony at the beginning of May, and by the beginning of June it blooms. With proper care - regular but moderate watering, fertilizing with mineral fertilizers - the plant will bloom until late autumn.
The real queen of balconies is petunia. Its colorful bright flowers attract attention and create a mood. The plant feels great in boxes and pots. Its compact bushes reach a height of no more than 25 cm. They look great in the form of ampelous compositions hanging down. Petunia is sown in March directly on the ground, without sprinkling on top. The seeds are simply pressed down lightly and the box is covered with glass or film. Germination temperature is about 20 degrees. Petunia blooms almost until December, depending on the conditions.

With a little effort and mood, you can create a real green corner on your own balcony in an urban environment, no matter which side it faces the sun.

Shorten the distance

As a rule, on each package of seeds, the manufacturer indicates the distance that should be taken into account when placing the plant in the flower garden. But if you are planting plants in a container, then you can safely divide these numbers in half. For example, if petunias in the ground are usually spaced 30 centimeters apart, then in flowerpots they can be safely planted 10-15 centimeters apart from each other, so that the plantings immediately look lush and elegant and do not have ugly bald spots.

There is no need to worry that the plants will not have enough nutrition. If there is a nutritious substrate and regular fertilizing, crowding will not prevent their full growth and flowering. The only thing you should pay attention to is the proportionality of the flowering neighbors, so that later large plants do not block the kids from the sun.

If you plant plants in a container, then you can safely reduce the distance between them by half, or even three times, from that recommended by the manufacturer. © Main Street Wilmington

How to decorate a balcony with flowers: sunny and north side

Densely growing greenery on the balcony turns it into a pleasant corner for relaxation, reliably protects it from direct rays of the sun, becomes a natural filter for the smallest particles of dust and soot, and takes on the functions of a “mini-factory” for producing oxygen. Fragrant with flowers, it pleases with its compositions and pacifies with its colors.

Although decorating a balcony with flowers is a creative task, nevertheless, without certain knowledge, it is most likely impossible to do this: decorating a glass balcony with flowers is different from decorating an open one, landscaping a small one is completely different from landscaping a large one, etc.

There are two general principles of landscaping: horizontal and vertical.

Convolvulus

This plant is great for growing on the balcony. Bindweed is completely unpretentious and easy to sow.

Excessive watering is not required. However, if the soil dries out greatly, the leaves become smaller and the plant loses its attractive decorative appearance. Bindweed very beautifully entwines absolutely any support.

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Two principles of landscaping balconies

Horizontal gardening

As the name implies, this method can primarily apply to floors and railings. It involves the following types of design:

By attaching a long flower container (or several pieces close to each other) to the railing on the outside or inside of the balcony, you get a continuous horizontal line of flowers.
If the same structure is placed on the floor, only the level of viewing will change.
The structure can be divided into parts and placed horizontally in two tiers, one above the other, or on shelves in a “cascade” or “ladder”.

This technique in medium-sized areas creates a feeling of coziness, comfort and rational order, the effect of neatness and style.

Vertical gardening

Vertical gardening can be considered the decoration of vertical surfaces with plants - windows and doors, external and internal walls. Often, hanging or climbing flowers for the balcony are planted in boxes, containers or tubs.

A box or pot is placed against the wall on the floor, and supports are attached to it, along which the shoots of the plant will then crawl upward.
Containers can be mounted on hinges, then the structure will become mobile.
Another option would be to install racks along the walls on which flower pots will be placed.
Naturally, you can use a variety of wall-mounted pots, plant pots and hanging baskets that are attached to the ceiling.

From a design point of view, verticality plays a fairly important role. A solemn and majestic pattern, formed from verticals repeated at the same pitch, creates a feeling of security, both physical and psychological.

One of the best solutions to obtain a continuous green mass is to plant annual vines that grow quickly. To give them the required shape, they are spread over different supports, trellises and gratings. Liana shoots can also provide a service from a purely utilitarian side, perfectly masking all sorts of architectural defects.

Vertical gardening looks very beautiful on glazed balconies. Here plants are not threatened by bad weather or gusts of wind, and a small space can become a blooming oasis all year round. In this case, plants such as fuchsia, petunia, tuberous begonia, winged thunbergia, ampelous varieties of lobelia and pelargonium are suitable.

The choice of colors is very large. Which one to choose should first be determined by your taste, and your decision should be confirmed by the location of the balcony.

Flowers on the sunny side

For a balcony located on the sunny side, flowering plants are more suitable. They look much more attractive and can bestow their colors for a long time. On the sunny side, many of the balcony plants bloom well and for a long time, perhaps with the exception of begonia and fuchsia. Excessive sun is contraindicated for them, it suppresses them and the flowers begin to wither, and sometimes they don’t bloom at all.

