Which plants for a romantic balcony?

A burst of pastel colours

Romantic flowerings are tinged with powdery, soft tones in all shades of pink, blended with white and velvety blues. Peach and salmon colours also feature in this delicate romantic palette, along with very pale yellows. The softness of these hues is echoed in the foliage, which will beautifully showcase greyed greens and glaucous greens, with leaves splashed with white, adding infinite grace to the plant palette.

Many very romantic flowers display these colours worthy of an English garden, found in numerous cultivars starting with Astrantias, very pure, pink Phlox, lovely cinquefoils and avens in apricot, scabious, Delphiniums, and beautifully blue or white campanulas, as well as Lavateras and Sweet William for a long flowering period. The texture of the flowers and foliage also brings a lot of softness to your balcony: try cuddle plants: the feathery inflorescences of Ceanothus, Caryopteris, the lace-like leaves of Artemisias and Cosmos, the greyed foliage of Teucrium or santolina, and the tangy foliage of Alchemilla to add a pop to your foliage.

Our favourites: Potentilla fruticosa ‘Double Punch Peach’, Phlox ‘Chattahoochee’, Lavatera maritima, Avens ‘Mai Tai’, Cosmos ‘Xanthos’, Delphinium Highlander ‘Sweet Sensation’

Lavatera, Potentilla fruticosa ‘Double Punch Peach’, Phlox ‘Chattahoochee’, Campanulas, Cosmos ‘Xanthos’, Teucrium, Astrantia major ‘Roma’

Roses for charm

Ah… roses and their timeless romantic charm! They are not just the preserve of gardens and can adorn small spaces like urban balconies when choosing compact varieties or dwarf roses. Roses then bring a very English refinement, whether planted in tall pots, selected as climbers trained on a trellis made of wood or metal, or chosen in the form of standard roses in soft pastel tones, to save even more space!

Our favourites: the standard rose ‘Mareva’, ‘Botticelli’ with its beautiful clustered pastel flowers, the bright coral of Décorosier ‘Isalia’, the rose ‘Blush Noisette’ in an almost white pink, repeat flowering, and the climbing rose ‘Mini Eden Rose’, like a mini ‘Pierre de Ronsard’ on your balcony!

Climbing rose ‘Mini Eden Rose’, Décorosier ‘Isalia’ and rose ‘Blush Noisette’

Trailing habits

The languid silhouettes of climbing plants bring a delightful charm to romantic settings. For a balcony, we will primarily consider climbing roses as we have just seen, and among the climbers for pots, the clematis are essential for their delicacy, but also, by choosing appropriately sized varieties, honeysuckles for shadier balconies, not to mention the jasmines in very mild regions… Wisteria can even be considered for a large balcony, ensuring it is securely fixed to a sturdy support and selecting a less vigorous, smaller variety. All these climbers have the advantage of offering compact varieties suitable for a balcony!

Some bushes naturally have an arched habit and a very romantic flowering. By choosing smaller varieties, the effect is stunning on a balcony, literally transforming it into a rural bubble: Abelias, Deutzias, or Japanese Spiraeas.

Finally, lower plants also gracefully cascade from raised planters or elongated troughs, such as the adorable Erigerons karvinskianus, suspended pots of Pelargoniums, annuals where you might combine, for example, petunias with a Convolvulus cneorum with its soft grey foliage or a variegated ivy, perhaps some blue campanulas for shadier balconies, or stunning perennial Fuchsias. The options are truly numerous for creating a gentle atmosphere.

Our favourites: Clematis ‘Little Mermaid’, Wisteria venusta ‘Okayama’, Abelia ‘Magic Daydream’, Deutzia gracilis ‘Nikko’, and Deutzia ‘Cherry Blossom’, Hedera helix ‘Kolibri’, Lonicera henryi, Trachelospermum jasminoides ‘Sun Lover’, Spiraea ‘Double Play Gold’.

