22 Best Flowers for Full Sun ~ Heat Tolerant Flowers for Containers

Best Flowers for Full Sun

balconygardenweb.com

This post shares 22 different flowers that LOVE full sun and heat. Even better, you can grow them in containers. They work well on balconies, patios, rooftop gardens, and in sunny areas of larger gardens.

You’ll find:

  • A beautiful photograph of each flower
  • A short profile of the flower
  • Best zones for growth

One flower they include is the  Pentas plant. I love this flower because of its vivid red color and petal shape. It also attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. (They produce nectar which the hummingbirds love.) I’ve grown pentas in container gardens in a space that gets full sun from the west and south. They thrive in the light and heat.

Here’s the profile they included in this post:

Beautiful pentas flowers attract pollinators like bees, hummingbirds, and sunbirds due to the nectar. Pentas is a tough heat tolerant plant that you can grow in containers. This tropical flower can be grown in USDA Zones 9-11 as perennial, below these zones grow it as an annual.

Click on the 22 Best Flowers for Full Sun ~ Heat Tolerant Flowers for Containers link below to see all 22 flowers that thrive in full sun.

 22 Best Flowers for Full Sun ~ Heat Tolerant Flowers for Containers


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14 Best DIY Self-Watering Container Garden Ideas

self watering gardens

http://balconygardenweb.com


A lot of people have busy schedules and busy lives and sometimes forget to water their gardens. This post discusses 14 different approaches to self-watering gardens. This is a method where you provide a water source that your container plants can draw on during the day.

Here are just a few:

  • A self-watering wicking garden
  • Repurposed soda pop bottles
  • Converting a standard planter into a self-watering planter
  • + 11 more ideas!

Each idea links to a DIY tutorial.

To see all 14 DIY self-watering garden ideas, click on the 16 Best Self-Watering Container Garden Ideas link below.

14 Best DIY Self-Watering Container Garden Ideas 


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How to Turn a Pallet into a Garden

pallet garden

lifeonthebalcony.com


This is a tutorial by Fern that explains how to make a pallet garden from start to finish. She includes some great photographs.

This method of vertical gardening would work on a balcony, patio, balcony, or other small space garden.

Learn how to:

  • Select the right pallet
  • How to prepare the pallet
  • How to plant flowers in the pallet
  • How to maintain the pallet garden
  • One very important tip

Click on the How to Turn a Pallet into a Garden link below to see the complete post.

How to Turn a Pallet into a Garden


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Selecting a Birdhouse: Top 5 Considerations

Selecting a Birdhouse

drsfostersmith.com


Whether you plan to buy a birdhouse or build a birdhouse, this article has some key considerations to think about.

As the post begins:

“Many bird enthusiasts purchase a birdhouse at a local discount store and later find that it does not attract any birds. Wild bird watchers are often tempted to select a birdhouse based upon its decorative appearance. They want it to serve as a garden accent that happens to attract birds.

Many times, however, these birdhouses lack the specifications and features birds require for nesting. Careful consideration of the following specifications can make the difference between an unused garden accent and a backyard full of song.”

The post then goes into detail about selecting a birdhouse that will safely attract the birds you want to your garden.

Click on the Selecting a Birdhouse: Top 5 Considerations link below to see the complete post. It’s a good one.

Selecting a Birdhouse: Top 5 Considerations


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29 Fantastic Garden Lighting Ideas

garden lighting

homestratosphere.com


As the author of this post begins:

“There are plenty of reasons to light up your yard. You may want to highlight features, line paths, or illuminate your gathering area. Another reason for outdoor lighting is to accentuate and protect your garden area.

When the sun goes down your garden can be left in the dark. If you have worked hard to build a visually appealing and atmospheric garden, you may want it to be seen more often than the sun would allow. With a few well placed lighting elements you can brighten up your garden at night and allow your flowers and botanical efforts to be seen all hours of the day.”

The post shares 29 different garden lighting ideas. Some of the ideas would work well in small gardens. Other requires would require larger spaces. Lots of fun to look at all the photos and looking at the lighting options.

Click on the 29 Fantastic Garden Lighting Ideas link below to see all of the great garden lighting ideas.

29 Fantastic Garden Lighting Ideas


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How to Start a Butterfly Garden

Butterfly Garden

nababutterfly.com

This post by the North American Butterfly Association describes how to start a butterfly garden in your back yard.

As the article states:

Beginning a butterfly garden can be as simple as choosing flowering plants that will invite adult butterflies to your garden to feed. But if you want to create a butterfly garden that will act as a sanctuary, attracting a wide variety of butterflies while also providing a place where butterflies can grow and multiply, you will first need some simple planning. By considering which plants to grow and evaluating your garden site, you can plant a butterfly garden that will help with the creation of more butterflies.

