Five Ways to Beautiful and Productive Balcony Gardens

Rastafarian Balcony Garden – Jamacian radio station by cecilia macaulay

Like millions of people, I live in a city apartment with limited access to land. Fortunately, like millions of people again, I have an outdoor balcony, and it’s a growing opportunity not to be missed.

This weekend I really took the time to clean my balcony, take stock of what pots I have, and decide what I want to grow this summer. My main objective is to produce the most food possible, but also to create a beautiful sanctuary, where I can enjoy my morning tea or read a book.

I wanted some inspiration for this project, so I went looking around the web for ideas on how other people created their balcony getaways. Here you go, a gallery of beautiful and inspiring balcony gardens we can learn from.

1. Use Your Vertical Space

What makes balcony gardens special is that they don’t usually offer much room to spread out, but we do have lot’s over vertical space! Some creative thinking and constructing can really extent our growing area, and below are a few examples.

Our small balcony garden by jfeuchter

Balcony garden by sniffles

Balcony Garden by boboroshi

2. Up Against the Wall

Another special characteristic of balcony gardens is the presence of large stone or concrete structures. My balcony is all stone with ceramic tile floors. As a result, it gets extremely hot in summer, and I have to take measures to keep my plants cool. I don’t put pots directly on the tiles, but rise them up by placing them on inverted pot dishes. I also give the plants and the floor a light shower around 4-5pm when the stones begin to release their heat.

However, there is an advantage to having stone next to the plants. I can grow tomatoes almost all year round! Even in the winter the bricks and stones absorb and hold the heat really well, extending growing seasons and even allowing out-of-season crops to grow.

(Chillies love heat!)

Taipei Pepper Pot by Prince Roy

balcony greenhouse by jlenneras

3. The Bold and the Beautiful

Don’t be afraid to add some colour! Painting your table and chairs in contrasting bright colours can really complement the green and lush surroundings and give you a boost of energy you might need in the morning. Plus, it just makes me smile.

for apartment therapy by gorgeoux

4. Mixing It Up

To add visual interest to the garden, we can use plants and pots of varying shapes and heights. I found that an array of tiered elements makes for a very effective and appealing look. Variety of colourful plants and flowers also has an added benefit of confusing pests, so they can’t find your baby basil tucked under an umbrella of marigolds.

Middelburg: flower balcony by docman

umbrella tree by gorgeoux

5. The Natural Look

Wood works really well on patios and balconies, especially if it’s left in its natural colour.

My Balcony Garden by dawn_perry

Gardening on the balcony by suzettesuzette

All images used in this post are licensed under Creative Commons license. Many thanks to the generous artists!