How To Start a Beautiful and Eco-Friendly Balcony Garden

Balconies are great. When living in a big city, it can be hard to capture some of that outdoors vibe that come with regular houses. There is no backyard you can have your dog run around in and there is very minimal greenery amongst all the concrete. However, even the smallest of balconies can help you have that full outdoors experience. Now after a long day of work, you can sit down and relax on your balcony, get some fresh air and enjoy all the benefits of the outdoors. One way to further enhance your balcony is by adding a balcony garden.

Benefits to Having a Balcony Garden

Grow your own food

Plants that can grow up things such as the tomato plant above can be useful for a balcony with limited space

As is the case with most things, food prices are going up. Shipping struggles and backlogged warehouses mean it is very difficult for stores and markets to be fully stocked with goods. Instead of going to the grocery market and either being turned away due to the price or the lack of availability, why not grow your own food on your balcony? If you have a balcony with a good amount of sunlight throughout the day, this may be for you. Grow any fruit or vegetable from tomatoes and carrots to basil and mint. As you can see in the picture above, vertical farming can be useful in spaces with limited room. Instead of compromising the horizontal space for you to enjoy your balcony comfortably, you can utilize the vertical space to have the best of both worlds. Check out this blog on vertical farming to get a better understanding on this new farming method.

Outdoorsy Feel

This balcony from shows how even a space as small as a balcony can have a unique and comfortable outdoor feel.

As mentioned previously in this article, if you have a balcony in your residence, you likely don’t have much nature around you. Utilize this little piece of the outside that you do have to its fullest potential. You can add anything from small planters to bigger pots with trees and larger plants. If you want to keep your balcony as eco-friendly as possible, we suggest checking out the Top 10 Eco-friendly planters blog to find the best planter for you that also doesn’t harm the planet in the long term.

Looks Great and Stands Out

This example from Italy shows how adding some greenery to your balcony can really help add some vibrant color and help your balcony stand out against the other buildings

Have you ever looked at an apartment complex from the ground? It all looks the same. Just rows and rows of boring balconies with no break in sight. Be the change and stand out a little. By having lush greenery in your balcony, your apartment twill be easily noticed from the street and admired by anyone walking by. On top of that, it can be a good talking point with neighbors. Who knows, maybe you can make a few new friends over your shared interests in gardening that you wouldn’t have otherwise known had you not started your balcony garden?

How do I start?

It is the case with most new beginnings. The classic quote, “I don’t know where to start.” This hinders so many people and prevents them from attacking new hobbies head on. The fear of failure from the start can limit the aspirations and successes of anyone, especially gardeners. But fear not, we’re here to help with some beginners’ tips not just for balcony gardening, but gardening in general. (Also check with your landlord or the building rules to make sure you are allowed to make a balcony garden!)

Furniture

This furniture set from JoyBird is a great way to add comfort to your balcony

If you have the space, you can utilize furniture to allow yourself to spend more time in your balcony. From simple chairs to full on table sets, find what fits your balcony best to allow you to enjoy your time spent out there. If you also care about being sustainable, check out the company JoyBird. They make their furniture from sustainable wood and plant trees with each purchase. It is also designed for the outdoors, so they will be able to survive those more difficult weather days you might experience.

Plants

This comes down to experience. How long have you been gardening for? If you are more experienced, you can go with what you know. You likely know what plants you can tend to and what will do well in the region. IF you need some help figuring out what plants are best, check out this blog “6 Common Houseplants that can Live Outdoors in the Summer” to further learn about what plants can do well both indoors and outdoors.

What do I need to avoid?

There are two main issues you need to worry about, especially with balcony garden: natural problems and unnatural. That may seem confusing at first, but when you break it down it can be quite simple.

• Natural problems are things that nature throw your way. This can vary from insects to invasive species of insects or plants, to fungus that cripple your plants. Many of these natural problems come quickly and without warning, so it is important to know how to combat them when they do arise.
• The unnatural problems are man-made, and more times than not, stem from a lack of understanding about the specifics of plants. These issues can be over/under fertilization, over/under watering, over/under lighting amongst many others. Again, it is important to know your information when starting a balcony garden as this will not only allow you to fix problems that arise faster, but also prevent them from happening all together.

You can always check out websites such as Bob Vila, Soltech and others to further learn about the issues that can arise when tending to plants.