Looking for plant recommendations for my little balcony!
Hello, I have a very small balcony (under 2m wide and 1/2m deep) it gets full sun in the afternoon but it is also very exposed to wind. I would love to have some greenery all year round but also some colour in the summer. I only have a few small pots but I'd love to have something out there to look at. I've tried a few plants, lavender, photinia red Robin, hebies, Heather (which I had thought would do well) etc but it all seems to die or suffer with terrible wind blast. I have a box ball which seems to be doing ok for the moment but it's the only plant to have survived! I also have children so any plants would need to be ok for them to be near. I've been trying for years but nothing seems to do very well so I thought I would ask all you lovely readers for some help! Thank you in advance
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If you are growing Lavender, stick to the angustifolia types. Avoid French Lavenders. Also, keep the soil at least 2 inches lower than the pot rim to avoid drying winds scorching and drying the base and soil. Low mounds tend to do better if you have a very exposed sites. Try Erodiums, Sea Thrifts and Sedums/Hylotelephiums and its many varieties. If you like grasses, the tough Carex Buchananii, the Leatherleaf sedge can withstand winds well.With shrubs, it's important to keep them huddled together closer to the property. This will minimise wind scorch. I find Arbutus Unedo able to withstand winds, but this plant is not for everyone.
Two plants that do well in my pots are euonymus and sempervivums, not very exciting but I love sempervivums and you could have pretty gravel round them. How about a narrow planter with a selection of tough alpines? You won't get much height but they are very satisfying to look at
Agapanthus
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