Beautiful Balconies

There is something lovely and relaxing about sitting back on your balcony with a cool drink or a cup of coffee to watch the world go by. It is surprising how easy it is to make your small balcony a beautiful garden regardless of space.

First you might like to decide what kind of garden you are looking for. Are you happy pottering about or do you need something low maintenance? Do you want a useful garden with edible plants and herbs? Are flowers important? How much sun does your balcony receive and is it morning or afternoon?

These considerations are important to note before you even buy the first planter. So firstly, do some research on the types of plants you want to grow and narrow it down to what will be happy on your particular spot.

How much sun does it get? Is the sunlight direct or indirect and for how many hours a day? Is it particularly windy? How cold does it get over winter? Have a good look at

the options for pots and containers, you can get planters that hang over your railings, there are some interesting pots that can be fixed to the wall in a vertical garden or if you have somewhere to put them some nice hanging style baskets. There are a lot of options for those who want the garden without a lot of extra time spent as well, you can install a drip watering system, use self watering pots with large reservoirs or simply stick to very drought tolerant plants which require little care, although even the hardiest of plants will need the occasional watering.

Take care to choose a good quality potting mix with good organic content, most plants like good drainage and if they are in pots need to be watered regularly and fertilised at least once a month. Layer your flowering plants so you always have something in bloom to keep the garden looking bright. Once you have taken all of this into account the sky is the limit and before long you will have a lovely space to spend time in.