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I just moved to an apt that has a balcony, and i was wondering what kind of plant to put out there?

I live in Cincinnati, and it will get very cold, very soon. But i'd still love to have some plant life out on my balcony...any ideas? PS these would have to be potted plants of course, and hardy that can stand freezes and part shade.

Public Comments

1. Unless the pots are VERY BIG, you'll need to bring them inside for the winter. Plants in the ground have the natural insulation of the earth to protect their roots. But plants in pots - even if they're "winter hardy" will suffer root-freeze and die if they are in pots above ground through a bad winter. A friend of mine has an entire garden of potted plants, in Columbus, OH, and he manages them just fine, but he also has the space to move them all to a protected spot for the winter (out of winter winds), and then surrounds the outside of the pots with straw bales, and adds leaf mulch on top for added insulation. You may not have the room to do something like that on your balcony. Also - since the balcony is off the ground, the cold will come from the floor as well. If you choose to try and insulate - don't forget to place the pots on top of something that will insulate them from the cold of the concrete floor. If you can manage that, and have room for it, you might be able to successfully have a weeping canadian hemlock out there. They like part shade, are evergreen, and don't grow too tall (about 6 feet).
2. Get a small evergreen tree. They can take the freeze. You'll have fresh greenery & a great scent all year long. At Christmas time you can decorate the little cutie like a christmas tree. It's great to have some outdoor space isn't it!
3. because of the wind, rain and cold weather, it would be best to look at an artificial looking broad leaf tree plant, something that looks tropical and will give some colour to the balcony... In the summer you might want to have a couple plant boxes with annuals that you could hang on the railing, but all year round is near impossible,,,,,
4. any perinnal will do...maybe even an evergreen bush in a pot...any shrub will be able to withstand the cold and are easy to take care of...if you do pot something get a BIG plastic pot...if it is not plastic it will be super heavy once all the dirt is in it
5. The bigger the pot, the more insulation the plant has from cold. I would suggest some small evergreens for the winter and then in the spring you can add seasonal color. Go to a local garden center and investigate all the possibilities. If you want to you could put some lights on the little trees in the winter. You could also plant some bulbs now for bloom in the spring. Get library books and see what you like the looks of and then find out if it is hardy in your area. Have Fun!