It’s finally spring and if you happen to live in an apartment or a condo, you may be feeling the no-garden-blues. Fear not, there are alternative ways to enjoy a garden. In fact, just a few weeks ago, we wrote about creative indoor gardening ideas! If you’re lucky enough to have a balcony, cultivating a smaller-scale balcony garden is something to consider. Here are some things to consider if a balcony garden is something that piques your interest.
How big is your balcony?
Not all balconies are created equal, so the breadth of your garden largely depends on the square footage of your balcony. Don’t forget to consider vertical space, especially if you’re lacking floor space, and consider employing ideas such as hanging planters and wall gardens.
How much sun does your balcony get?
Consider the fact that the climate on your balcony may be different than the climate on ground level; sun exposure for example. Many balconies are semi enclosed or covered in some way, or simply face in a direction without ideal exposure to the sun. On the flip side of this, perhaps your balcony gets a lot of unflinching sun during the day. Depending on these factors, you may have to consider plants that don’t require as much sunlight to thrive or alternatively do thrive in extreme sun and heat exposure. This may require you to actually time the amount of sunlight you get in a day.
How much wind does your balcony get?
Once again, climate comes into play here. Apartments or condos that are higher up tend to get more wind, which can be harmful to some plant types. One trick to combat this is to put plants that are less tolerant to high winds, as close to the ground as possible, and to mulch with moss, pea gravel or shredded cedar, which will retain moisture better than soil. Keep in mind that wind also tends to dry plants out, so any bud or bloom that requires generous watering sadly won’t thrive in a balcony garden, unless you’re willing to water them frequently.
What should you plant?
The buds and blooms you select for your balcony garden of course depends on the above three factors, in addition to how often you are home, and how much attention you are able to dedicate to your balcony garden. Click here to read more about the best growths depending on your balcony and your lifestyle.
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