For advice on growing and designing a balcony garden or terrace, there are many ideas to help you maximise the greenery, introduce blooms, and incorporate aromatic herbs. Consider the following before you start creating your balcony garden:
How to get started with your balcony
1. Understand your environment
Examining sun exposure and wind direction on your balcony is crucial. This assessment will aid in determining the types of plants that can be successfully grown in your garden. For instance, certain plants require six hours of sunlight per day, while others thrive with less.
2. Invest in the good earth
To save on pots - consider repurposing items such as old crates or buckets. However, it is essential to opt for soil quality for optimal growth. Choose organic soil with peat-free organic compost.
3. One plant per pot rule
To promote healthy plant growth - it is crucial to avoid overcrowding multiple plants in a single pot, especially when space is limited. Instead, opt for planting one plant per pot - providing each plant ample room to grow and thrive. This practice ensures healthier plants and allows them to reach their full potential.
4. Utilise vertical space
Leverage available space by using walls and balcony railings. Encourage your plants to grow vertically with sturdy bamboo sticks and twine to save floor space.
With these considerations, you're prepared to create a green haven in your urban apartment that you may have thought impossible. Read on for further inspiration for balcony garden ideas:
Make a miniature kitchen garden
Create a miniature kitchen garden with deep containers and an efficient water irrigation system. Consider a compost seat to enrich your container garden soil.
Get textured
Introduce different textures by combining various structures and densities in plants. Consider structured Echinacea, ornamental verbena, flowing grasses, succulents, and tropical plants.
Step into the aroma
Plant ground thyme or chamomile within the cracks of your floor to soften the paving and release aromatic scents.
Plants on the table
Utilise a dining table to house plant containers with strawberries trailing down or fresh mint for an impromptu cocktail garnish.
Cover it up
Create an inviting outdoor living space with a vine-covered trellis for privacy and a cosy seating area surrounded by plants.
Go vertical
Use a ladder for an instant vertical garden. Railing planters allow for ample greenery without overcrowding the balcony.
Go green
Install a low-maintenance living wall for a green touch, that will blend your building walls into nature.
Extend through to your ledges
Balcony ledges and raised platforms provide additional space for your garden and soften any hard lines.
Inside / outside
Bring your indoor style outdoors, making the house feel larger and blurring the lines between indoors and outdoors.
Start small
Start simple with structured pots and plants like Fatsia japonica, lavender, or lemon trees.
Hello yellow
Opt for a monochrome design. A yellow-themed balcony design offers a perfect backdrop for greenery to stand out.
Japandi style
Experiment with a Japandi theme: warm sun walls, ornamental plants, silver hues, and a touch of deep burgundy blooms.
Maximalist style
Embrace a maximalist design, featuring hanging chairs, a bold rug, and plenty of mood-boosting greenery.
Light it up
Add twinkle lights to create a cosy atmosphere and allow for usability at all hours.
Hang some plants
Use hanging planters to add more plant life without sacrificing space.
Add an awning
A scalloped awning on a terrace makes the space comfortable at all hours and allows for more plant diversity.
Block planting design
Try block planting. Hydrangeas in white make for a welcoming sea of green in early spring and will soon envelop you in white blooms.
Wild up the view
Attract pollinators to bring life to the garden. Hardy lavender, Gaura, and thyme are all drought-resistant and provide a good source of nectar.