Winter-hardy balcony plants - how your plants survive the winter

With the onset of autumn and the slowly falling temperatures, many balcony owners ask themselves the question, "How will my plants survive the winter?". In addition to the classic balcony plants, which can be very expensive to overwinter in the apartment, winter-hardy plants are often a great option. Here you can find out which plants survive the cold season on your balcony, how you can best prepare them for the cold, and how The Plant Box makes balcony planting even easier for you in winter.

What does winter-hardy mean?

Winter-hardy or winter-proof? There is actually a difference. Winter-hardy plants survive the low temperatures only with complex protective measures and under certain conditions. Rosemary, for example, withstands the cold of winter excellently, but only if it is protected from frost. So if you want to take your rosemary bush with you into the next year, you should wrap it up well or store it indoors.

Winter-proof, on the other hand, can withstand very low temperatures and frost without any problems or major protective measures. The disadvantage: Unfortunately, they often do not look quite as colourful as other (blooming) balcony plants. But they are usually perennial and easy to care for, so you can look forward to them for a long time. However, creating a flower box using only winter-hardy plants is not an option for many. If you've ever looked at pictures of winter-hardy arrangements, you know that they can quickly look a little monotonous. A compromise that many gardeners make is to fill the window boxes partly with winter-hardy and partly with seasonal plants. Even after the flowers of summer have faded, the boxes are not completely empty and are still beautifully green.

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Which balcony plants are winter-hardy?

Would you like to equip your balcony with winter-hardy plants? These 6 plants provide colour on your balcony all year round and survive the low temperatures of winter without much effort:

The perennial heather comes in many different varieties, some of which can withstand temperatures as low as -30℃. When in bloom, heather is particularly popular with bees and can also be planted as a privacy screen for your balcony.
Purple bells also look really pretty when not in bloom due to their red or purple leaves. The evergreen, very easy-care plant can also be left outside in winter and only needs to be watered regularly until it can bloom in pink and white again in May.
Dwarf medlar are very undemanding when it comes to their care and can withstand even low temperatures without much effort and water. They have either red or white flowers and bear red fruits that birds like to eat. Attention: The berries of the dwarf medlar are slightly poisonous and therefore not suitable for households with animals or children.
Some lavender varieties are winter-hardy and can therefore remain on the balcony at temperatures down to -15℃. In order for the perennial shrub to bloom again next year, you should not expose it to too much sun or wind. As soon as lavender begins to bloom again in spring, it is particularly popular with bees and other insects.
A few thyme bushes can also be left on the balcony over the winter months. They are particularly easy to care for, because it is not even absolutely necessary to cover them. Just check beforehand whether your thyme variant belongs to the winter-hardy varieties.
Pansies flower every two years and can therefore also survive the winter. However, if you have planted them in tubs or boxes, you should pack them up well in winter and cover the plants from above with fir branches or newspaper so that they can bloom again from March.

Winter-hardy balcony planting with The Plant Box

Do you want to be absolutely sure that your balcony is beautifully planted even in winter, and maybe you don't have time for the time-consuming process of cutting back, packing, and putting away your plant containers during the stressful Christmas season? That is why we are here! The Plant Box creates new, creatively designed balcony plantings every season, which are already arranged and sent directly to your home. We also pay attention to sustainability and seasonality, because we want not only you, but also birds, bees, and the environment to be happy about your balcony plants.

This is how your hardy balcony planting works with The Plant Box:

The fully arranged balcony plants are delivered directly to your front door - long waits in the garden center are no longer necessary
It's cold outside? Spend as little time as possible in the cold, and set your The Plant Box refill in your planter in just minutes.
Your balcony always looks different with The Plant Box: every season we design new, creative flower arrangements that are tailored to the current season. Our winter refills therefore survive the low temperatures without any problems. Take a look at our pictures in the shop, and find your favorites for the winter.
Are you worried about the optimal care for your plants in winter? With every refill we provide you with a lot of information on how to properly care for your new plants, so you can enjoy them for a long time.

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By the way: For all plant lovers or balcony owners in your life, a fully planted balcony box from The Plant Box is a great gift.

Tips for overwintering plants

When the temperatures start to fall in autumn, it is important first to cut back the shoots of the plants so that as little energy as possible is lost through the young leaves and branches. If possible, your balcony boxes and tubs should be stored in a sunny place and protected from the wind in winter. This ensures that the branches of your plants do not break off so easily and can simply continue to flower at the beginning of spring. After trimming them down, you should also cover them with some newspaper, burlap, or pine boughs. To prevent the potting soil from freezing completely, you can place your containers on wooden boards and cover them with garden fleece or jute from the outside. For this reason, particularly large balcony boxes and tubs made of metal and plastic are more suitable for overwintering than small ones made of terracotta. You should definitely pay attention to this, especially if your balcony is not very sunny (shaded balcony). If the winter weather is rather dry, you should water your plants regularly - about every 2 weeks. Be careful not to water the soil too often to avoid exposing your plant's roots to too much risk of frost.