The post then discusses in detail:

  • Plant Selection
  • Site Selection

Click on the How to Start a Butterfly Garden link below to read the complete post

How to Start a Butterfly Garden

Here’s Another Post That Describes the Specific Plants that Work Best in a Butterfly Garden

Butterfly Plants

monarchbutterflygarden.net

This post on MonarchButterflyGarden.net describes specific flowers and plants that attract not only monarch butterflies, but other butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, moths as well.

“Most of the butterfly plants listed below attract monarchs but some will also attract other butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, and moths.

“These are the plants and butterfly flowers (both native and non-native) that have attracted the most butterflies to our garden and to other gardens across North America. This also includes host plants to feed butterfly caterpillars.”

The post discusses in detail the following butterfly-attracting flowers and plants. There’s also a section about Butterfly Caterpillars. And there are links to merchants where you can buy the flower and plant seeds.

  • Blue Butterfly Flowers
  • Butterfly Bushes
  • Climbing Vines for Butterflies
  • Orange Butterfly Bushes
  • Pink Butterfly Flowers
  • Purple Butterfly Flowers
  • Red Butterfly Flowers
  • White Butterfly Flowers
  • Yellow Butterfly Flowers
  • Lantana Plants
  • Zinnia Flowers
  • Host Butterfly Plants for Butterfly Caterpillars
  • Butterfly Plants for Every Season
  • Nectar Plants for Pollinators

Click on the Butterfly Plants List – Butterfly Flowers and Host Plant Ideas link below to see the complete list of butterfly plants and flowers.

Butterfly Plants List – Butterfly Flowers and Host Plant Ideas


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5 Raised Garden Beds You Can Build In Half a Day

raised bed garden

.rodalesorganiclife.com PHOTO CREDIT: PATRICK MONTERO

If you’re interested in raised bed gardening, this article should interest you.  Doug discusses 5 different methods of raised bed gardening. First, he discusses the advantages of raised bed gardening. I would add one additional reason: If you’re in an area of generally bad soil, some types of raised bed gardening will allow you to control the soil that you use.

From Doug:

“Raised garden beds boost vegetables above potentially waterlogged grounds. Not every gardener deals with a high water table, but there are other good reasons to plant in raised beds:

  • They are easier to keep free of encroaching grass than ground-level beds.
  • Elevated soil warms earlier in spring and drains more quickly after a rain.
  • Soil doesn’t become compacted because you don’t step on the growing area.
  • Raised beds offer easier access for planting, thinning, weeding, and harvest.”

He then goes on to discuss 5 different methods of raised bed gardening. He focuses on 4′ x 8′ garden beds, but you can adjust up or down.  I won’t give away the different methods, but they’re all very workable. Click on the  5 Raised Garden Beds You can Build in Half a Day link below to see all 5 ideas.

5 Raised Garden Beds You Can Build In Half a Day

 

HERE’S ANOTHER OPTION I REALLY LIKE

The other method I like combines raised bed gardening with container gardening. These are large planter boxes that can be waist-high (or as high or low as you’d like). Some have legs and you place them where you want them before lining the box, filling with soil and planting. Others have wheels, so you can move them around more easily. I think these are ideal for people who have back issues or for older people. They’re also great for people who have smaller space gardens with lighting constraints and want to move the planter during the day to maximize sun exposure. You can make or buy raised bed planters.

The raised bed planter below is an example of this type of raised bed container garden.  If they put wheels on it, it would be ideal.

MidnightMaker – Instructables.com

Click on the Waist High Planter Box link below to see complete instructions on how to build this planter .

Waist High Planter Box


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Guide to Landscape Water Gardens & Features

water garden

bhg.com


Kelly has written a great post about water gardens and water features that you can include in your garden. The nice thing is that there are water options for all sizes and types of gardens.

For the water feature pictured above, Kelly writes:

“Water features lend themselves to virtually any kind and style of container, including oversize galvanized tubs. The containers must, of course, be watertight. Large-scale containers such as these can support large-scale plants, adding height and structure to a landscape water feature. Group a few complementary containers of various sizes for a striking water-feature focal point.

Best For: Gardeners with a flair for reimagining. An ability to see a container from a different perspective creates a water feature with style to match the garden’s sensibility. Once installed, these projects become easy-to-maintain garden centerpieces. “

She includes 14 different water treatments:  table-top water features, small ponds, bird baths, larger water treatments. It’s a slideshow post so just click “Next” and “Prev” to move through each photo and treatment.

Click on the Guide to Landscape Water Features link below to see Kelly’s post.

Guide to Landscape Water Features


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