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Plants on my balcony

Simon MoonSimon Moon Registered User regular
edited March 2010 in Help / Advice Forum
Der Spring is sprung, der grass is ris, and I'd like to bedeck my balcony in flowers and other attractive living things, but I know jack-all about plants. I live in the Deep South (Jackson, MS, specifically), on the second floor of an apartment building, facing south. The balcony's about 6' by 12', with a roughly 4' high white plastic railing. The overhang doesn't seem to be sturdy enough to hang plants from (it feels and sounds like plastic when I reach up and poke it), so I'd guess I'm mostly looking for things to go on stands and/or window box type things.

Suggestions?

Steam: simon moon
Simon Moon on

Posts

  • VenochVenoch Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Do you want to grow things you can eat, or look at? I read a cool article a while back on growing vegetables in containers on a small balcony and using vertical space. You can actually grow a high amount of fruit/vegetables to eat in such a space.

    Venoch on
  • JebusUDJebusUD Adventure! Candy IslandRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    http://www.mybalconyjungle.com/self_watering.html

    make these. My plants grow great in them and I am not even facing south.

    JebusUD on
    and I wonder about my neighbors even though I don't have them
    but they're listening to every word I say
  • Simon MoonSimon Moon Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I'm mostly looking for decorative plants, although I am certainly not averse to growing my own produce. And while the self-watering containers are cool (and I may try some potatoes), I'm more looking for suggestions on what to grow (and then what to grow them in).

    Simon Moon on
    Steam: simon moon
  • Andrew_JayAndrew_Jay Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Morning Glories are fairly easy to grow. Probably even more so further south where you are (I was growing them in Toronto). Only "complicated" thing I found was that they need a fair amount of water.

    They're fun because they're climbing plants - just put them in pots next to your railing and let them climb on it, or augment the rail with some bamboo poles.
    450px-MorningGlory.JPG

    Balconies are actually pretty ideal, because they can be somewhat invasive spreading and strangling other plants, something they can't do in pots and away from soil.

    Andrew_Jay on
  • DjeetDjeet Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    You are in the USDA plant hardiness zone 8a, and since your balcony is facing south your plants will get a lot of sun exposure. If your balcony is heavily shaded (by trees or other buildings and what not) then it's likely going to be a very dry/hot shade. If your balcony is not shaded, any plants there will need to be able to tolerate "full sun."

    Djeet on
  • JebusUDJebusUD Adventure! Candy IslandRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Basil. I use it like crazy. I also have a rosemary plant I use a bunch. And a few leaf lettuces are great. They make way more salad then you would think.

    JebusUD on
    and I wonder about my neighbors even though I don't have them
    but they're listening to every word I say
  • tsmvengytsmvengy Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I have one of these:

    http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Bromeliaceae/Aechmea_fasciata.html

    Pretty, has a cool flower, basically impossible to kill.

    tsmvengy on
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