Plants
How to Grow and Care for the Dianthus Flower in Containers
Intro: Dianthus flowers are perfect for plant containers and will bring a splash of color to any urban balcony garden. Dianthus flowers come in many colors, either it be a solid white, red, purple, pink and sometimes yellow, or with two colors or marks in the petals. The height of this flower ranges from 6 inches to 3 feet, and there are so many Dianthus varieties that any gardener can find a beautiful Dianthus species to fit his or her balcony garden.
How to Grow and Care for Sunflowers in Containers
Intro: Ten-foot giant sunflowers really can be grown in plant containers (even in small 3-gallon nursery pots). These beautiful native American flowers must be planted in full sun, or they can topple over while trying to reach sun. But growing these beauties in your balcony container garden will attract attention from the people in your neighborhood, as well as a lot of wildlife. The sunflower's floret patterns (what eventually turn into seeds) are displayed on the circular flower head in an amazing spiral pattern. This, in addition to making a beautiful flower display, ensures that the most seeds are crammed into the sunflower's flower head as possible.
How to Grow and Care for the Snapdragon Flower in Containers
Intro: Also known as the dragon flower, snapdragons are small but fragrant flowers that are easy to grow in plant containers. Snapdragon flowers are colorful and dominant, often having so many blooms that the plant's foliage below is hidden. Snapdragon flowers come in many varieties, including dwarf (8 inches tall) to tall ones (3 feet) and in an array of colors, including pastel colors, reds, pinks, yellows and even bicolored flowers. These beautiful flowers can be cut and displayed indoors.
How to Grow and Care for Zinnias in Containers
Intro: 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 easy-to-grow flowers are great for plant containers in urban balcony gardens.
How to Grow and Care for English Ivy (Branching Ivy) in Containers
Intro: You’ve undoubtedly seen the fast-growing invasive English ivy, also known as branching ivy or glacier ivy, as ground cover in landscaping, and it is easy to grow in any balcony garden. It is almost impossible to kill this versatile container plant. It can be trained to grow up a trellis or in a hanging plant container. If grown in an indoor garden, English ivy cleans the air of formaldehyde, benzene and carbon monoxide.
