Spring will be in the garden from the end of Marchon the balconyMove-in. Ring in the gardening season with a display of blooms! We give you ideas on how to plant spring flower boxes and explain how you can put together colorful arrangements with early bloomers. Combine seasonal flowers, perennials, ornamental grasses and herbs like real professionals and transform the balcony into an oasis in the middle of the big city!
Planting flower boxes: Useful tips for hobby gardeners
Would you like to plant a balcony box in spring, but don't know when you should start? Most early bloomers are planted in autumn. For anyone who missed the planting time in October, garden centers and tree nurseries offer early young plants. But so that you can enjoy a lush balcony garden throughout the entire gardening season, there are a few things you need to consider when planting. The first step to blooming is tomatching flower boxesto buy. These tips will help you choose a suitable balcony box:
1. The flower box should be at least 30 cm wide and 25 cm high. Don't forget to allow for spacing between different varieties. This means that all flowers and ornamental grasses have sufficient root space.
2. The rule of thumb is: the larger the volume of soil, the better. On the one hand, you have more leeway and can do more than oneCombine flower varieties in a flower box, on the other hand, the water evaporates much more slowly.
3. Try to keep water losses to a minimum. Choose flower boxes in light colors made of plastic. They hardly heat up, so the water evaporates much more slowly compared to open-pored materials such as ceramic or clay. If you like a natural look, you can place the plastic balcony boxes in wooden boxes.
4. When replanting the flower boxes, you should first clean them thoroughly to remove pathogens. Always use new, fresh potting soil that meets the plants' needs. Soil that you have already stored for several years is not suitable for this. As a rule, the quality of the soil deteriorates over time, which is why experienced hobby gardeners buy a new pack of fresh potting soil every year.
5. Don't forget drainage! If necessary, re-drill the pre-punched holes in the flower box and lay a drainage layer of gravel or broken clay on the bottom of the plant box to prevent waterlogging and protect the spring flowers from rot.
6. Space the plants at least 2 inches apart.
Plant flower boxes in spring: herbs, perennials and early bloomers as heralds of spring
Frost-resistant plants can be used as early as the beginning of AprilPlants in the balcony box. These include Mediterranean herbs such as lavender, mint or lemon balm, which can survive short periods of frost. They not only add a splash of color to the arrangement, but also exude a gentle scent that attracts bees and then drives away mosquitoes and flies in summer. The herb mix can be easily combined with ornamental garlic and edible flowers such as violets. Your flowers can not only add color accents in the flower box, but you can also use them to flavor dishes or use them as edible decorations on cakes.
If you want to plant flower boxes, then these hardy herbs are also available in spring:
- The nutmeg sheaf has white flowers, reaches a height of 50 cm and can be easily grown in balcony boxes. Perfect planting partners are the small lady's mantle, the small-flowered mountain mint and the purple scabious.
- The scented nettle has oneLavender color, prefers sunny locations and reaches a height of 80 cm. It attracts bees and can be combined with white hyssop.
- The purple chive has burgundy-red flowers, reaches a height of 35 cm and can perfectly fill gaps and empty spaces in the balcony box. Combination partners include, for example, the row feather grass and the boar's rue.
- The boar's rue itself is very popular for its spicy aroma. The herb reaches a height of up to 1 meter and forms an attractive ensemble with classics such as the iris or lavender.
You can also create winter-proof and attractive flower boxes using frost-resistant perennials.
Flower box in spring: When are other balcony plants allowed outside?
Many hobby gardeners ask themselves when balcony plants can be allowed outdoors. There is no clear answer to this question. Frost-sensitive houseplants that you have stored in a warm place for the winter must first get used to the low temperatures outside. The young plants from the nursery were also grown in a greenhouse, protected from the effects of the weather. Therefore, place them in a partially shaded place protected from the wind for the first few days. After a week, the acclimatization phase is over and you can repot and fertilize the plants.
Hardy plants that grow in miniOutdoor greenhousestored can be released into the fresh air from the end of March. First, inspect them for pests such as snails or aphids and remove affected leaves, shoots and stems. If necessary, you can then repot the plants. Carefully remove the root balls and briefly submerge them in water. Meanwhile, place a drainage layer and a finger-thick layer of soil in the new flower box. Place the plant on the soil and cover the roots with plant substrate. You can do without fertilizer. It's better to wait 2-3 weeks and then add liquid fertilizer to the water to supply the balcony plants with important nutrients.
Frost-sensitive flowers and exotic plants such as citrus plants only come onto the balcony after the Ice Saints in May. Place them in a sunny spot and water them daily. After a week, you can only water the plants as needed when the soil dries out.