Particularly “greedy” for sun and warmth are purslane, morning glory, kobea, dimorphotheca and dorotheanthus. For example, grandiflora purslane simply does not open its flowers on cloudy days, and in cool summers it blooms sparingly even on the south side.

Asters, daisies, mignonette, godetia, dahlias, gatsania, ageratum, heliotrope, balsam, lobelia, violas, sweet peas, ampelous pelargonium, morning glory, nasturtium, petunia - an excellent set of flowers.

You can plant Indian canna and African agapanthus in large pots or tubs. You can get an amazing mini-flower garden by placing Drummond phlox, graceful zinnia and grandiflora tobacco in one container.

If you start planting evergreen begonia, daisies and violas at the very beginning of May and continue to plant asters, kobeya, gatsania, petunia, lantana, sedum and tuberous begonia, the balcony will continue to bloom until the end of October.

Flowers for the north side

On the western and, to a greater extent, on the northern side, there is a strong lack of light, from which many plants suffer, which somewhat limits their choice. Feeling quite good:

among the flowering ones - marigolds (tagetes), fuchsia, periwinkle, tuberous begonia, forget-me-nots, mignonette, astilbe, fragrant tobacco;
from pots - cherry laurel, oleander, balsam, tradescantia, aspidistra, cissus, zebrina, conifers;
climbing ones include ivy and ampelopsis.

When choosing flowers for a northern balcony, it is better to give preference to decorative foliage plants, which attract attention with their leaves in bizarre shapes.

On the north side, most of the plants really bloom poorly, however, if you grow potted seedlings well, prepare them for flowering and plant winter daisies (July sowing), pansies and primroses with an earthen clod, then even in these conditions they will bloom a couple months.

On the north side, petunia can grow and perhaps bloom, but, of course, there will never be lush flowering.

For landscaping balconies located at high altitudes in a multi-story building, compact wind-resistant plants with small leaves and flowers are used. These can be low-growing marigolds, sedums, daisies, ever-flowering begonia, dwarf chrysanthemums and asters, gatsaniya, lobelia, pelargonium, balsam, laurel.

How to decorate a balcony with flowers

The balcony will be surrounded by greenery all spring and summer if you plant daffodils and tulips in boxes or pots in the fall, which will open in early spring. Biennial and perennial plants (daisies, pansies, forget-me-nots, primroses, dicentra, spring doronicum) can find their place in these boxes. For planting in March, you can buy flowers for the balcony already germinated. In the summer they are replaced by marigolds, lobelia, petunia, begonia, pelargonium, salvia, biennials (medium bellflower, Turkish carnation), perennials (astilbe, rentza, hybrid aquilegia, prominent sedum, tiger lily, grandiflora chamomile).

The design is harmoniously complemented by climbing plants (winged thunbergia, sweet pea, creeping azarina, Eccremocarpus rougha). They can be planted in boxes and containers. One stand allows you to create a unique composition from many types of flowers.

Increasingly, artificial flowers for balconies are also used in the interior. Manufactured using modern technology, they differ little in appearance from their living counterparts.

Along with lush bloomers, plants with beautiful colors and interesting leaf structures (speckled lily, helichrysum petiolate, enanthe, ivy-leaved glechoma, Forster's plectranthus) also add attractiveness. The large area also allows you to grow ornamental shrubs (irga, quince, forsythia, rhododendron, ornamental plums, apple trees, finger maple), many of which, if you insulate the tub or container, will safely overwinter in the open space.

A few simple rules that will help you harmoniously combine plants that differ in shape and color:

Large and small - a spectacular large-flowered plant (several is possible) is planted in each of the boxes, which is accompanied by plants with abundantly blooming small flowers.
Narrow and wide - candle-shaped slender inflorescences and squat flat round flowers contrast well
Like with like – a composition of plants with monochromatic flowers looks calm and harmonious.
Light and dark - a gradual transition from one shade of a certain color to another (for example, white or pink, which turns into lilac and purple) looks very natural and elegant.
Bright and pale - the juxtaposition of contrasting colors, for example, orange and blue, red and white, looks fascinating.
By planting flowers at different levels, you can achieve artistic variety on a tiny balcony.
Plants should be arranged in one container taking into account the requirements necessary for their comfort.

Caring for flowers is direct communication with living nature, an inexhaustible source of positive emotions.

