Color on the Balcony – Summer Flower Bulbs

Just as the spring flowers tuned in for the new gardening season, it's now time for the grand performance of summer flowers. With summer flower bulbs, you can bring color to your balcony.

To kick off the summer on your balcony and garden in vibrant colors, the flower bulbs need to be planted at the right time. As soon as the temperatures are right, it's time to choose your favorite flower combinations.

Nature doesn’t always follow our calendar. There isn't a specific date when you can plant summer flowers on your balcony and in your garden; it depends on the weather conditions outside. However, a general guideline is the period after the "Ice Saints" (mid-May), when no more night frosts are expected, and frost-sensitive summer flowers are safe. A quick check outside never hurts, as the timing of when it no longer freezes at night can vary significantly by region. The offerings at specialized stores can also serve as a guide, or you can ask your trusted retailer directly.

If you can’t wait to start planning your summer garden, you can start by forcing summer plants indoors. Whether as young plants or as bulbs, growing them indoors gives them the chance to develop properly and grow undisturbed before being placed outside. To prepare the plants well for the transition, they should be kept in a cool place since they are not indoor plants. By the way, this also applies to sowing summer flowers. Only in May can they be safely sowed outdoors; otherwise, seed pots are the better choice.

Summer bloomers are sensitive and are therefore dug up in the autumn of the previous year. They overwinter indoors in a dark and cool place, where they should be stored dry and regularly checked for damage and diseases. Occasional moistening can be helpful to prevent them from drying out. Once the start of the new summer season arrives, they are brought out again. Geraniums and dahlias can begin to grow indoors as early as February or March and, like other bulbs, are placed in the balcony box or garden after the ice saints in mid-May.