Gardening on balcony is one of the best ways to re-introduce nature into city dwellings, a welcome change from the concrete jungle. You may be occupying a small apartment balcony or a large terrace, but if you are gardening you can turn your backyard into a green heaven. You not only make your home look good when you have balconies, but they are a whole lot of mentally and physically healthy too. In this essay, we will discuss which plants are good for balcony gardening, tell you our experience, and share the tips of the experts to have a flourishing balcony garden.
1. Plants to Grow on Your Balcony: How To Decide What Plants To Plant For Your Balcony?
The first thing about balcony gardening is choosing the plants. You need to take into account the size of your balcony, the amount of sunlight it gets and the weather in your area when you decide on the plants to use. Some of the best plants for balconies are:
a. Herbs
Herbs are good for balconies as they are small, compact and kitchen ready. Some popular herbs include:
Basil: Grows well in the sun, warm soil and water thoroughly.
Mint: Plants rapidly and like partial shade. Be sure to plant it in a different pot, because it is an invasive plant.
Parsley: A perennial that is hardy and will grow in cool temperatures and some shade.
Thyme: Water-tolerant and great for sunny balcony gardens.
My Own Experiment: I began my balcony garden with some herb pots, and fresh basil and mint tasted amazing when I used them in my cooking. Herbs are easy to maintain and they also develop quickly, so they are a good first herb.
Expert Tip: Choose well draining soil and have drainage holes for your herb pots so that root rot doesn’t happen. Prune your herbs regularly so they become bushy.
b. Flowers
Blooms brighten up your balcony garden. The best balcony flowers are:
Petunias: They are summer flowers that thrive on full sunlight.
Geraniums: This one is known for the beautiful flowers and its heat-tolerant.
Marigolds: Very simple to grow and great for insect repellent.
Pansies: For cooler regions and partial shade.
Observational Experience: I put up petunias and marigolds in hanging baskets and they literally lit up my balcony. Even the marigolds kept a bevy of pests away from my other plants.
Expert Note: Deadhead the flowers when they are not producing as much to maintain them in bloom. Be sure to fertilise them with a complete fertiliser to make sure your flowers remain lush and happy.
c. Vegetables
Vegetable gardening on your balcony is a great way to have freshly picked food. Some balcony-friendly vegetables include:
Tomatoes: Choose small varieties such as cherry tomatoes, that grow nicely in pots.
Lettuce: Quickly germination, harvested many times.
Sweet and Hot peppers: Both sweet and hot peppers do best in jars and in the sun.
Radishes: Rapid grower, great for small areas.
Experimentation: I used to grow cherry tomatoes in a big pot, and it was fantastic to have tomatoes in the form of salads. But I learned to support the tomato plants, because they are quite top heavy.
Expert Tip: Choose large deep pots for vegetables and let them get at least 6-8 hours of sunlight a day. Feed your plants every month to maintain them.
d. Succulents and Cacti
If you don’t have a lot of sunlight on your balcony or you just want something simple, succulents and cacti are great plants to choose. Some popular options include:
Aloe Vera: A Medicinal plant which grows well in the extreme temperatures.
Echeveria: A rosette-shaped succulent that can be any color.
Jade Plant: A tough succulent to carry luck.
Personal Experience: I have succulents that I plant on my balcony, they do not need much attention. It is interesting to look at their shapes and textures.
Expert Tip: Invest in a drainage-friendly cactus or succulent blend, and do not overwater. These plants like a good indirect, hot light.
e. Climbing Plants
Climbing plants are ideal for vertical interest in your balcony garden. Some great options include:
Ivy: Very fast growing shrub that grows on walls or fences.
Morning Glory: Leaves lovely, trumpet flowers.
Clematis: Flowers in sunny areas of the vine.
Experiment with Myself: I put morning glory next to my balcony railing and it came right up to the railing and formed a kind of natural green screen. I was delighted by the flowers as a daily treat.
Expert Tip: Give climbing plants trellises or support and get them to grow the way you want them to. Prune them regularly to manage them.
2. Taking up Less Space in a Balcony Garden 1.
One of the things about balcony gardening is that space is at a premium. Here are some tricks to make the most of your balcony garden:
a. Use Vertical Space
Vertical gardening is a beautiful way to get the most out of your balcony. Vertical plant growing: Hanging baskets, wall planters, trellises etc for vertical growing.
Experiment: I had a vertical planter that was hanging off one of the walls of my balcony and now I could have more plants without having to have any space on the floor.
Tip from the Expert: Select light planters when you want to grow vertically without over straining your balcony walls.
b. Choose Multi-Functional Furniture
Try to get furniture that can also be used as storage, like benches with planters or tables with room under the table for potted plants.
User’s Story: I swapped out my old balcony chairs for a bench with potted plants underneath. It was a functional and stylish alternative.
Expert Tip: Be sure to check your furniture is durable enough to be outside.
c. Group Plants Strategically
Put plants with similar needs for sun and water in the same group so that it is easy to manage.
Personal Testimonial: At first, I put sun-loving plants next to shade-loving ones, and it just grew differently. Then I planted them elsewhere and my plants did just fine.
Expert Tip: Layer the plants in layers on stands or shelves to maximize your balcony space.
3. Overcoming Challenges in Balcony Gardening
This kind of gardening is not for everyone because of the space, wind and the weight limit of a balcony garden. Here’s how to overcome them:
a. Wind Exposure
The wind can blow wildly across the balcony and injure plants, especially those that are on a higher floor.
My Own Experience: I almost lost a couple plants due to strong winds before I understood why wind-resistant varieties are better and why windbreaks are good.
Expert Tip: Windbreaks such as bamboo screens or high plants protect your garden. Attach light pots so they don’t collapse.
b. Weight Restrictions
There are weight restrictions on balconies, so don’t use heavy containers and hog up your space.
Note from Myself: I had changed the heavy ceramic pots to light plastic and cloth ones and that helped a lot.
Expert Hint: Add some potting soil and perlite to lighten the load of your containers.
c. Limited Sunlight
If your balcony gets little sun, opt for shade-loving ferns, begonias, or coleus.
My Own Experience: My balcony faces north only for a few hours a day but shade loving plants such as ferns and begonias have done just fine.
Pro Tip: Invest in reflectors, such as mirrors or white walls, to get the most light possible.
4. The Benefits of Balcony Gardening
There are many reasons why balcony gardening is the best:
Good mental wellbeing: Gardening is an activity therapeutic and it decreases stress and anxiety.
Fresh Produce: Organic produce will always be available if you grow your own herbs and vegetables.
Ecological Benefits: Grass cleans the air and it is home to pollinators such as bees and butterflies.
EXPERIENCE: The balcony garden is now a daily practice to calm down and commune with the natural world.
Expert Tip: Don’t try anything too big and just grow your garden from there once you’re confident and experienced.
