With a little natural greenery from real plants, almost every balcony looks much more homely and inviting. However, if there is no time for daily care of more demanding plant species, evergreen ground covers such as the small periwinkle (Vinca minor) can be a good alternative to pansies and geraniums.
Can you plant evergreens on the balcony?
Periwinkle (Vinca minor) is an easy-care, evergreen plant suitable for shady balconies. Pay attention to nutrient-rich, loose soil, moderate moisture and possibly fertilizer. Avoid excessive sunlight and extreme heat to ensure optimal growth.
Choosing the right evergreen variety
You might sometimes be tempted to choose the larger-leaved and more upright-growing varieties of Vinca major for planting on the balcony. However, this could be problematic, as Vinca major is only hardy down to around -15 degrees Celsius and locations on a balcony are sometimes even more exposed to the weather than many garden beds. You should therefore choose strong young plants of Vinca minor, which you should plant in the planters provided in the spring. Mix varieties that bloom in different colors and maintain the recommendedplanting distance, as the plants will spread even further under suitable conditions.
Be careful of sun and heat
South-facing balconies are only suitable as a location for the small evergreen to a very limited extent, as this plant cannot thrive in the long term in extreme heat and dryness (which is usually associated with constant sunlight on a balcony). Unless you have a balcony with a maximum of two to three hours of direct sunlight per day, you should look for alternatives to planting in the balcony box on the balcony railing. These can definitely be found:
- in a shady location behind the balcony railing that serves as shade
- under an eaves
- in a “vertical” balcony bed (for example on a shelf)
Properly care for the periwinkle on the balcony
After you have filled the selected planters with the most nutrient-rich, loose soil possible, you can plant the evergreen plants in the substrate a little deeper than the roots. Under the right conditions, even specimens planted at a certain distance will soon form a green carpet. But before that happens, the soil in the plant pots (€199.00 at Amazon) must always be kept moderately moist, as wind and sun can dry out much more on a balcony than in the garden bed. If a continuous cover of ground cover has later formed, the water rations can be dosed more sparingly.
Tip
The high water requirement of Vinca minor, even in the shade, can sometimes lead to nutrients being washed out of the plant substrate. If necessary, counteract this by fertilizing with a little compost or a little liquid fertilizer (practically easier to do with this ground cover).
