How to Grow a Balcony Flower Garden? Start From Here
Growing flowers on your balcony can be both fun and immensely rewarding. It helps to brighten up your living space and gives you the pleasure of growing when you don’t have a garden plot to tend.
If your green thumb is itching, but you don’t have a yard to dig around in, a balcony flower garden just might be what you need. These flower gardens will add a beautiful look to your balcony, delighting you and passersby. And live plants really brighten up a home and make it feel like your space. Living in an apartment or condo doesn’t mean you can’t have a garden! Keep reading for tips on a how to grow a flower garden on your balcony.
If you are just starting to flex your green thumb, don’t worry about going all out. It is so easy to go pick out a ton of very pretty flowers you want to grow. Nurseries and other stores selling plants will have a lot to pick from and you likely will be drawn to many plants. Try not to fall into that trap just yet. Start small with only a few pots for your balcony. Three or four plants is a great starting place. You can care for them, get a taste of gardening, and most importantly not get overwhelmed. Plus this means a smaller initial investment as you test the waters of balcony gardening.
Once you decide you want to go for it and start a balcony flower garden, you really need to decide what can grow. You don’t want to just pick out pretty flowers to have them die because they can’t get what they need to survive in the space. This will only make you frustrated. Plus it’s a waste of your time and money.
Above all, if you live in an apartment or condo, check with the building to see if there are any specific rules you need to follow. After that, there are a few basic things you need to consider. How much sun does the space get? And when is it getting the most sun? There are some plants that do best with a little morning sun, but can’t tolerate the harshness of heavy afternoon sunlight. Does it get really hot on your balcony? Sun reflecting off the windows can really heat up the space.
Is the space windy? If so, you might need to consider a lattice or trellis for support. Don’t worry they sell these specifically for pots. Also with wind, the plant will need more water as it will dry out more quickly. If so you might need self watering pots.
You also should consider how much space you have. Will having large pots take away from seating space? Can your balcony accommodate large plants and their pots or would a vertical garden be a better use of the space?
Also think about how much time you will be able to spend taking care of the plants. If you are constantly on the go, you might want to look for a hardy plant that doesn’t need a lot of help from you. There are so many finicky plants that will give you trouble if you miss even a day of watering or temperatures change too much too quickly.
As you select containers for your plants, consider the size and weight of the container. This means thinking about how heavy it will be when it is full. Check to make sure your balcony can support the weight of the containers at their heaviest. You might even need to consult your building’s maintenance staff. To make your containers weigh a little less, you can add filler to the bottom like empty milk jugs or coco coir. This will take up some space you would have otherwise filled with potting soil.
You can find all sorts of garden containers at your local hardware store, box store or garden nursery. They will range in all sizes, shapes and weight. Not only that, but you will find they are made from a variety of materials and quality. You can also find containers at garage sales. This is especially good if you are trying to keep costs low to start.
Adding some hanging baskets into the mix is just another great way to create another layer to the overall look of your balcony flower garden. Just make sure they are secured as high winds can knock them around.
Now that you know what the conditions on your balcony are and what size you are looking for, it is time to select your plants. Some balcony gardeners will start out with a mix of annuals and perennials. Annuals live only for one season, while perennials can winter over and return year after year. With perennials, look for native plants, as they will have an easier time growing in your location.
Here are some flowers that work well as balcony plants in containers:
In addition to flowers, succulents, ferns and herbs can also make great additions to balcony gardens. If you find you want to expand your balcony garden, there are fruits and vegetable plants you can also look into.
Not all plants need to grow in separate containers. Annuals especially can make a beautiful arrangement when planted together in the same pot. Doing this will give you several different textures, levels and colors in one container. If you need help selecting annuals that go together, nursery workers are always ready to work with you to create the perfect combinations. As with any container plant, make sure you aren’t overcrowding them. You want to give them plenty of space to grow and not be fighting for resources.
You’ve determined what you need, picked the plants and the containers, and set everything up. Now you get to enjoy the space you have created, but you also have to remember to care for them. Different plants will need different care. Some need a lot of water and others not so much. You will also need to think about regular checks for pests, ensuring your hard work doesn’t go to waste with an invasion. This is often considered easier because you are working in such a small space and you don’t have expansive beds to check over. Regular pruning and dead heading might also be necessary.
As winter begins to set in, consider if you want to save your plants or not. Perennials may survive outside on their own if the containers are large enough, but you may have to bring them indoors. Your annuals won’t survive outside if you leave them, but this means you can start over next year with new combinations. These pots of annuals can be brought in and placed in a window. With care, you might just be able to keep them around to go back out once the spring comes.