Five Easy Container Plants
Try these five easy plants in your home or outside in the garden. Even if you have a black thumb, you can still succeed with zinnia flowers, golden pothos, African violet flowers, spider plants and croton.
1. Zinnia Flower (Zinnia elegans). Zinnias are beautiful flowers that are great for butterfly gardens. Zinnia flowers come in white, light green, yellow, orange, red and purple. There are many different Zinnia species, but the most common is Z. elegans. Zinnias have different flower petal arrangements – some have a single row of flower petals, while others have multiple rows that give the flower a more full, dome shape. These flowers are great for plant containers in urban balcony gardens. Taller zinnia varieties, which don’t do as well in plant containers as the shorter varieties, may need stakes to help them grow straight. Deadhead or cut extra tall growth to promote fuller growth and flower production. Read More>>
2. Pothos (Epipremnum aureum). Although the golden pothos is usually a container plant for indoor gardens, it can do well in shady balcony gardens. Also known as devil’s ivy, golden pothos is a fantastic container plant that thrives in almost the dimmest of light. It can be grown in hanging containers or be trained to grow vertically. Even if you have a black thumb and kill any plant you touch, a pothos plant should grow well for you. Read More>>
3. African Violet Flower (Saintpaulia ionantha). This pretty purple flower is commonly grown indoors but is also a popular outdoor plant that thrives in balcony container gardens. These flowers do best with water that has been sitting out for at least eight hours (so that any chemicals dissipate), and when watering, make sure no water touches their leaves. Pinching flower heads will encourage more blooms.
4. Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum ‘Variegatum’). The spider plant is a popular houseplant, and is most often grown as the variegated cultivar that has two white stripes on each leaf. The spider plant is tolerant of many conditions and will even survive when neglected. This grasslike plant looks best in balcony gardens when displayed in hanging plant containers with their plantlets draping down. Read More>>
5. Croton (Codieaum species). This container plant, usually grown indoors, can do well on a dark balcony that stays cool. With adequate humidity and watering, this attractive plant with colorful waxy leaves can display shades of green, pink and red that will make even the darkest balcony garden pop with color.
