Plants
How to Grow and Care for the Common Daisy Flower in Containers
Intro: Common daisies are beautiful flowers found in many flowerbeds and vase arrangements. The white-petaled daisy flower with its yellow center does well in plant containers and is easy to grow and care for in balcony gardens. Daisy blooms are most commonly white, but they can also be light pink to purple-red, depending on the variety. Daisy blooms should appear from early spring to late autumn. Many other flowers go by the name “daisy,” but the common daisy is usually what gardeners picture when thinking of the typical daisy flower. Daisy flowers bloom close to the ground (it only grows to about 6 inches tall) and are rather small (about 2.5 inches in diameter).
How to Grow and Care for Pansy Flowers in Containers
Intro: Pansies are hybrid flowers that were developed in England in the early 1800s. Because pansies have been selectively bred by humans, they are hardy and bloom quickly. Flower colors include yellow, gold, orange, purple, red and white, and pansy flowers often have “faces” (think of the singing flowers in Alice in Wonderland). Pansy flowers are easy to care for and do well in container gardens.
How to Grow and Care for Aloe Vera in Containers
Intro: Aloe is a popular succulent plant that produces yellow-orange flowering shoots. It is hardy and does well in plant containers in balcony gardens. Aloe vera plants are usually sold very small, but it is surprising how large they can get – up to 2 feet tall and 2.5 feet wide. There are many varieties of aloe vera that thrive in containers – some completely green and others having white speckles. When planting aloe vera in your balcony garden, remember that it doesn't like its leaves touching the potting soil. If the leaves touch soil, the leaves will turn dark green and begin to rot.
How to Grow and Care for Red Ginger in Containers
Intro: The red ginger plant has many common names, including jungle queen (which has a pink flower), jungle king (red flower), Tahitian ginger and ostrich plume. This plant is quite easy to care for and may grow so well in plant containers that you will have to prune it often. Red ginger can grow tall – up to 8 feet, and it has a spectacular flower spike. What is traditionally called the flower is actually the floral bracts (specialized leaves to resemble flowers and bring attention to the plant’s nearby inconspicuous flowers). Red ginger’s flowers are small and white, and at the tips of the floral bracts. The jungle king and jungle queen varieties bloom all year. Their flowers are often cut and used in arrangements (cut flowers from mature plants can last up to 25 days).
How to Grow and Care for Anthurium andreanum (Flamingo Flower) in Containers
Intro: Anthurium andreanum, often called the flamingo flower, has heart-shaped leaves that come in red, white, pink and variegated colors. This plant is originally from wet tropical mountain forests of Central and South America, so it does best in warm, wet climates. This is one of the few plants that can move its leaves toward or away from the sun (another heliotrope is the sunflower).
