Geraniums to decorate your window or balcony

geraniums

How beautiful are the flowers in a window or on a balcony! It is true that garden work looks better in spring, but any time of the year is a good time to start preparing the way in which we want to dress our outdoor spaces. And the geraniums They are always a wise choice.

The pelargonium or geranium is the plant most used for this purpose. The reason? Cultivating it does not require great skill. It is not a demanding plant, as it only requires well-drained soil and a lot of light. In addition, there is the possibility of using only geraniums for decorate your balcony or combine them with other plants, such as surfinias, petunias or other wild flowers, to achieve a greater effect of freshness and color.

The geranium, the balcony plant par excellence

When we talk about geraniums we refer to the more than 400 species that are part of the gender Geranium, plants highly valued and used in gardening due to the cheerful and attractive appearance of its flowers, as well as its peculiar and pleasant aroma.

geraniums

This is a plant that bears decorating the balconies of the Mediterranean region since time immemorial, although it also grows in tropical climates. It is a classic element in the barred windows of the towns of southern Spain, as well as in the white facades and the windows of the houses of the Levante peninsular and the Balearic Islands.

One of its virtues is that it withstands the winter cold well in these regions, blooming spectacularly in spring and summer. Almost all species are especially resistant to heat and insolation, although they require to be watered quite frequently in the hottest months.

The bright colors of geraniums are a wonderful way to dress and brighten our windows and balconies. Here are some tricks and ideas to make them look better than ever.

Geraniums on our balconies: technical issues

balcony geraniums

In order to have this fabulous natural decorative resource, it is important to know what the basic care of geraniums is. Take good note of these tips:

Substratum

Before choosing the planters with which we are going to decorate our window or balcony, we have to make sure we choose a good hydrocontrol substrate that reduces the loss of water and nutrients by filtration or evaporation. That will offer us insurance if one day we forget to water.

Light and temperature

Geranium is a plant that needs many hours of light to flower well. Do not be afraid to place it in a place without shade, because it will resist well. When the heat tightens, more than shade, what this plant will ask us for is a lot of water. What you have to be more careful with is the cold and frost.

Irrigation

Perhaps the most important aspect. During the summer months it is necessary to water our geraniums daily., always trying to avoid puddles. Its leaves can turn yellow both due to lack and excess watering. On the other hand, in winter it is enough to water them a couple of times a week.

One last recommendation: Beware of pests! You must always be alert to threats such as aphids or the so-called geranium butterfly, whose voracious caterpillars can literally eat the entire plant. In any case, when in doubt, it is always better to seek the advice and help of professional gardeners.

Decoration ideas with geraniums

But let's leave the gardening issues and focus on the decorative capacity of our beautiful geraniums. Here is a small guide to organize ourselves well and get the design of our windows and balconies right:

Floral colors and combinations

pink geranium

The first question that we are going to have to ask ourselves is this: Do we only want geraniums or are we going to have other flowers as well? If we are going to combine different types of plants, it is necessary to think beforehand how and where we are going to place each one. If we are going to place the planter in a window, it is best that the common geraniums go in the back and that we place the hanging and wild species, with smaller flowers, in front.

varieties of geraniums

Second, you have to ask what variety of geranium to choose. And it is that, although we talk about geraniums in general, the truth is that there are a lot of subspecies and varieties. It is a matter of taste, but the most common species (and the one that offers the best results) is the pelargonium zonale, common geranium of the Spanish balconies of a lifetime. This plant can have single or double-colored flowers, combining the white of its petals with pink, red, maroon, yellow, orange and even purple.

On the other hand, there are the popular and precious gypsy girls, the true queens of Andalusian patios. These geraniums are grown in individual pots and are distinguished by their long, hanging stems. They are used to give a touch of color to a whitewashed wall or to elegantly dress a window.

Type of pots and their distribution

Another issue to consider is the proper size of pots. The geranium has to have enough soil to take root well. If the plant has many buds and very bushy flowers, it is a sign that it is growing in the correct container.

geraniums

In the three images that are on these lines we can see three different options of decorate balconies and windows with geraniums. The choice that we finally choose for our home will obviously depend on the available space and the orientation of our window or balcony, since we must not forget that abundant sunlight is essential.

If all the space we have is simply a window sill, the options are limited: a small planter or a single pot, as shown above (center image). Sometimes, less is more and with a simple round planter a rounder aesthetic effect is achieved than taking up all the available space.

On a balcony, whatever its size, the options are widened. Beyond the decision to combine geraniums with other plants and flowers, to fill the entire length of the railing You can choose between two solutions: individual pots or rectangular pots that can hold two or three of these plants, even more. If we decide on the latter, it is essential to avoid overloading the pots, in order to prevent the plants from growing well.

In the images above we show both possibilities. It must be said that, depending on the structure of the balcony, the standing flower pots that will be supported on the ground or the beautiful hanging planters, which will give a particularly charming touch to the whole.

Conclusion

As you can see, geraniums are the most grateful flowers you will find for your window or balcony: resistant to heat, very grateful simply with the most elementary care, capable of bringing freshness and color to our facades and patios... A joy for our homes.


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