Maximise your mini-garden: Tiny balcony? No problem! Take your garden vertical with clever planters, walls and supports. Transform even the most compact space into a lush green oasis.
Tips on balcony gardening
- Before you start planting, take some time to become a sun surveyor! Over the course of a day, observe where the sun shines on your balcony. This will help you map out the sunniest and shadiest spots. Remember, most fruits and vegetables need at least six hours of direct sunlight daily to thrive in your balcony oasis.
- Balconies can be wonderful spots for a little urban oasis but they often come with strong winds that can wreak havoc on your plants. These gusts dry out the soil quickly, making it a constant battle to keep your greenery thriving. Here's a handy tip: consider putting up a windbreak made of cane matting. This simple barrier will significantly reduce the wind's impact, creating a calmer microclimate for your precious plants. They'll dry out at a slower rate, allowing you to enjoy a flourishing balcony garden.
- While your balcony beckons with planting possibilities, be mindful of weight restrictions. Remember, wet soil and compost can add serious pounds!
- Drip Tray Delight: Avoid soaking your downstairs neighbors! Use drip trays under your pots to catch excess water.
9 vertical gardening ideas for balconies
- Balcony Rail Planters: Maximise space with these clever planters! Designed to sit over or hang from your balcony rail, they take up minimal space and are perfect for smaller plants like herbs, strawberries, or trailing summer favorites like petunias and begonias.
- Short on space? No problem! Stackable planters are your new best friend. These modular wonders let you build your garden vertically, with each tier offering a pocket for vibrant flowers or your favorite herbs like parsley, basil, and mint.
- Don't have ground space? No problem! Grow climbers in pots and train them up obelisks or trellises fixed to your balcony wall. Miniature climbing roses like 'Warm Welcome' thrive in containers and reward you with masses of bright orange blooms all summer.
- Flower & Food Fusion: Love both beauty and bounty? Combine them! Climbing French Beans like 'Blauhilde' offer a stunning display of violet flowers in summer, followed by delicious purple beans that turn green when cooked. Grow them up a trellis for an attractive and productive balcony garden.
- Suspend vibrant hanging baskets overflowing with cascading blooms like petunias, verbena, and trailing fuchsias. These low-maintenance beauties add a touch of whimsy and color to your vertical space.
- Herb Haven on Your Railing: Maximise vertical space by utilizing railing planters. Grow a fragrant and functional herb garden with thyme, rosemary, oregano, and basil. Easy to care for and close at hand, fresh herbs will elevate your culinary creations.
- Repurpose old shoe organizers or build your own pocket planters for a creative and space-saving vertical garden. Fill the pockets with succulents, small ferns, or flowering violas for a unique and charming display.
- Tiered plant stands let you grow 3-4 times more plants on your balcony. Since lower levels receive less sun, position your shade-loving plants there, while sun-worshippers thrive on the top tiers. This clever solution creates a lush vertical oasis, perfect for any balcony space!
- Turn your balcony into a vertical oasis! Dwarf trees like the stunning Wilson's Pink Dwarf Japanese Maple bring height and year-round interest. Its delicate variegated leaves prefer dappled light, perfect for balconies with afternoon shade. Feeling fruity? Ballerina apple trees like Samba and Flamenco are compact superstars. These beauties boast beautiful spring blooms followed by delicious fruits on short spurs, all in a space-saving upright form.
Tiny terrace or sprawling backyard? We have everything to transform your space this year! Visit us and get gardening!
