Balcony gardens are gaining popularity as the new sustainable transformation in residential buildings. I think owning a balcony garden creates a connection with nature in one’s comfort zone.
It utilizes available spaces to create beautiful scenery. Balcony gardens may not take up large spaces but they are set up in urban areas to improve living. It naturally creates a sustainable urban environment.
In places where they exist, it’s a different feeling and experience. Urbanization may have limited our contact with nature, but installing balcony gardens is restoring some positive mood.
You need to create a sustainable balcony garden and these few helpful tips are what you need to get started.
Helpful Tips for a Sustainable Balcony Garden
The first step is to do what is right before growing plants on your balcony.
Learn more: 10 Benefits of a Wildflower Garden
Inspect The Balcony’s Aspect and Elevation
What is more important to do before setting up your balcony garden?
Well, the first important thing to consider is the balcony’s structural design. Balconies in buildings differ in their condition, aspect, and height. If plants are too heavy for the balcony, you will need to consider other options.
Other important factors will also affect plant growth, especially if there isn’t enough sunlight for the garden. The direction the balcony faces matters. It determines the amount of sunlight the garden gets to flourish.
Prioritize light and shade before creating a design for your balcony garden. Analyse the balcony’s position and situation before designing your garden. Is the balcony in the best position for growing and what are the environmental conditions it provides?
Now, if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, a balcony that faces south is the perfect one that gets enough sunlight. But the disadvantage of a south-facing balcony comes in the hot summer months as excessive heat makes your garden dry out faster.
Wind
Additionally, a balcony facing eastward will only get more sunlight in the morning hours, while a balcony facing westward will get sunlight in the afternoon. A balcony facing north will get the least amount of sunlight the entire day.
Another challenging issue that you need to be aware of is the elevation of the balcony. It gets windy at a certain height and this is a concerning issue that must be solved for better gardening.
There is a solution to a windy balcony. It involves creating a windbreak to help disperse heavy winds. You can also use shrubs, smaller trees, and taller grasses to set up a more sheltered environment for other plants to grow.
With a more sheltered balcony, you will be able to grow more fruits and veggies in your balcony garden.
Consider Weight on the Balcony
Check the balcony you intend to use to grow plants and flowers at a specific height. A balcony garden is a few feet above the ground and for safety purposes, it’s important to consider the weight you will keep on the balcony.
I strongly recommend seeking the advice of a structural engineer for easy understanding. It’s important to know and understand if a balcony can withstand the weight to intend to add on it.
While you are considering the amount of weight a balcony can withstand, also remember that watering plants add extra weight. Carefully consider your options and choose the safer alternative for your balcony garden.
Choose lightweight gardening materials to fill up containers that you will use for growing plants. If your fillings are way too heavy, cut down on weight before placing it on your balcony.
Learn more: 10 Benefits of Gardening to the Environment
Be More Creative With Growing Containers
With only small available spaces, container gardening is soon to become the main growing method for balcony gardens.
Since this gardening option is done in smaller spaces, gardeners are becoming more creative by using containers to grow plants. When we talk about containers for growing plants in gardens, one material comes to mind and that is plastic.
You can avoid using plastic containers to grow plants on your balcony. Choose a suitable container and the perfect growing method to grow your plant.
You can get creative with these growing containers. A container garden can hold your food as well as other plants in your balcony garden.
Think Vertical & Horizontal
You must learn how to utilize the small space on your balcony. All balcony gardeners are dealing with the issue of growing plants in smaller spaces, so it’s a general thing.
While being mindful of the weight you bring to the balcony, it’s important to use every available space on the balcony. Vertical gardening techniques puts every available space on the balcony to good use.
This gardening technique uses planting pockets, towers, hanging containers, shelving, and trellises for climbers and vines.
This vertical gardening methods use the empty spaces in the balcony to grow plants.
Use Bee-Friendly Plants
Adding insect-friendly plants to your balcony garden promotes biodiversity. It also helps bees to find food. Look for native, perennial, and hardy plants such as shrubs and climbing plants to add to your balcony garden.
These plants do not only survive during winter, but they also attract pollinators like bees, butterflies, and other insects.
Conclusion
Balcony gardens set the beautiful scenery that urbanization has taken away. Small available spaces on balconies are utilized to grow plants that benefit the environment.
However, before you design your balcony garden, it’s important to ensure you are not adding too much weight. Use vertical gardening techniques to use every inch of available space on your balcony.
We hope this article on tips for a sustainable balcony garden was helpful.
Sources
- Treehugger: “Design Tips for an Abundant Balcony Garden.”