Planting window boxes in April is the perfect way to say goodbye to the cold months and welcome spring. At a time when the soil in the garden is still too cold to grow many plants, the potting soil can get a lot of sun. Even in light snowfall or light frost, you can simply protect the balcony plants that we present to you in this article with a blanket.
The plants listed are also suitable for fall containers when the summer heat has passed. They develop well until the first snow falls in early winter.
Pansies and violas are ideal for pots on the porch
Various species of annual viola areboth in early springas well as ideal for pots on the balcony in autumn. These plants love cool temperatures, so they need to be replaced with warm plants once the cool weather of spring gives way to early summer. They are low-growing plants and look best when either planted in a wide, low bowl or used as a filler or top-up plant in mixed containers with larger specimens.
Pansies and their smaller cousin, the viola, love cool weather and will fade if it gets too warm. Fertilize them only lightly during the growing season - too much fertilizer will make them leggy, but if they don't get a little nutrition they won't bloom.
You can plant window boxes with pansies and violas, or with other spring annuals that grow in cool weather. You can also combine them with perennials such as Coral Bells (Heuchera) and Creeping Jenny. In a mixed pot on the balcony you can replace them with other plants later in the summer when they have finished flowering.
Grow Cineraria in large pots in April sun
Cineraria, a member of the sunflower family, is a perennial plant that is grown as an annual plant in many climates. This medium-sized plant species, which comes in very bright colors (with the exception of yellow), is ideal for planting in balcony boxes in April. It can bloom for up to five months if conditions are cool enough and you remove flower heads regularly. Cineraria needs good drainage. She prefers full sun,but also thrives in partial shade.
Keep the Cineraria moist but not wet, and never allow the plant to dry out completely. Large containers with optimal, moisture-binding soil increase the chances of success. Like most heavily flowering plants, Cineraria should be fertilized regularly.
This ground cover plant can be combined particularly well with the Creeping Jenny, but also looks good on its own.
Oxalis is a popular species for the balcony box in spring
The genus Oxalis includes a variety of plants known as wood sorrel. A popular species for spring containers is Oxalis spiralis subsp. vulcanicola, also known as spiral sorrel or volcanic sorrel. It is an evergreen perennial in warmer regions but is grown as an annual in other climates.
This native subspecies is a sprawling plant that grows to about four inches tall and a meter or more wide. The cultivated, named onesVarieties are hilly plants, which are ideal as filler plants in pots or deeper boxes. The flowers are usually yellow, but named varieties can also have light green to dark purple foliage.
To keep Oxalis happy, fertilize regularly and keep it moist but not wet. If the plant starts to become limp, cut it back all the way to rejuvenate it. Pruning is not necessary.
Coral bells are well suited to temperature fluctuations in spring
Both the coral bells species and a hybrid (Heucherella, a cross between Heuchera and Tiarello) are perennial plants that grow well in the shade all year round. However, both are so cold-tolerant and undemanding that they do particularly wellsuitable for temperature fluctuations in spring.
Both come in a variety of leaf colors and shapes, and new varieties become available for sale each season. Spring is a particularly good time for heucheras. Although they are primarily known for their foliage, the spring blooms can be quite spectacular and last for quite a while.
These plants are very sensitive to wet feet, so you should use a well-drained, rather dry potting mix. Adding a slow-release fertilizer improves leaf color and flowering. They can be planted as solitary plants in large pots on the balcony or beautify the edge of a pot together with other annual plants.
You can move perennials grown in pots to a dry, protected place in late autumn to overwinter and plant them out again next spring.
These herbs and vegetables can be easily planted in balcony boxes in April
Cool-season herbs and leafy vegetables grow wellApril in balcony boxesplant. Kale and parsley, for example, do not tolerate cold. They look particularly beautiful in pots because their leaves have a complex structure. Both kale and parsley combine well with other plants and can be a surprising addition to mixed containers.
Oregano, coriander, thyme, sage, mint, lemon balm and chives are also herbs that are suitable for mixed containers. In addition to kale, you can also use other spring vegetables such as spinach and chard.
