The dream of a creative balcony design without seasonal interruptions is within reach with the right plant species. This guide introduces you to the most beautiful balcony plant species with representative varieties. Find out here which flowers, perennials and trees you can use to set the scene for your balcony at any time of the year.
Which types of balcony plants are recommended?
The popular types of balcony plants include annual flowers such as petunias, fuchsias and snapdragons, hardy perennials such as girl's eye and Christmas rose, vegetable and herb plants such as cherry tomatoes and basil, as well as ornamental shrubs such as roses, hydrangeas and maple. These offer a colorful balcony design all year round.
Flowers – annual permanent bloomers from spring to autumn
When the balcony becomes a second living room at the beginning of the warm season, annual flowers are there with lavish blooms. In flower boxes, pots and hanging baskets, the following species delight with a never-ending flowering period:
- Petunias (Petunia) with many standing and hanging varieties
- Fuchsias (Fuchsia)
- Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus)
- Bugonias (Begonia × tuberhybrida)
Climbing summer flowers, such as the black-eyed Susan (Thunbergia alata), are useful on the balcony as flower-rich privacy plants.
Hardy perennials – recurring flowers on the balcony
Hardy perennials boast colorful flowers that appear every year. Mother Nature has a diverse range of long-lasting pieces of jewelry in store for spring, summer, fall and winter. The following overview presents recommended representatives:
- Girl's Eye 'Sun Child' (Coreopsis grandiflora)
- Scabiosa 'Stäfa' (Scabiosa caucasica) with a long flowering period from June to October
- Christmas rose, snow rose (Helleborus niger), the unique winter bloomer
- Storksbill (Geranium pratense) with countless standing and hanging varieties
- Purple bells (Heuchera) also wear their decorative leaves in winter
Vegetables and herbs – snack garden on the balcony
Balcony gardeners don't have to go without fresh vegetables, juicy fruit and spicy herbs. Garden centers have a colorful array of delicious crops that are perfect for the balcony thanks to their reserved growth. Prime examples in this category are cherry tomatoes, radishes, finger carrots, strawberries, lettuce, basil, oregano and sage.
Ornamental shrubs – floral decoration for every season
For cultivation on the balcony, ornamental shrub species that remain at a height of 200 cm are required. In the large pot, the following flowering bushes boast an annual splendor of color:
- Roses (pink), primarily bush roses and climbing roses
- Ball hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla)
- Butterfly lilac, buddleia ((Buddleja davidii)
- Winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum)
The large family of maple species provides us with year-round eye-catchers for the balcony. Red slot maple (Acer palmatum Dissectum), for example, limits itself to a height of 150 cm and creates a beautiful dress of red, deeply slit leaves.
Tip
Only a winter coat made of fleece, jute, foil or coconut mats allows frost-hardy balcony plants to overwinter he althily outside. Don't just wrap flower boxes and pots thickly, but also place the containers on wood or Styrofoam. Colorful ribbons, colored ropes, glittering balls or cheerful stickers add decorative accents.
