Information regarding the plantings on my balcony. To include notes on appearance, growth, health, and whether the plant survived or was removed. Personal journal effective in Zone 7, 45" rain per year, and partial sun.
FLOWERING Plants on the Balcony:
Verbena (Quartz Burgundy with Eye) 10-12" high, full/part sun
- 6 weeks to the 1st flower; should have selected a trailing variety
Alyssum 2-12" high, full/part sun
- severe die-back with spring temps; surviving 2 plants with few blooms 6 weeks later
Lobelia (Riviera Marine Blue) 4-6", & (Techno Heat Upright Dark Blue) 12-14", full/part sun
- 6 weeks = constant flowering from 1st day
Bacopa (Abunda Giant White) 2-4", full sun
- 6 weeks = constant flowering from 1st day, short and shoots out in trailers, trimmed at 4 wks to encourage growth, tends towards a weedy look and appears better next to a full plant; bees love this flower
Nasturitium (?)
- at 5 weeks = adorable, fast growing lilypad-in-air varigated plants; comical in appearance, can't wait to see the edible flowers
Regal Geranium (Maiden Iced Wine) ?, full/part sun & well-drained soil
- repotted at 3rd week; poor flowering, healthy foliage
Dahlia (Dahlietta Rachel Dahlia) 8-10", full sun
- suffered with spring chill; new flowers were 1/2 size and dull of color; transplanted
Zinnia (Red) and (? spiky) 10-18", full/part sun
- huge leaf damage at cold weather snap; undeniable performance on long lasting blooms: more sun brings more blooms
Marigold (African Orange) 14-16", full/part sun
- moved at 2 weeks to sunnier locale, bye-bye
Ageratum (Hawaii Blue) 6", full/part sun
- most of these moved at 2 weeks to sunnier locale; ugly rotting of blue blooms
Nemesia (Angelart Orange and Angelart Pear and White) 10", full sun, well-drained soil
- 6 weeks = they look like little snapdragons & were my favorites for 3 weeks; then 1 full plant died back (rot) and the other 4 are doing moderately okay; got taller and weedier
Calibrachoa (Cabaret Yellow & blue/lavender) 6-10", full sun
- 6 weeks = gorgeous light yellow on day 1 and steadily improving; mounding habit provides more flowers in every direction; PERFECT
Calibrachoa (Yellow with rust center) 6-10", full sun
- 6 weeks = off to a slow start, more of a vine than yellow or blue/purple variety and with smaller flowers; easy mntc, trimmed at 4 weeks to encourage growth; constant flowers
Petunia (Wine Red) 12-15",& (Double Wave Blue Velvet Spreading) 10", full/part sun
- 6 weeks = great wine color & cut back at 4 week to control growth; frequent dead-heading to keep from getting weedy, lovely light scent: ohh that double flower in a "spreading" variety is great
Marguarita Gebera (Gerbera Daisy in yellow & orange & orange/red) 6-18", full sun
- fabulous! 6 weeks = constant flowering from 1st day (note orange/red at far right has not flowered for 2 weeks, possibly due to less sun)
- 6 weeks = lackluster flowering, growing larger & thinner, messy petal loss
Fuchsia (upright, Winston Churchill) 12-20", part shade
- 6 weeks = pretty flowers are few & far between
- 6 weeks = this was gorgeous blue at purchase, repotted at 3 weeks, no adverse reactions to cold, no flower or leaf loss at all, faded to end-of-season colors at 4-5 weeks, the plant is healthy & should be suitable to plant within complex for future years, is the plant growing at all?
Jasmine (?)
- 6 weeks = 2 weeks with poor flowering, then repotting, another 2 weeks to readjust; healthy and sending out new leaves and few flowers; wonderful fragrance
Passion Flower (?)
- 6 weeks = these two plants are just taking up space; small amount of growth began at 4-5 weeks, slow, should be climbing up trellis and blooming by now (IMHO)
Pansies (?)
- 6 weeks = pale & stringy with part sun, dark & lovely with more sun
Tuberous Begonia (Yellow and Orange)
- 6 weeks = takes my breath away, gorgeous blooms, little maintenance
Torenia (3 colors with differing characteristics) ?, full/part sun
- performances are all over the map, blue is slow to start yet trails nicely, the light burgundy is mounding with little trailing (it may take over the container), the darkest one is a non-performer
- oops, "tolerates" temps to 80 degrees, that's gonna cost me
- two plants in sun are healthy, no yellow callas growing, 1 yellow calla still not open after one week on the verge; nice height and makes a good foliage plant for window box
FOLIAGE Plants on the Balcony:
Sweet Potato Vine (Bright Ideas Black and Bright Ideas Lime) 6"
- 6 weeks = 7 plants with 2-3 new leaves, no vining; leaf damage from May cold nights, new leaves are light green
Lemon Thyme, 12", full sun
- 6 weeks = growing well and serves no purpose for me
Colocasia Esculena (Elephant Ear) 60-70", part sun
- 6 weeks = finally one bulb has 3" sprouts with one leaf emerging, other 2 bulbs DOA
Caladium Caladio (?) 18-22", no direct sun
- 6 weeks = just sprouting with 2 plants unfurling 1st leaves; never do bulb again
Lilium Orienalis (Oriental Lily) 28-44, full sun 6+ hours per day
green trailers (?) ?"
- very similar to Creeping Jenny tho bit darker and lower; tight leaves; trimmed back at 5 weeks to encourage growth; healthy and stable tho I hope for growth spurt soon
Creeping Jenny (?) sun/part shade
- 6 weeks = like a fake plant, cute and dependable, no growth
Polemonium (Brise d'Anjou) 24", sun/part shade
- 6 weeks = very cute, slow growth; perennial
Coleus (Indian Summer) 18-24" & (Wizard Mix) 10-16", sun to part shade
- 6 weeks = real mixed reviews: Wizard Mix is mostly rotting out and the Indian Summer is looking pretty good; pinched back at 3-4 wks to encourage growth
Nephrolepis Cordifolia (Lemon Button Fern) & two no-name ferns ?", indirect light
- 6 weeks = absolutely perfect looks and performance from 3 varieties of fern, who knew?
Rex Begonia (?) five varieties
- 6 weeks = star performers, off to rough start with cold snap damaging leaves; growth rate picked up at 4 weeks
Silver Orchid ?
- 6 weeks = small petals, kinda cute, not performing in height or filling-in
- 6 weeks = interesting concept, looks like it would be a cool plant, no growth at ALL
Croton Petra, ?, ?
- gorgeous upon planting, growth begins 5 weeks later, huge leaf loss
elia (Riviera Marine Blue and Techno Heat Upright Dark Blue) 12-14"