Sow at several times

If you grow seedlings to decorate your balcony yourself, then it won’t be difficult for you to implement another little trick. It is obvious that, like any living organism, each plant has a period of its heyday and decline. And if you sow flower seedlings over several periods, then when some specimens of your mini-flower garden get a little tired, others will already be in full force, and others will barely form buds.

By placing specimens of different ages in one container, you will get plantings that will always look fresh and full of energy.

The most unpretentious flowers for the balcony that bloom all summer

Decorating a balcony or loggia in an apartment with flowers is a great opportunity to create a beautiful green corner for relaxation in the city. You can also place a small wooden table with chairs here and enjoy evening tea parties and sunsets. Not all garden flowers can grow on the balcony.

In this article you will learn what are the best flowers to grow on the balcony in boxes.

1. Marigolds

The heat-loving yellow heads of marigolds are an integral feature of summer containers, garden flowerpots and balcony boxes. They are easy to grow from seeds or purchase seedlings, they are unpretentious, bloom from early summer until frost. Removing spent flowers prolongs flowering.

In addition, if you are thinking about what flowers to plant on the sunny side, then these are marigolds. They love sunny places. The only thing is that during drought you need to water regularly and not overdry the soil.

The most popular marigold varieties are rejected hybrids. Varieties can be bushy, in which case you will only need a couple or three plants for the balcony box. To make these yellow flowers on the balcony look beautiful, choose low varieties 15 - 30 cm. Double or semi-double inflorescences with a diameter of up to 5 cm are perfect for a balcony box.

2. Calendula, marigolds

A flower that does not require soil. These are flowers for a balcony with sunny side or light partial shade. Completely unpretentious, can be affected by powdery mildew and aphids. Refers to plants that bloom all summer. Flowering time is from June to September. For long-term flowering, you need to remove faded inflorescences.

The original type is calendula officinalis; for balconies and loggias you need to choose the low-growing variety Fiesta Gitana - 30 cm, which have different colors. It is very easy to grow at home from seeds. For early flowering, calendula seedlings can be planted in the second half of February.

When creating an unusual balcony design, it is better to plant calendula together with other flowers - pansies, bulbous flowers (daffodils, tulips), hanging petunias, ornamental cabbage, ornamental and herbs.

3. Nasturtium

Annual nasturtiums are flowers for a southern balcony. Blooms from July to September. Sow the seeds immediately in a permanent place. These flowers for balconies are unpretentious and almost always grow from seeds. A unique garden plant, flowers of different varieties are completely different from each other:

— there are vines for draping walls, that is, you can choose varieties and grow climbing flowers for the balcony;

- hanging flowers for balconies and window boxes - nasturtium peregrinum, the length of the vines reaches 3 m;

- bush-like dwarf varieties for flower beds.

4. Petunia

The most popular flowers to grow on the balcony in boxes are petunias. Thanks to their varied colors, long flowering, variety of varieties and species, they create a unique design on the balcony.

What flowers to plant on the petunia balcony:

— ampelous varieties of petunias are planted in large garden flowerpots or hanging flower pots for balconies, loggias and summer verandas (these varieties should be sown for seedlings earlier than bush varieties - in early to mid-February);

- bushy multi-flowered species.

Beware of purchasing flower seeds with one stem; they are completely unsuitable for balconies and loggias. In this case, 1 stem will grow from the pot with several flowers at the top

Scheme for planting petunias in a balcony box 15 by 15 cm. Single-row and double-row planting of petunias in a box on the balcony is possible.

How to create flowers on the balcony design:

- for single-row planting, plant 3 pink and 2 purple petunias, alternating them by color;

— when planting in two rows in a box, place upright flowers in the background, and hanging varieties in the foreground.

5. Pelargonium

Most often, pelargonium is called geranium, which is grown in pots as a houseplant. Pelargonium is one of the most unpretentious plants to care for; it grows quickly, blooms well and profusely. By the way, with proper care, pelargonium can bloom all year round. It has a pleasant spicy aroma, which is emitted not by flowers, but by leaves. A wonderful plant for a balcony in warm periods.

In addition, with pelargonium you can create wonderful flower arrangements, complementing them with other flowers. Here is one of the schemes for planting flowers on the balcony:

pelargonium white and red;

6. Nemesia

Nemesia flowers come in one, two and three colors. Blooms early; in hot summers flowering may not last long. A second wave of flowering is possible, closer to autumn. To do this, you need to trim the stems after the first wave of flowering. If you want to achieve autumn flowering, then plant nemesia seeds for seedlings in early June, then your balcony will look great in November.

Nemesia seeds are small, so you need to sow them on top, without covering them with soil. Then spray well with water and cover with glass. As the glass fogs up, you need to open it slightly, and remove it after green shoots appear.