Convolvulus cneorum, Deutzia ‘Yuki Cherry Blossom’, Clematis alpina, Trachelospermum jasminoides, Pelargoniums

A carefully studied opulence

The romantic balcony, much like the romantic garden, will play with a profusion of plants to create a lush cocoon that makes you forget the nearby city, replicating a small Eden with hints of an English garden, but suspended! You will primarily install particularly floriferous plants with a long summer flowering period, the time of year when you enjoy your balcony the most, not forgetting to insert a few evergreens so that the balcony does not appear visually bare in the other seasons.

This is an opportunity to introduce a rustic touch by having fun with the flexible foliage of certain bushes like Buddleias, neatly contained in large pots, the exuberance of Vitex agnus (or Chaste Tree), prolong this bucolic effect by installing a potted Caryopteris for late summer flowering. Hydrangeas macrophylla with large blooms, or Hydrangea serrata or involucrata with their delicate, small size, ensure a beautiful presence and flowering on a shadier balcony. A pot of lavender will provide the balcony with a generous, persistent grey cushion after the summer flowering, which can be replaced by a compact Choisya if the balcony is located to the east or west. Gaura are essential to bring a touch of lightness to your balcony!

Also consider shrubby Veronicas, evergreens, that flower for a long time, in lovely shades of pink, white, or blue, to add volume to the balcony after flowering with their small, highly ornamental foliage. Enjoy the beauty and opulence of a Plumbago or a Solanum jasminoides ‘Album’ in a mild climate and on a south-facing balcony!

Our favourites: Vitex agnus castus ‘Blue Puffball’, the stunning pink of Caryopteris clandonensis ‘Stephi’; Weigelia ‘All Summer Peach’, Choisya ‘Apple Blossom’, Hebe ‘Autumn Glory’, Philadelphus ‘Little White Love’.

Choisya ternata ‘Apple Blossom’, Lavender ‘Stoechas’, Caryopteris clandonensis ‘Stephi’, Variegated Hebe, Weigelia ‘All Summer Peach’, Hydrangea involucrata ‘Yoraku Tama’ and Gaura Lindheimeri

Enthralling fragrances

Fragrance is one of the enchanting attributes of the romantic garden, and balconies can enjoy it too, as many climbing plants, roses, perennials, and herbs that can be grown in containers emit wonderful summer scents, and even winter ones!

If you primarily focus on the most fragrant roses, don’t forget the now-popular Trachelospermum jasminoides, with its delightful orange blossom fragrance, which thrives very well in urban environments, and honeysuckles among your climbing plants. Lavender will certainly be part of your plantings so you can stroke it with your hands in summer. Among the annuals to install in spring on your balcony, the sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) not only offers an undeniable romantic appearance and beautiful vigour, but also its sweet fragrance (be cautious, as not all varieties are equal in this regard).

Our favourites: David Austin rose ‘Emily Brontë’ with its tea rose scent, Lonicera periclymenum ‘Caprilia imperial cov’, Lathyrus odoratus ‘Spencer’, Jasminum multipartum, and Daphne transatlantica ‘Eternal Fragrance’, a small white gem with a repeat flowering fragrance.

Guaranteed fragrances on the balcony with David Austin rose ‘Emily Brontë’, Daphne x transatlantica ‘Eternal Fragrance’, sweet pea, and honeysuckle ‘Caprilia Imperial cov’.

Some tips to design your romantic balcony

• A retro or vintage furniture piece works wonders on a romantic balcony, such as elevated metal or rattan planters, which will allow several plants to cascade gently and conceal any overlooking views.
• A romantic balcony will find its charm in the multitude of containers arranged to create a profusion of foliage and flowers. Choose your pots and troughs with attention to detail and in a harmonious mix of materials, which will enhance the refined atmosphere that this type of space deserves.
• Depending on the available space, feel free to add one or two lanterns, a small wicker basket that can serve as a plant cover…