Balcony boxes in spring: tips for planting in spring and beautiful plant combinations
Spring planting traditionally begins in April. Then offer yourselfflowering perennialsand ornamental grasses that you can pair with annual flowers. This creates an easy-care and harmonious ensemble. Since most perennials are vigorous, you should buy a flower box with a larger soil volume. Otherwise, the perennials can root with the other plants or crowd out the flowers. Possible flower and perennial combinations, suitable for flower boxes with a soil volume of at least 4 liters:
1. Spring planting, ideas for sunny and sunny balconies:
- The Lanzen Günsel is a Mediterranean perennial native to Italy. Together with the dwarf splendor and the small gold hosta, it is perfect for planting in spring. Early-grown daffodils go well with this.
- Another foliage perennial with compact growth is the Bergenia “Baby Doll”. Together with the cranesbill and the fairy flower, it forms a delightful ensemble in white. Another popular combination partner is the dwarf sedge. You can also add color accents with yellow primroses or ranunculus.
- The dwarf Pentecost carnation can tolerate a lot of sun and is therefore perfect for a sunny planting location. It exudes a gentle scent and can be easily combined with gray cranesbill or rock thyme. Violets also go great with this.
- The cushion phlox of the “McDaniel's Cushion” variety impresses with its large pink flowers. The ground cover can be combined with various Bellis and sun rose hybrids, as well as goose cress.
Planting flower boxes: tips for shady locations
2. Spring planting, ideas for the partially shaded andshady balcony:
- The black snake's beard is an undemanding perennial that can be paired with both classics such as purple pansies and forget-me-nots, as well as exotics such as the toad lily.
- You can plant crown anemones as early as March. Together with hybrid varieties of delphiniums and perennials such as the blue aster, they form a colorful ensemble.
Spring planting from the balcony box: Which flowers also look good as soloists?
You don't need to be a professional, because with a few tricks you can create an effective and easy-care spring planting from the balcony box. Not only through the combination of different types of perennials and flowers can it...Balcony boxes become colorful. Some plants also cut a fine figure as soloists. The crown anemones of the “De Caen” variety, for example, bloom in all kinds of colors. The mix is adapted to life in the blazing sun as well as in partially shaded locations. The peony-flowered dahlias also have a harmonious effect and can be effectively staged as soloists. A flower box with Fosteriana tulip mix blooms in all the colors of the sun. The combination of several shades of the same color family is guaranteed to attract the attention of passers-by and put a smile on their faces. You can also find numerous combinations of different types of daffodils in nurseries and garden centers. With their yellow flowers they spread a happy atmosphere. You should plant the early young plants at the end of March/beginning of April.
When to plant flowers on the balcony: You now have to plant these autumn flowers in the balcony boxes
Every hobby gardener knows: spring flowers are planted in fall and fall flowers in spring. This rule of thumb has one exception: in spring, enthusiasts can buy early young plants. But if you want to enjoy flowers even after the end of summer, you should definitely plant the autumn flowers in the ground in April. The experts recommend these flowers for planting in spring:
1. The chocolate flower fascinates with its large wine-red flowers and is a real eye-catcher in the flower box. The long flowering period from July to October guarantees that you will marvel at this eye-catcher for a long time. Since the exotic is native to Mexico, it is not hardy. You need to store either the whole plant or just the tubers in a cool place.
2. The flowering period of nerines begins in September and ends in November. The amaryllis plant reaches a height of 40 cm and impresses with its flowers in purple and pink. From November onwards, the African flower overwinters in a warm place.
3. The perennial Montbreite blooms from late summer to early autumn. It can easily survive a mild winter outside if covered with leaves. If there is permanent frost, you can overwinter the plant in the mini greenhouse on the balcony.
4. The miracle flower “Mirabilis Jalapa” is known for producing flowers in different colors from one bulb. But it can do even more and exudes a gentle scent that attracts birds and bees. The miracle flower is overwintered in a similar way to dahlias: the tubers are dug up and stored frost-free.
When can you start planting in balcony boxes? Which balcony flowers can tolerate frost without any problems?
Many balcony owners can hardly wait for the gardening season to begin and ask themselves the question: “When can you plant balcony boxes?” Enthusiasts can find early blooming flowers in the supermarket as early as February. But not all of them can easily tolerate frost and withstand cold wind and rain. The well-known early bloomers such as the Lenten rose, the grape hyacinth or the winter aconite are real survivors. However, all young plants grown in a warm greenhouse are sensitive to frost. You therefore need time to get used to the cold weather. The best way to do this is to first place the plants in an unheated room. Then you can take the bucket outside on a sunny day. The professionals recommend that you plant the flower bulbs in autumn. Maybe the flowers will bloom a little later in spring, but they can easily withstand the cold and wind.
