"Bloom Day

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“Bloom day” I have so many plants in flower on the balcony that I would love it to be “Bloom day”!

I’ve got a great many different types of flowering plants on our balcony! From Begonias to Morning Glory to Carnations. I also have Zonal Geraniums (at least four different varieties), Dahlias (Dwarf), Lobelias (Self-sown or volunteers), Pelargoniums (3 varieties), Nasturtiums, Petunias, Fuchsias, Gladioli, Sunflowers (self-sown), Gazanias & Sweetpeas! Even a small, bell-flowered Clematis! A couple of Tomato plants & a Spider plant. Not forgetting the 2 species of Lilies: Asiatic & some other hybrid Lilies I grew from seed sent to me by a lady in the USA a few years ago.

I have 4 different types of Begonias alone! Two trailing varieties in hanging baskets; ‘Illumination Salmon pink’ & ‘Illumination Apricot’.

‘Illumination Salmon pink’:

‘Illumination Apricot’:

In another 2 baskets, on the walls at either end of the balcony, there are 2 plants of ‘Mocca mixed’ in each of the baskets with bronze coloured leaves which set the spectacular brilliant red & yellow flowers off wonderfully.

‘Mocca mixed’ in baskets on the ends of the balcony walls:

Then on the balcony railings there are clay pots set in aluminium rings which have Begonias ‘Double mixed’ & ‘Fimbriata mixed’ in them.

‘Double mixed’ on balcony railings:

‘Fimbriata mixed’ flowering in pots on the balcony railings:

Even though they were planted late they have given a wonderful show &, if I can conserve the tubers over the winter, I’ll plant them a lot earlier next year so they are flowering, or at least in bud, when I put them out at the end of May.

It’s curious as I thought last year, 2014, that I would look for trailing Begonias to put in my 6 baskets on the balcony. I had difficulty in finding them in the shops in the town where I live but managed to find them in a street market in a town 8km away. The others I found easily in the shops here. But when the town council started to put out the summer bedding I saw they had also had the same idea as me! They planted out 1,000s of Begonias all over town & they have given a marvellous display all summer!

Balcony (Centre) seen from the outside:

Variegated Geraniums flowering on balcony railings:

Dahlias ‘Diablo’ flowering in white trough on balcony floor:

Sweetpeas flowering on balcony railing:

Florist Carnation (Red) flowering on balcony:

Balsam flowering on table on balcony:

Gladiolus (Red) flowering outside of balcony:

Morning Glory ‘Heavenly Blue’ climbing on balcony:

Morning Glory climbing up strings on balcony:

Gazania ‘Sunrise’ flowering on balcony:

Oxalis deppei ‘Iron Cross’ flowering on the floor of the balcony:

I love these more for their leaves than their flowers!

Spider Plant, also in flower, on the table in the corner of the balcony:

I like it when these plants have flowers! I have a couple more in the kitchen & they can flower several times a year!

I could go on & on …

I think I will leave it here though or this blog will never be published! Perhaps I could do a 2nd part in a week’s time! There are still lots more photos I could put on here as I’ve only included one of each type & could add many others with different varieties & colours!

Shall we put it to the vote? LOL!

• 5 Oct, 2015
• 6 likes

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