Garden plants

The Geranium is the queen of the balcony and patio plants. It’s a real sun worshipper, and is therefore perfectly happy in direct sunlight; but it also thrives in a spot with partial shade. Give the Geranium enough water, directly into the pot and not onto the plant itself. It does not like having wet feet, so you can skip watering until the soil is very dry.

Tip: Remove wilted flowers. This will encourage the Geranium to produce new buds.

With the right care, the Patio Rose can flower abundantly for a long time. The plant prefers a light position, and cannot cope with drying out. The warmer and sunnier it is, the thirstier the Patio Rose will be. You should therefore water it regularly to prevent the pot soil from drying out. 

Tip: For abundant flowering add plant or rose food once every three weeks. 

The Hanging Basket is a real summer bloomer, and loves a sunny spot. It does particularly well in full sunlight, as long as you water accordingly. When it flowers, the Hanging Basket needs a lot of water every day, and sometimes even twice a day in hot summer weather. Start the basket with slow-release plant food pellets to keep it attractive and strong. Repeat this once a week after it flowers with a dose of liquid plant food. 

Tip: If your Hanging Basket is flowering less, trim it with scissors so that it buds again and starts flowering again. 

The Senetti is both an indoor and outdoor plant, and prefers a position in sun or partial shade. It can cope with low temperatures, but require some protection against frost. Caring for the Senetti is easy, and with enough water and some potting soil it will be a happy bloomer.

Tip: Remove the wilted flowers for longer flowering. 

The Viola is a strong flowering plant which requires little care. Regardless of whether the plant is in a shady spot or in full sun, the Viola is never really demanding. It even does very well at low temperatures. Violas flower best when the soil is damp, but only water them again when the top layer has been dry for a while. Adding some plant food to the water keeps the plants healthy for even longer. 

Tip: Don’t be too quick to throw Violas away in winter. Wait for the first fine spring days, and you will see them fully recover over time. 

The Cushion Chrysanthemum is an easy plant which transforms into a colourful dome in partial shade to full sun. Cushion Chrysanthemums particularly shine if they’re not too dry, so water them regularly. Its attractive full dome sometimes prevents the water from reaching the soil, so check this regularly. If you place it in a planter, make sure that excess water can drain. Give the Cushion Chrysanthemum a boost of energy by giving it some plant food once every two weeks. 

Tip: Place the Cushion Chrysanthemum in a cool but frost-free spot before the frosts come, and cut it right back to a few centimetres above the ground in early spring. The plant can go outdoors again in March/April, and when the days are longer than 12 hours it will develop new stems and leaves.