Balcony Bliss

Balconies provide wonderful opportunities to grow perfectly pint-sized gardens. Author and self-confessed crazy plant lady, Angie Thomas explains how to get started.

With backyards shrinking and more people moving into apartments, it’s more important than ever to make the most of every available space for growing plants. And if you have a balcony, you can have a garden! By using clever space-saving techniques and careful plant selection, you can create a productive edible garden or a pretty plant-filled paradise. Before planting up your balcony, here are some of the things to consider.

Sunshine

The direction your balcony faces and how many hours of sun it receives will determine the types of plants you can grow. There is a plethora of edible and flowering plants that love lots of sunshine, but there are also plants that can thrive in shadier conditions. Sun-loving edible and flowering plants for balconies include citrus, beans, tomatoes, salvias and lavender. Plants that will do well in dappled sun include spinach, loose-leaf lettuce and Madagascar jasmine.

 

Pots

Pots can be plain, cheap and cheerful or decorative and match your exterior colours and design style. The larger the pot, the easier it will be to maintain (larger pots hold more potting mix, which means greater access to moisture and nutrients). A collection of larger pots, particularly in groups of three, will look much more attractive than multiple small pots. To help maximise potted plant success, use a premium potting mix, like Yates Premium Potting Mix with Dynamic Lifter. It’s been specially formulated to hold more moisture and have improved wettability, as well as being boosted with nutrients. Don’t forget hanging baskets can help maximise your space and are fantastic for growing trailing or spreading plants like mint, strawberries and petunias.

 

Dwarf or compact plants

Compact varieties of plants will help make the most of small spaces. Dwarf citrus and other fruit trees can be part of a mini-balcony orchard. Many flowering shrubs such as murraya, azalea and callistemon are available in dwarf form and space-saving vegies like baby beets, carrots and loose-leaf lettuce are perfect for growing in pots.

 

Watering

Potted plants dry out much faster than in-ground plants and balconies can also be exposed to windy conditions, adding to the dryness factor. Access to a tap on the balcony will make your life easier, otherwise regular visits to the balcony with a watering can will be required. Self-watering pots, that have a water reservoir in their base, are a great idea for balconies as they help provide moisture to plants over several days or weeks. Wicking beds are also great for balconies and can be DIY'ed or purchased as kits.

 

Design

Balconies can benefit from planning and design. It helps optimise the available space and create a fabulous plant-filled outdoor room. Position larger pots and plants at the rear, next to the wall, with smaller pots at the front. Walls can also have trellises attached for climbing plants to twine up. Low troughs or window boxes can be placed along the outer edge of the balcony, to not block any view. Including a small table setting on your balcony will create a relaxing place to enjoy your plant-filled haven.