Balcony or Small Space Gardening
Tips to Inspire you
Vertical gardening gives you excellent use of a small area such as a balcony or patio. It can provide a highly sought-after privacy screen and lots of character to your space.
There are many vertical gardening options available such as: vertical herb gardens, vertical flower, and succulent gardening. You can also combine different strategies to achieve a significant impact in a small area.
There are many vertical gardening options available such as: vertical herb gardens, vertical flower, and succulent gardening. You can also combine different strategies to achieve a significant impact in a small area.
Vertical Garden Ideas
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Wall Planters - In areas with limited space using blank walls offers an opportunity for utilizing valuable real estate. Walls are a perfect place to personalize your small space. Wall planters are available in many different styles including pockets and buckets. These are available with flat backs for flush mounting against the wall limiting space consumption. Many styles even include water reservoirs for easy maintenance.
Fill up the containers with herbs, greens, edible flowers, ornamental plants, or succulents while varying textures for visual appeal. Be sure to use your wall shelf for accents where pails and planters can rest. You might even want to add some hooks for storing garden tools. - Railing Planters - Railing planters are a quick and easy way to surround your home with lush greenery, edibles, and colorful plants. Rail planters also come in my designs that can securely attach to a variety of rail support sizes, alleviating the worry of damaging your rails or the planters falling off. Some options will even sit over your railing allowing you to use space on both sides of the rail. The smallest of balconies can feature over-the-rail planters with a cascade of flowers and vines.
- Hanging Planters - Hanging planters are another beautiful and functional option for small spaces. These planters can be used for added beauty with lovely flowers and cascading plants, upside down planters for edibles, birdcage planters and much more. Hanging planters can make a small balcony or patio feel larger as they lead your line of sight upward.
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Garden Pots - You may have potted plants on your balcony or patio already. These can easily get lost and overlooked in the view, try putting them on a tiered plant stand for a better view. Another option is to add vine trellises to them to move your line of site upwards once again giving you more beauty and functionality in your small space.
Consider placing some of your pots on side tables or plant stands. This not only raises the focal point, but it opens up space for shade-loving plants as well. Use the shade created by your structures to tuck in shade loving plants for even more variety.
How to Plant a Balcony Garden
A key component is to look at the plants' growth patterns before planting. While some plants are showy and tall others will be vining or trailing. Plant them in planters where they don't impose on each other. Other tips include:
- Trailing plants are great for hanging planters, rather than taller upright ones.
- Tuck in shade-loving plants next to taller plants that will provide shade or underneath raised structures.
- Add trellises for climbing varieties.
- Add companion plants to boost the production of edible plants or deter problematic pests.
- A rule of thumb for mixed containers is to add a filler, thriller and spiller to your containers. The combinations of texture and growth patterns create beautiful interest to your balcony or patio garden.
Sunlight and Water Requirements
As you are planning your garden design be sure to observe how the sun hits your balcony or patio throughout the day. Determine whether your space falls is full shade, partial shade, or full sun and choose your plants accordingly.
If your balcony or patio is shaded most of the day, use shade plants such as: impatiens, hostas, succulents, coleus, astilbe, and begonias. An herb such as Swiss chard will also grow in shady spots.
The amount of sunlight your space gets will also impact your watering needs. Plants that are in full sun all day will need more frequent watering than those in shadier areas.
If watering is a chore for you or you simply don't have the time, consider using self watering containers or add self-watering garden globes to your potted plants. Keeping a watering can on your balcony or patio can also make the job easier.
If your balcony or patio is shaded most of the day, use shade plants such as: impatiens, hostas, succulents, coleus, astilbe, and begonias. An herb such as Swiss chard will also grow in shady spots.
The amount of sunlight your space gets will also impact your watering needs. Plants that are in full sun all day will need more frequent watering than those in shadier areas.
If watering is a chore for you or you simply don't have the time, consider using self watering containers or add self-watering garden globes to your potted plants. Keeping a watering can on your balcony or patio can also make the job easier.
Attracting Pollinators
Pollination is vital to consider when planning a garden. Mixing flowers, herbs, and some vegetables to boost plant productivity will help to attract different beneficial insects and pollinators to your garden. Adding other elements such as a hummingbird feeder can also attract the much-needed pollinators to your balcony or patio.
A few plants for attracting beneficial pollinators while also adding to your gardens texture and color are: zinnias, marigolds, cosmos, calendula and nasturtiums.
A few plants for attracting beneficial pollinators while also adding to your gardens texture and color are: zinnias, marigolds, cosmos, calendula and nasturtiums.
Spacing Plants
Maintaining adequate air flow around your plants is necessary to maintain healthy plants. When plants lack enough airflow, they are more susceptible to fungal infections and diseases.
Pruning Your Garden
Now that you have your garden planted you may see some of your plants grow rapidly. While this is desirable for healthy gardens, when you're in a small space like a balcony, your garden can quickly get unruly. Pruning is the key to maintaining healthy plants and keeping your space tidy.
- Plants such as herbs and greens can be harvested regularly using the cut and come again method. This should be all the pruning that is needed for these plants.
- Flowering plants may need regular deadheading to encourage new blooms and keep plants vibrant. Pinch off spent flowers and discard them in a compost bucket.
- Other plants that outgrow their space parameters or encroach on other plants should be pruned back with pruning shears to keep them tame.