Always wanted a garden, but afraid you can't while living in an apartment?
The good news is your balcony can make an excellent space to grow a garden. However, growing a garden on your balcony will take a bit of work. Because your balcony climate differs from the ground, you'll need to carefully consider which plants will thrive and which to avoid.
Before buying dirt and plants, spend some time observing your balcony. While observing, take notes to assess your balcony's climate:
- How much shade, does it fluctuate?
- Are there areas exposed to the wind?
- How many hours of sunlight? (Track and record the hours)
- How much heat does the space get?
After figuring out your balcony's climate, determine how much time you'll want to spend tending to your garden. Are you looking forward to continually tend to plants and blooms, or prefer only occasional tending? Some plants need a lot of attention, some a little, while others are happy to be left alone.
The last thing you'll need to figure out is what type of containers to use. If your balcony sees a lot of wind, choose heavy pots, or weigh them down so your plants won't topple over. Some containers are self-watering, which means you pour water into their base and it slowly seeps into the pot as needed. Optimize your balcony space with a vertical garden.
Your local garden centre can help you determine which plants will thrive in your climate and which require the most attention. If this is your first garden, look for hardy plants like Marigolds, Impatience, and Geraniums. These plants don't need a lot of attention and can grow quite beautifully. Succulents are a suitable addition because they survive most conditions and need little watering.
Furthermore, your balcony garden can help keep mosquitoes away. Plants such as Lavender, Citronella Grass, and Marigolds are mosquito deterrents. However, mosquitos like standing water, so after watering your garden, remove exposed standing water so you won't attract them.
Most of our suites in Edmonton, Red Deer, Vermilion, and Wetaskiwin have a balcony or private patio for your growing needs.