A green corner in a small space? It's possible! There are many combinations to create a beautiful balcony full of flowers, but results don't always live up to expectations... Several points must be observed, as in the garden, to be fully satisfied with your creation: exposure, available space, etc. Personally, I gave in to a little whim: a clematis on my windowsill.
How to choose the right clematis?
First, think carefully about the size it will reach when mature: preferably choose a small-growing variety. This is the case, for example, of clematis 'Baby Star', which does not exceed 1.5 metres in height and is therefore ideal in a pot on a balcony. The larger the plant, the larger the pot required to accommodate it. On the promesse de fleurs website, a selection of clematis for pot growing is offered... but the choice is vast and, to decide, you need to play with colours and foliage. For example, clematis 'Early Sensation' is well suited to pot culture and has the advantage of evergreen foliage. Others have a very long flowering period, others are scented...
When planting, make sure to provide good drainage at the bottom of the pot; clematis do not like stagnant water... prefer a fertile soil, even enriched with compost. Next, provide a support for your climber: for example a wooden trellis or a bamboo obelisk. If you have the room, let it run along the branches of a shrub planted nearby... Personally, I simply installed stainless steel wires attached to hooks: the clematis' tendrils had no problem finding something to cling to!
Then, it's like in the garden: keep roots cool in the shade and the top in the sun! Most often, sun is the key to a good display of flowers, provided watering is regular. Clematis also like their roots to be cool: we all know the old trick of placing a tile to protect the base, but better is to try plant associations that will provide this role. For example, bushy, undemanding perennials can coexist with the clematis in the pot and provide the necessary shading. My top choice? hardy geraniums, of course! Easy to grow and very floriferous, they are the ideal companions for a potted climber.
I tried: clematis and geranium combinations
- In shade: clematis 'Sweet Summer Love' placed against a shadier window flowered quite well! Its medium size is suitable for pot culture and, the icing on the cake, its flowers exude a sweet fragrance... I paired it with the well-known hardy geranium 'Orion', tireless. The combination is very pretty, even in shade! I even added a small fuchsia, and the three seem to coexist without too much trouble. However, I think the pot (less than 30 cm in diameter) will need to be changed next year.
- In sun: clematis 'Dancing Dorien' has taken place in a zinc pot, with another hardy geranium, 'Dragon Heart', which has delighted me for a month now, without interruption. Flowering slowed in mid-June (I missed one or two waterings...) before restarting with renewed vigour. It pairs wonderfully with the double white flowers of 'Dancing Dorien', which has just begun to flower.
The result? Two flower-filled windowsills that I hope will last all summer...
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