I plan to enliven my living room view out onto my balcony with a flowering garden.  From some of you smart, experienced gardeners out there, I'd like to hear your flower plant suggestions, which are:

• long-blossoming and dense with flowers;
• preferably perennials, but will do annuals if they are riotously colorful;
• potted - mix of heights .. 30-40 cm (12-15 inches) in the foreground .. 90-110 cm (36-45 inches) in the background;
• hanging plants suspended on a wall - foliage draping down of any length;
• strong colorfully-leaved (with/without flowers) like 'Purple Heart';
• not too delicate and require no babying;
• easily pruned to increased their density;
• strongly fragrant is a major plus;
• maybe include one tall-ish, wispy-ish, tree-ish decorative plant at the very back of the balcony (I love Japanese Maples, but have seen none here); and,
• purchased potted, or as seedlings - not grown from seeds.

 

My balcony is 100% shaded for about 8 months annually and 50% direct afternoon sunlight for about 4 months annually.

 

I will install a drip irrigation system on a timer and I have a pretty good sense for soil mixing and fertilization.

 

The general planting plan is a single row of low-height plants (12-15 inches), backed by a single row of taller plants (36-45 inches).

 

Any ideas out there?

 

Thanks!

On 3/3/2025 at 10:49 PM, brutox said:

I plan to enliven my living room view out onto my balcony with a flowering garden.  From some of you smart, experienced gardeners out there, I'd like to hear your flower plant suggestions, which are:

• long-blossoming and dense with flowers;
• preferably perennials, but will do annuals if they are riotously colorful;
• potted - mix of heights .. 30-40 cm (12-15 inches) in the foreground .. 90-110 cm (36-45 inches) in the background;
• hanging plants suspended on a wall - foliage draping down of any length;
• strong colorfully-leaved (with/without flowers) like 'Purple Heart';
• not too delicate and require no babying;
• easily pruned to increased their density;
• strongly fragrant is a major plus;
• maybe include one tall-ish, wispy-ish, tree-ish decorative plant at the very back of the balcony (I love Japanese Maples, but have seen none here); and,
• purchased potted, or as seedlings - not grown from seeds.

 

My balcony is 100% shaded for about 8 months annually and 50% direct afternoon sunlight for about 4 months annually.

 

I will install a drip irrigation system on a timer and I have a pretty good sense for soil mixing and fertilization.

 

The general planting plan is a single row of low-height plants (12-15 inches), backed by a single row of taller plants (36-45 inches).

 

Any ideas out there?

 

Thanks!

 

That's an awesome dream!  But -

 

"100% shaded for about 8 months annually"

 

 This amount of shade is a very limiting factor for your dream garden. But there may be some hope:

 

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/shade/tropical-shade-gardening.htm

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=tropical+plants+for+full+shade&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS914US914&oq=tropical+plants+for+deep+shade&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCAgBEAAYFhgeMgYIABBFGDkyCAgBEAAYFhgeMg0IAhAAGIYDGIAEGIoFMgoIAxAAGIAEGKIEMgoIBBAAGIAEGKIEMgoIBRAAGIAEGKIEMgoIBhAAGIAEGKIE0gEKMTU4MzNqMGoxNagCCLACAfEFJrPrEhXpA9nxBSaz6xIV6QPZ&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8