When transplanting into flowerpots and pots, maintain a distance of 20 cm between flowers. When planting flower seedlings, pinch the stems.

Decorating a balcony with nemesia flowers turns out to be very delicate, due to the fact that the flowers are small, low, about 20 cm and bushy.

7. Low-growing varieties of snapdragons

Snapdragons are usually grown in the garden, but if you take the shortest variety, Rainbow, you can grow flowers in a variety of colors and shades. On the plus side, it is worth noting the smell of snapdragon, it exudes such a fragrance! And for this you only need 5 - 6 bushes.

In autumn, when frost sets in, this plant freezes, the flowers do not change color and it looks great. The flowers last as if they were alive all winter. Therefore, if you are choosing which flowers to plant on the balcony, be sure to add dwarf varieties of snapdragons to your list. They bloom in the second half of summer, from July to October.

8. Begonia everblooming and tuberous begonia.

Both types of begonias can be grown in containers and are flowers for north-facing balconies; they grow well in partial shade. They have rounded, fleshy leaves with colors ranging from pale green to chocolate brown. Blooms from June to September. It is considered a perennial, but most often this plant is grown as an annual. Grows well in humus-rich soil and in partial shade. Therefore, when planting, you need to add compost.

9. Fuchsia ampelous

There are 3 main groups of fuchsias. What flowers are best to plant on the balcony? These are tender, heat-loving ampelous fuchsias with weak, cascading stems in hanging baskets. The name of the ampelous fuchsia variety is Swingtime. The stems grow up to 50 cm with red and white flowers.

Fuchsias are great blooming flowers for a north balcony. They only need a small amount of light to bloom and grow. Be sure to water regularly and abundantly. Make sure that the earthen ball does not dry out. After a drought, fuchsia will die and will not recover.

10. Pansy or Vitroka violet

There are many hybrids of Vitroka violets with a height of 15 - 25 cm. These flowers on the loggia are of two types:

- winter-flowering (November - May) varieties that are grown as biennials, the Universal series predominates;

- summer flowering (June - October), which are grown as annuals.

Viola can be grown on the balcony, but it must be planted in a place with proper lighting. The sunny side with shading during the midday hours is optimal. On the southern balcony it will quickly lose its decorative effect. Already in July it will fade and look dried out and unattractive.

Viola must be watered regularly to keep the soil moist, but without stagnating moisture. Also, if you want to grow flowers on the balcony, you need to feed them.

11. Lavatera

An inexperienced gardener can easily confuse the funnel-shaped flowers of lavatera with mallow. Although these are different plants, their flowers are really very similar. And the palette of shades is rich - from white to ruby. Caring for lavatera is not at all difficult - the plant is not capricious and does not need special care.

Annual flowers for a balcony on the north side

Watch out for pests

If you have been decorating your balcony with summer flowers for several years, then you probably already know that the number one enemy for container plants is the voracious spider mite. And the main thing here is not to miss the moment when the damage is barely noticeable. If you see small light punctures on the foliage and find “spiders” on the back of the leaf, immediately begin treatment, which must be done twice so as not to give the pest any chance.

Spider mites are very insidious, and if you leave your green pets unattended, the mite will turn your flower garden into skeletons covered with cobwebs in a matter of weeks.

What and how to choose for a shady balcony

There is little sun on the north and east sides of the house, but sometimes on the south and west sides the balcony is in the shade from trees or neighboring houses.

What kind of plants should be for shady balconies:

drought-resistant;
compact;
long-blooming;
shade-tolerant;
shade-loving;
frost-resistant;
preferably annual species.

It is worth watering, focusing on the weather and temperature conditions.

Shade-tolerant annuals are happy with 3-5 hours of sunlight, but for some species this negatively affects the number of flowers and the duration of color. Light partial shade is more suitable.

Among annual crops, give preference to shade-tolerant flowers:

asters and chamomile;
ageratum and mirabilis;
nasturtium and calendula;
Iberis;
marigolds and nasturtiums;
scabise, rudbeckia, resin and other flowers.

Sowing seeds for seedlings March - April.

Shade-loving annuals prefer diffused light for 3-4 hours a day. These plants have dark and lush, richly colored foliage. Shade-loving flowers include:

balsam and begonia;
mimulus and calceolaria;
sweet tobacco and climbing peas;
saxifrage, alyssum, lobelia.

The seeds of these annuals are sown in February.

Annual flowers that prefer shade

Balsam

From balsams, a shady balcony can be decorated with a dwarf variety. People call it “Vanka - wet”. The less sun there is, the brighter its flowers become. Loves well-drained soil with a lot of humus, moisture and warmth.

