Zinnia is an annual ornamental plant that impresses with the variety of colors and shapes of its flowers. The zinnia has upright strong shoots with a length of half to one meter and large flowers that remain in bloom throughout the summer. We can find tall and short varieties of zinnia and plant them in a pot but also in a rock garden, on the lawn, and in flower beds, in various combinations with other herbaceous flowering plants.

Gaillardia is an impressive flower with characteristic green-grey foliage and beautiful flowers that resemble daisies in shades of red, yellow and orange. Gaillardia is characterized by abundant and prolonged flowering that lasts from early summer to mid-autumn. It comes from America and belongs to the same family as the sunflower with several varieties, some annual and others perennial and a height varying between 30-90 cm. Gaillardia is an ideal choice for planting in a flower bed, in a rock garden, as well as in a pot on the balcony. The Gaillardia plant gives a wild flower feel to our garden and is also one of the plants that attract butterflies and birds. Gaillardia needs sunny positions to give us its impressive flowering. It wants light and sandy soil that has good drainage, as young Gaillardia plants are sensitive to excess moisture. To plant it in a pot on the balcony, we prefer places with southern exposure and relatively sheltered, as it is sensitive to low temperatures and strong north winds. In any case, we put a layer of gravel at the base of the pot to drain away the water and not to close the holes of the pot due to soil compression.

Euphorbia lactea cristata, is an easy-to-grow succulent, resulting from the grafting of two species. That is, two plants in one! Its upper part is Euphorbia lactea and its color is silver-grey, which can turn reddish if the plant is happy in its environment. Its lower part is usually Euphorbia neriifolia. Its shape resembles a coral and resulted from a normal mutation of Euphorbia lactea and is also known as Coral plant. Prefer bright spots in the growing area. With gradual acclimatization, it can also live in direct sunlight.

Salvia is a perennial herbaceous plant, cultivated as an annual. It is also called “fire” because of the arrangement and crimson color of its flowers. It belongs to the Labiatae family. The genus Salvia includes about 500 species of plants. Among them is the Mediterranean aromatic sage S. officinalis. Many varieties and hybrids have been created including Salvia x superba with its impressive purple-blue flowers. Salvia is native to Brazil and remains in bloom throughout summer and fall. Its decorative value is due to the rich flowering but also to the contrast created by the red flowers with the lively green foliage. It is planted in groups in rock gardens, lawns, flower beds and plant containers, alone or in combination with other annual plants. The combination of salvia and yellow amber is excellent!

The sunflower, the well-known sunflowers, is a favorite summer plant to decorate our garden or balcony to give us its impressive flowering. The name of the sunflower comes from the fact that its head constantly turns towards the sun’s rays during the day and turns again, in the morning hours, towards the east. The dwarf varieties of sunflower, which reach up to 40-50 cm in height, are suitable for pots, while for the garden we prefer the taller varieties that exceed one meter and are also edible. The characteristic color of sunflower flowers is yellow but now new sunflower varieties have been created in shades from pale yellow to red and brown.

Carnations, one of the classic and much-loved flowers that are traditionally found in the gardens, yards and balconies of Greek homes. The carnation (carnation or dianthus) stands out for its lush vegetation with its characteristic elongated lance-shaped leaves and its rich flowering in impressive colors. There are single color carnation varieties in shades of pink, red, yellow and white, as well as bicolor carnations with wonderful color combinations. This is an extremely popular ornamental plant that, especially in previous decades, was not missing from any home. After all, the carnation has been cultivated since ancient times and was known by the name Dianthos, which means the flower of Zeus. The carnation is planted in the spring and gives us the rich flowering from April to November.