When choosing flowers for a balcony in the sun we must pay attention to the needs of the plant, because not all species are able to survive daily exposed to the sun, especially in summer.
Let’s say that the plants tolerate the heat in a different way depending on the surrounding environment. In practice, on a balcony overlooking the street and surrounded by buildings, the plants will be more stressed by the sun. But if placed in a sunny garden, maybe in the middle of the lawn and shaded by shrubs then the plants will flourish.
FOCUS: Flowers for a sunny balcony
Make sure you always have new soil and that it is always wet. When watered only use water at room temperature and be careful not to get water directly on the flowers and leaves as this can cause extreme changes in temperature and damage the plant.
It is better to water in the late evening, when the temperature has lowered, and if you add each time just a capful of liquid fertilizer you can ensure a full bloom.
Check that there are no wilted or dried flowers and if so pick them immediately. If you want to protect the flowers from the summer heat here is a little trick: coat the inside of the pot with polystyrene, paper or bubble wrap to create a thermal insulation for the roots.
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But which plants can grow in direct contact with the sun’s rays?
Here is a selection of the most beautiful and easy to grow flowers for the balcony:
The agastache is a perennial with a vibrant blue color and has edible leaves, excellent in salads and teas; highly tolerant to the heat and in the winter goes into a vegetative state to recover. Attention is needed as it tends to expand and grow a lot.
The Bidens ferulifolia is great for the balcony in full sun to brighten up the space with a cascade of flowers of golden yellow, but be careful, because at the first sign of cold it dies
Another garden plant that is suitable for the balcony, although rapidly growing, is lavender. It forms a fragrant bush in a short time, but ensure you plant it in a big pot. The best variety is angustifolia, known as English lavender.
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Even the lantana camara is a great shrub which blooms in spring in blue, yellow or red, but it can not resist the cold, so you must move it into the house during the winter. But beware that the more sun it receives the richer will be its flowering. Remember also that it is poisonous, and should not be ingested, nor his seed nor its leaves.
The plumbago auriculata, commonly known as plumbago blooms from June to late October is a beautiful cobalt blue. It has a tendency to climb so if you can also make streamers or set it to a lattice.
The ornamental sage has low development and requires little water. In late spring it blooms with small bright red or blue flowers. Choose varieties of sage salvia splendens meal- and to enjoy not only the magnificent flowering, but also the silver-green colour, it can also be used for cooking in the kitchen.
Although purslane (also called glass flower) does not need much watering because it is a succulent, and so is perfect for those who are not too ‘ capable’ with plants. A spring bloom small flowers rosette. It is a great ground cover plants and is very resistant to pests.
A great classic for your balcony: geranium
Calibrachoa, or petunia, in particularly the small-flowered variety, will be a triumph of colors for your balcony. It is also beautiful when placed in vases or bowls hung in large waterfalls of falling flowers. Please note that it needs a very bright place, with at least six hours of sunlight a day; if it is placed in a shady spot it may produce little blooms.
The Thunbergia alata is a variety commonly known as Susanna eyed dark blacks because of the little button in the center of its corolla; from late spring until October it produces small yellow flowers.
Finally a great classic: the geranium, will color your balcony all summer. Easy to grow, it offers an incredible amount of flowers of different colors every year.
Other interesting varieties for your balcony in the sun are: Angelonia, brachycome iberidifolia, snapdragon, Bracteantha, convolvulus sabatius, coreopsis, cuphea hyssopifolia, Diascia, dipladenia sanderi Sundaville, felicia amelloides, African daisy, nicotiana, pentas lanceolata, Sanvitalia, Scaevola, marigold, thymophylla tenuiloba, verbena, zinnia.
There is plenty of choice if you want to get started with this beautiful adventure!
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