Begonia

Everblooming and tuberous begonias grow well in a container. They love warmth and partial shade, but cannot stand direct sun, otherwise the flowers will fade.

It is a perennial, but is grown on the balcony for one season. Pleases with flowering from early summer to October.

Lobelia

Lobelia likes both sunny and partial shade. The plant is unpretentious, tolerates cold and dampness without stopping flowering. Pruning helps to renew flowering, leaving 6-7 cm of shoots.

This flower should not be fed heavily; it spends nutrition on the growth of greenery, and not on flowers. Lobelia grows in compact spherical bushes up to 20 cm in height. Small flowers, 2 cm each, blue, violet, purple, cover lobelia from spring to autumn.

Mimulus

It is also called gubastik, or jester's flower. The rare sun suits him quite well. Tolerates 3 degree frosts. Height up to 30 cm, flowers 8 cm in diameter begin to bloom from mid-summer.

Sowing seedlings - April. With the end of flowering, the branches are cut off and the sponge, having grown shoots, again pleases with bright, cheerful flowers.

Molucella

The modest appearance of Molucella, the Irish bluebells, will set off the rage of other flowers on the balcony. It's just difficult to grow from seeds. An adult plant with thorns, so it is better to plant it in the background. Dried plants are used to decorate winter bouquets.

Nemophila

Another name for nemophila is American forget-me-not. An unpretentious flower is suitable for any conditions. The cold-resistant plant is planted with seeds in the soil already in April. The plant is sensitive to moisture and does not tolerate dryness or waterlogging.

Winged tobacco

The smell of winged tobacco captivates no less than the smell of matthiola. The plant is 1 m tall, planted in a bucket or deep flowerpot.

Tobacco feels good on a shaded balcony, especially since it does not open flowers in sunny times. It is grown through seedlings and does not get sick after transplantation. Requires regular watering and fertilizing.

Keep your watering under control

Unfortunately, the “plant and forget” principle is not appropriate for flowering balconies, because the owners of hanging flower beds will have to constantly remember to water. An automatic watering system will help partially alleviate this task, but then you will inevitably have to sacrifice the area of your balcony in order to place a bulky container of water. But in most cases, container plants are watered by hand and this is done more often the hotter the weather and the smaller the volume of the container. Sometimes this has to be done daily.

You need to be very careful about quenching the thirst of plants, because even once a flower garden is dried out, it immediately loses its attractiveness. Some foliage dries out, flowers fall off, and plants become more susceptible to pests and diseases. Mulching the plantings with small wood chips or bark, as well as adding hydrogel granules to the soil, will help to slightly reduce water consumption.

Annuals that can tolerate shade

Not all of these flowers retain their vibrant color without prolonged absence of sunlight. But they bloom non-stop throughout the summer season.

Cosmea

The cheerful color of the unpretentious shade-tolerant cosmos flower delights with colors until late autumn. The plant is drought-resistant, up to 1.5 m high with 10-12 cm flowers. It blooms more profusely if you pick off the dried baskets.

Nasturtium

Unpretentious, drought-resistant nasturtium grown in the shade has fewer flowers, but the leaves grow bright and large, which are used for salads.

The bushes are low, up to half a meter in height. Grow by seeds in the ground or through seedlings in separate pots.

Marigold

Common flowers for both shady and sunny balconies. The choice is wide - from low-growing varieties, with a height of 15 cm, to tall bushy specimens.

Double and simple flowers have been bred. Tagettes love warmth and water, bloom all summer, and are easy to grow. Picking off dried flowers helps prolong flowering.

Petunia

The favorite petunia is grown both in boxes and in hanging flowerpots. Small flowers and large ones, simple and double, compact plants and ampelous ones - there are so many varieties that have not yet been bred. The balcony is decorated with cold-resistant hybrids.

Calendula

Calendula and marigolds are undemanding to the soil; for long-term flowering, you need to pick off the dried flowers. Sow seedlings in February, preferably low-growing varieties. It goes well with viola, petunia and herbs.

Snapdragon

The low-growing snapdragon pleases not only with the colorful flower baskets, but also with its fragrance. With the onset of frost, the corollas freeze, retaining their color, and decorate the balcony in winter.

Nemesia

One-, two- and three-color nemesia flowers bloom when it is not very hot, in late summer. Therefore, it is better to sow flowers for seedlings in June.

Low bushes with small bright flowers create a delicate design and give a good mood.

With shade-tolerant annuals, it is not difficult to decorate a balcony on any side of the house.
Easy care, ease of sowing and growing will help you create your own blooming mini-garden. Related article: Barbecue on the balcony fine