Pots are fine, but if your balcony is still looking a bit one-dimensional, let some climbers change the scene. They put on a show of colour and fragrance and don’t mind our weather. These seven are what we like to see in Indian homes to give a railing some life.
Why you should go with creepers
A pot is a pot, but a creeper will do more: it has a way of rising up and softening the hard lines of a space. Let them over a grill or frame a door and you have some much-needed movement and a bit of shade in an otherwise cramped area.
Then there’s the matter of screening. Put in a vine and you have a green curtain of sorts, no heavy hardware required. It cools things down and makes for a nice, enclosed spot to be in.
Seven to get into
You can’t go wrong with Bougainvillaea for a quick fix. It’s a staple in these parts and doesn’t need to be coddled; in fact, it does well with a little bit of being left alone. Give it some sun and not too much water and its pink, purple or orange bracts will be all over the place in no time.
Allamanda is in a league of its own. The yellow, trumpet-like flowers are like a bit of sunshine in the corner. It likes it hot and bright, and if you let it, it will put on a display for most of the year, giving your spot a tropical feel.
Need something to put up in a hurry? Skyflower is up to the job. It puts out a lot of foliage and those pale blue trumpets with a yellow eye, making for a good screen on a fence or pergola. Warm and humid is where it wants to be, and it will form a proper curtain when in season.
For the after-hours, try Madhumalti, or Chinese Honeysuckle as it’s called. The tubular flowers come in bunches and put off their best perfume at night. It’s a fast cover for any trellis and will make your balcony a fragrant place to be in the evening.
Blue pea is for those who like their plants to be useful as well as ornamental. The vivid blue blossoms are edible and make a good tea. It’s a tough one that will bring in the butterflies and does fine in a pot or in the ground by a small fence.
And for a bit of theatre, there’s the Passion flower. With its odd, geometric shape, it’s about as close to a piece of art as you’re going to find in the garden. You have to give it a hand to get it up and going, and it will be at its best in the sun. But put it down and let it be, and it will put on some serious growth, luring in pollinators and making for a nice show in your garden.
Then there is the money plant, the go-to for anyone new to this. You won’t see much in the way of flowers-unless you’re lucky with a mature one in perfect conditions, which doesn’t happen often inside. It’s the leaves you’re after. Let it trail in a pot or in water; it’s unbothered by low light and asks for very little.
What to know for our part of the world
Creepers are not fussy, but you can make life easier for them with a few rules of thumb. They want their hours of light, though in the height of summer, a little respite from the afternoon sun is wise. Keep the soil from turning to dust, but don’t overdo it; healthy roots like good drainage.
They’ll need something to grip. A trellis or railing will keep things in order, and a here-and-there trim stops them from getting too thick and makes room for more blossoms. In the city, a bit of a hosing down now and then is all it takes to clear off the grime and put some life back in the leaves.
In short:
– Put them on a solid frame
– Prune as you see fit
– Make sure they get their sun
– Shield them from the worst of the heat
– Don’t let the earth get rock hard
– Wash the leaves when they get dusty
Choosing your creeper
Don’t just go for the prettiest thing you see. See what fits where you are. A balcony that bakes in the sun is fine for a bougainvillaea or an allamanda. Tuck a skyflower or madhumalti in a shadier nook and they’ll put up a quick screen.
Want to put on a show for the butterflies? Pick something they like. Or if you are a novice, the money plant is hard to beat for some no-fuss greenery.
A handy guide for what you might be after:
– Some colour without the work: Bougainvillaea in the open
– A year-round pick: Allamanda
– To block the view: Skyflower
– For a nice smell in the evening: Madhumalti
– If you like to watch the bees: Blue pea
– To make a point: Passion flower (with a bit of help)
– For the rest of us: Money plant
It’s in their nature to be flexible. Give a climber the right amount of room and light and even a small balcony can be made over into a living wall. It’s not only about the look of the place, but the feel of it, day in and day out.
