Balconies and Terraces

For the natural optimists amongst you, who see a lack of garden space as no brake on your desire to grow plants, a balcony is a real asset. Sure, you have to be certain that it is strong enough to bear a load (and that probably means asking an expert) but, once that’s established, it is remarkable what gardening impulses you can indulge.

There are two things you need to get right: suiting your plants and containers to the site aspect and the climatic conditions, and taking account of the fact that the balcony may well be in view from where you sit or work. Painting your sitting room in eau-de-nil, then putting orange and red-flowered cannas on the balcony may not have quite the required effect. On the other hand, green-leaved ferns and variegated hostas might be just the thing to give your interior scheme added conviction.

If your balcony or terrace faces south or west, you are best off growing pots of Mediterranean sub-shrubs, like lavender, rosemary, santolina and cistus, which are used to such conditions, as well as trailing drought-tolerant ivy-leaved pelargoniums. Plenty of spring-flowering bulbs such as crocuses, daffodils, and tulips, are a must. If shady, these can be substituted by snowdrops, aconites and September-flowering Cyclamen hederifolium, and shade-tolerant perennials, with good foliage, such as epimediums, herbaceous geraniums and coloured-leaved heucheras.

All these promote an atmosphere of restrained prettiness but, for something with a rather more exotic feel, you might try cordylines, agaves, the smaller bamboos, yuccas, and other large-leaved, exuberant, but drought-tolerant, foliage plants.

Deciduous plants, especially shrubs, have the advantage of not resisting the wind much in winter. In a more sheltered place, evergreens have their place in protecting privacy, filtering wind and giving some muted colour in winter.
As for tiny yards or patios, as long as you leave just enough space for access or for sitting out, you can cram the rest with pots of every kind. They often look best in a cluster of different shapes, sizes and materials. On a balcony, terracotta coloured plastic pots are best but, at ground level, pots can be as heavy as you like. You can be more adventurous in your planting, too, since you won’t be faced with the problem of wind exposure. If the yard is a suntrap, alpines and small bearded irises come in a positive rainbow of colours in May, with colourful, vertically-growing plants, like crocosmias and the purple-pink-flowered Verbena bonariensis, to follow. Or you might prefer to go for one or two dwarf or slow-growing trees or shrubs, such as a witch hazel (Hamamelis) or Japanese maple (Acer).

Watering is crucial. If you live in a hosepipe ban area line the inside of summer pots with polythene, into which you have made a number of holes, before putting in the compost; this will slow down the rate of water loss. Use ‘grey water’ from the kitchen and bathroom. And put a layer of grit on top, after the plants go in, to hinder evaporation. If you have an outside tap and no ban, use a simple drip irrigation system for your pots.

One skill you may find it useful to learn is the art of pruning, since plants often outgrow their space eventually. If you cut back your deciduous shrubs after flowering, and evergreen ones in the spring, it is surprising what you can cram into the smallest space.

By Ursula Buchan

Return To News Page