Just because you don’t have a large outdoor space available to you does not mean that you don’t deserve to enjoy a gorgeous garden area. With property prices ever increasing on the North Shore, more and more people are having to get innovative by creating apartment balcony gardens. If you live in an apartment, you may lack the connection with the natural world, and a balcony garden could be just the thing you need to bring peace and tranquillity into your living space.
While gardening in a tight space can prove challenging, it can also be very rewarding (as well as easier than having to maintain a large garden full of foliage). Let’s look at some of the tips that you can use for creating a terrace balcony garden!
Start Small
If you are new to gardening and the world of plants, it is best that you start small, with a couple of succulents or something equally easy to take care of. Buying too many plants in one go can be exciting, but what often happens is that you get overwhelmed by their care needs, and plants end up dying. If you already have experience with plants and gardening, then this tip may not apply to you!
Know What You Have Available to You
Before going plant shopping, have a clear idea of what you’re working with, including:
- The dimensions of your balcony
- How many hours of sun your balcony gets
- If your balcony is sheltered or it gets a lot of wind
- If there is space for you to hang hanging plants or if you’re allowed to drill hooks into the walls to hang some up.
With this information, you’ll have a clearer idea of what could work for your balcony garden and what wouldn’t.
Learn About Container Gardening
If you have a balcony, you’re going to make use of container gardening, which is having plants in various pots and containers. Two main things to note is that you should use containers with holes in the bottom or proper drainage systems and that you should use soil that is meant for container gardening. Container gardening also allows you to move pots around should certain plants require more/less sun than you originally thought they would.
Use Vertical Space
The floor space of your balcony may be very limited, so that is why it is important to make use of the vertical space that you have available to you by use of hanging plants, planters that are attached to the wall or even shelving units that can be used to store some of your gardening equipment as well as display some of your plants.
Choose Plants Carefully
Based on the information that you have gained about your garden, you should choose the plants you wish to include on your balcony. Pick plants that will have the best possible chance of survival based on the conditions that your balcony offers. Also, think about if you want to grow practical, edible plants such as herbs and vegetables or if you’d rather enjoy the appeal and scents of flowers and exotic plants.
Don’t be Shy to Hire a Professional Gardener!
While you may feel silly to call a professional gardener to help you with a terrace or apartment balcony garden, you really shouldn’t! Gardening can be difficult, and it often requires an expert’s knowledge to choose the right plants and placements that will be ideally suited to a small space.
A professional gardener can help you create your ideal balcony garden and give you expert tips for maintenance, and even provide maintenance services too. Getting a professional can also save you time and money in the long run as you won’t be buying expensive plants that are not right for a balcony environment. Everything your gardener chooses will be ideal for the space available to you and have the best chance at growth and health.
Interested in hiring a professional gardener to set you up with the terrace balcony garden of your dreams? At Hort Culture, we specialise in terrace gardening on the North Shore. Feel free to contact us on 0434 863 822 to talk more about your gardening needs.