ImSpringand in summer the balcony becomes a beautiful flowering and fragrant oasis. But as soon as it gets cold again, the tender flowers can no longer stay outside - which is often problematic, especially for owners of a small apartment. What should you do in this case?Hardy balcony plantscan easily withstand the cold weather and snow. In the article you will find out which types of plants are suitable for this.
Potted plants that are winter-proof also enjoy a little additional protection from wind and weather. To further protect the rootstock from frost, you can tie the bucket with napped fabric, fleece, coconut mat or jute fabric. In order to improve the frost hardiness of potted plants, you should look for frost-proof planters such as terracotta pots when purchasing. A Styrofoam base helps on particularly cold nights.
Winter-hardy balcony plants – what alternatives are there?
heather plants arehardy balcony plants, which can easily withstand the cold weather. For example, the Winterheiden, still known as the Schneeheide, is very popular. It can be planted on the balcony from October and needs to be watered regularly - even indoorsWinter, when it snows, you must never leave them without water.
Hardy balcony plants – evergreen
The dwarf conifers areevergreen winter-hardy plants, which can stay on the balcony all year round. The conifers must be planted from November to the end of April at the latest. They love sunny places and are therefore forbalconys facing south, perfect.
Other coniferous trees with high ornamental value that grow very slowly and can be left on the balcony for a long time include the forms of spruce (Picea), false cypress (Chamaecyparis) and juniper (Juniperus).
Hardy balcony plants – fruit plants and herbs
Strawberries are perennial plants and are therefore naturally hardy. They are super easy to care for and can be left outside all year round. In winter, the terminal berries do not need much water - they need to be watered every two weeks. A cover provides additional protection from the cold. You can also spread a layer of straw on the soil to protect the roots.
Plant herbs
Herbs such as sage and rosemary must be covered with brushwood in winter - this way they are guaranteed to survive the cold season. Thyme and lavender, on the other hand, are usually hardy and can be left outside. Other hardy herbs include: bronze fennel (Foeniculum vilgare var. rubrum), winter hedge onion (Allium fistulosum), wasabi rocket (Diplotaxis erucoidaes), lemon mint, water mint, water celery (Apium nodiflorum).
Small balcony with hardy plants and flowers
There are also several flowering climbing plants that can tolerate low temperatures well. One of them is the beautiful Clematis cirrhosa var. balearica. With its fragrant, creamy white flowers and bronze-colored evergreen leaves, the variety is very showy and beautiful. Other varieties that can spend the winter outside are the goat's sling Lonicera fragrantissima or Clematis cirrhosa.
Hydrangeas are cut in autumn
The ornamental cabbage varieties are a real eye-catcher on the balcony in winter. As soon as the temperature drops below 10 degrees, the leaves begin to turn pink. Ornamental cabbage can also be beautifully combined with a hardy chard variety such as Lukullus.
A trick – wrap the flower pots in newspapers so that the hardy plants can stay on the balcony
With its colorful foliage, the purple bell (Heuchera) is the perfect perennial that will add color to your balcony in the winter season. It also impresses with its varied leaf shapes. The leaves can be heart-shaped, rounded, triangular, smooth, wavy or curled. This delicate plant is capable of surviving a really harsh winter. The “Green Spice” and “Peppermint Ice” varieties look particularly decorative in winter.
Some herbs can easily withstand the cold
The Christmas rose (Hellebornus niger) is a wonderful decoration for the winter balcony with its white flowers and dark green foliage. There are many varieties available that bloom from November to April and almost all are hardy. This means they can easily be overwintered outside in a pot.
Other winter bloomers include snow heather (Erica carnea) and cyclamen (cyclamen), which come in so many different flower colors from white to all sorts of pink to dark purple.
Citrus plants cannot be left outside in autumn and winter
Carnations (Dianthus) include approximately 27,000 registered varieties worldwide. Most of them are hardy and wintergreen down to minus 15 degrees. The undemanding leaves survive cold winters well.
Some climbing plants do not need overwintering
The golden pennywort Lysimachia nummularia Aurea is one of the most popular ground cover plants in the home garden. But it is also often cultivated on balconies and in aquariums. Even if the pennywort is generally hardy, it should be given a little help during the winter.
Beautiful and cozy – small balcony with high flower box
The ferns have green foliage even in winter and can delight us for many years. Fern plants come in various shades of green and leaf shapes, but not all are frost hardy. The following fern species can easily survive the winter in Germany: maidenhair fern, ostrich fern, worm fern, rib fern, deer's tongue fern, spotted fern, bracken fern, sickle fern, golden scale fern, red veil fern, elephant trunk fern and bell tree fern.
Evergreen plants are perfect for the balcony
And in February the first onion plants bloom. The winter aconite (Eranthis cilicica) has key-shaped yellow flowers and smells wonderful. Other signs of early spring include snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis), squills and crocuses.
