Many popular balcony plants aren’t true annuals—they just can’t cope with frost. Overwinter them properly and they’ll restart stronger, flower earlier, and look fuller than newly bought plants.
Bay leaves aren’t just for soups and sauces. Used the right way, they can help curb fungus gnats breeding in potting mix and noticeably reduce the annoying flies around houseplants.
Geraniums are easy, reliable balcony plants, but sometimes they leaf up without putting on much of a show. A carefully dosed iodine water feed can support stronger roots and more abundant flowering.
Scented pelargoniums can help make evening seating areas less appealing to mosquitoes while adding fragrance and colour to balconies and patios. Plant them in late spring for the strongest growth and best effect through summer.
Geraniums bloom their best when a few simple care steps work together. Give them plenty of light, sensible watering, a quality potting mix, and occasional feeding for weeks of colour.
Begonias can flower continuously from early summer until the first frosts, but they only perform at their best with the right light, watering routine and feeding. Learn how to grow tuberous and semperflorens begonias in pots, baskets and beds, and how to overwinter and propagate them successfully.
Mandevilla (often sold as dipladenia) thrives in heat and full sun, rewarding you with long waves of trumpet flowers. With the right compost, careful watering and regular feeding, it can flower for months and even be overwintered indoors.
Ranunculus rewards you with richly coloured, rose-like blooms when you give it sun, free-draining soil and careful watering. Learn when to plant the tubers, how to feed and overwinter them, and how to keep stems strong for cutting.
Planting in groups of odd or even numbers can completely change how cohesive and intentional a border looks. Use odd-numbered groupings for a natural flow, and even numbers where symmetry and structure are the goal.
Verbena is one of the most dependable summer bloomers, flowering from late spring right up to the first frosts. Give it sun and free-draining soil and it will reward you with waves of colour in borders and cascades in containers.
Geraniums can flower for months, but only when light, watering and pinching are balanced. Use a few proven techniques to keep plants compact, vigorous and continuously budded right through autumn.
A north-facing balcony can leave plants short on usable light, leading to weak growth and fewer flowers. A simple reflective surface can bounce daylight back onto foliage and noticeably improve results without expensive kit.
What you do with tulips after they finish flowering largely determines next spring’s display. Leave the foliage to ripen the bulbs, then lift, dry and store them at the right time for stronger blooms next season.
Freesias are loved for their elegant blooms and unmistakable perfume, and they can be grown successfully outdoors when planted at the right time. Choose firm, healthy corms, give them sun and free-draining soil, and lift them for winter storage.
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