Transferring the winter blooms of Christmas roses to the balcony box is easier than the pronounced locational loy alty of Helleborus niger suggests. If the conditions are right, the magical winter queen likes to hold court in the flower box. These instructions explain how you can convince the legendary bedding perennial to have a blossom festival on the balcony.
How do I plant Christmas roses in the balcony box?
Christmas roses in balcony boxes are successful with compact varieties such as 'Praecox', 'Double Ellen Picotée' or 'Black Swan', a box at least 30 cm deep and high-quality potting soil with loamy garden soil. The plants should be 20 cm apart and placed in a partially shaded, protected location.
Compact varieties have priority – tips for plant selection
If Christmas roses feel in good hands, they can live up to 25 years. This floral masterpiece results, among other things, from its deep-rooted growth. Therefore, the following compact varieties are well suited for cultivation in limited space in the balcony box:
- 'Praecox' scores with a long flowering period from November to March; Growth height 15 to 25 cm
- 'Double Ellen Picotée' delights with pretty frilly, double flowers from November; Growth height 25 to 35 cm
- 'Black Swan' boasts midnight black-carmine double flowers from December to March; Growth height 25 to 30 cm
An extravagant rarity among Christmas roses is the new variety 'Hantay'. Its yellow, red-spotted flowers appear on flower stalks that are a maximum of 30 cm long from December to March.
Choosing and planting a flower box - this is what you should pay attention to
The deep root system not only influences the choice of variety for the balcony. The nature of the flower box and substrate also take this vegetative property into account. Choose a flower box (€119.00 on Amazon) that is at least 30 cm deep and has several bottom openings for water drainage. As a substrate, we recommend high-quality pot plant soil with a few handfuls of loamy garden soil. This is how you plant Christmas roses in the flower box correctly:
- Cut pre-punched openings or drill holes yourself if necessary
- Spread a 3 cm high drainage made of potsherds or expanded clay over it
- Fill the substrate up to half the height
- Plant the Christmas roses in it at a distance of 20 cm
Fill in the remaining soil gradually. A pouring rim that is 1 to 2 fingers wide is advantageous. Place the flower box on the partially shaded balcony in a sheltered location and water.
Tip
To plant hardy plants in a balcony box, snow roses are not the only winter-blooming beauties. Ideal plant neighbors in the flower box are the delicate purple bell 'Plum Pudding' (Heuchera Hybride) with furious decorative leaves and the enchanting spring cyclamen (Cyclamen coum), which puts on its flower dress as early as February.
