After a long, tiring day at work, is it great to relax and unwind among nature? When you live in a crowded city, it's not easy. However, this is also possible. How to make a garden on the balcony? Basic principles for creating a piece of paradise at home.
Balcony gardening is becoming increasingly popular among people living in big cities. With a beautiful garden on your apartment's balcony, you can bring nature into your home.
Who will especially like the idea of such gardening? Of course, for those who love plant growing, but cannot indulge in their hobby due to limited space. Creating your own small garden on the balcony is incredibly simple. You just need to keep a few basic principles in mind.
Examine your balcony thoroughly
This is the most important step you must take if you want to create a beautiful balcony garden. The growth of plants depends mainly on their environment.
In our case, the balcony is a mini-environment for your future plants.
Therefore, before moving on to other things, it is necessary to get a proper understanding of some parameters.
Balcony size
So, the design of the garden depends on the size of your balcony. It seems like a simple thing, but it's surprising how many people don't think about it. Find out the exact size of your balcony by measuring the length, width and height of your balcony.
It will be very helpful if you make a rough sketch on paper. It will also give you a mental plan for your garden design.
Balcony direction
The direction of the balcony will give you a rough idea of the sunlight it receives. Sunlight is beneficial for all plants. This is especially important if you intend to grow flowering plants or vegetables in your garden. A north-facing balcony is not suitable for this purpose. But even in this case there are certain options.
A south-facing balcony usually receives ample sunlight during the day and is ideal for plants.
You can also observe the illumination of the loggia personally, and not rely only on the direction of the cardinal points. After all, your balcony may be surrounded by other buildings. In this case, it may not receive enough sunlight. Although it will even be in a favorable direction.
Additionally, it will also give you an idea of the exact duration of direct sunlight your balcony receives. This will further help you in choosing the right balcony plants.
Wind
Like sunlight, wind is another factor that will decide which plants you need to buy. Many plants do not cope well with winds. Winds also cause plants to quickly wither and dry out. So, you will have to devote more time to watering them. You can also try using mulching to protect your plants from the wind.
Conditions necessary to create a winter garden
As mentioned above, the process of arranging a flower garden on the balcony cannot be called easy. You will have to take care of high-quality repairs of the premises, and the proper placement of plants, as well as the right choice of furniture and decor.
Let's start with the basics - how to prepare a balcony or loggia for placing plants? First of all you need to:
In addition, it is worth considering using moisture-resistant materials to decorate the winter garden. It can be:
Of course, it is best to give preference to more natural materials, but still the main selection criterion in our case is practicality.
Choose your plants wisely
Now that you have determined your balcony parameters, you can easily select your balcony plants. There are two types of plants that you can add to your balcony garden. These are annual plants that grow in certain seasons and perennial plants that are evergreen throughout the year.
Plant both types. And you'll be able to enjoy annual herbs and vegetables in addition to perennials. Start small. Plant a maximum of 5-6 plants, 2-3 types of annuals and perennials.
Annuals are usually easy to grow and flower beautifully in season. Perennials like roses may require time and extra care. But think of the rose scent wafting across your balcony. It's worth it!
One more thing you should keep in mind. Is your balcony sunny or shady? Not all plants need sunlight. And if your balcony doesn't get regular sunlight, you can buy shade plants. But plants that love and need sunlight will die in dim lighting.
Usually people plant flowers in their balcony garden. But you can also try growing other plants. For example, it is very easy to grow edible herbs in containers. You can also dilute blueberries and currants. They also do well in pots.
How to place plants on a balcony or loggia
Everyone knows that different plants grow better in different conditions. There are heat-loving, moisture-loving, cold-resistant or shade-intolerant species. In order to choose exactly those plants that will suit your balcony, you first need to determine its location relative to the cardinal directions.
So, if the balcony is located:
In general, modern technologies make it possible to create the necessary conditions and microclimate in any well-insulated room. Installing a split system will help you avoid many mistakes and will greatly simplify caring for plants in the winter garden.
Now let’s figure out exactly how to place plants on a balcony or loggia:
When placing flowers, trees and shrubs on the balcony, it is important to remember that they should not interfere with the passage along it, block the free opening of the door or touch the heads of people on the balcony. At the same time, larger and more lush plants should not cover smaller ones - the light should be evenly distributed on all leaves and flowers.
Don't Ignore Pots and Containers
Containers and balcony planters play a significant role in your balcony garden. Try adding a little creativity. And plant contrasting flowers in pots. Alternatively, you can try hanging planters if you have limited space on your balcony.
You can also buy colored containers if you want to decorate your balcony garden. Interesting looking containers will improve the appearance. You also need to consider their placement, size and material.
Read on topic: Container gardening.
Material
You can buy different types of containers made from plastic, clay, ceramics and similar materials. Plastic containers are generally lightweight and are ideal if you plan to have hanging containers on your balcony.
However, they prevent water from leaving the soil. And they can lead to waterlogging and root rot. So, buy pots with a drainage hole or make your own.
On the other hand, ceramic and clay containers are stable and durable, which can protect plants from falling. Additionally, they are made from porous materials and offer better drainage.
If you want to give your garden balcony an interesting look, you can even use metal pots.
Size and placement
Thoughtful selection of container size and placement is essential to making your garden look beautiful. If your balcony is small, use tall and narrow containers because they take up less space than others.
You can also experiment with hanging planters to optimize the vertical space of your balcony. In case you are planning to grow vegetables, you will need planters and wide boxes.
To give your balcony garden a natural look, use containers of different heights. You can also add colorful rocks, pebbles or gravel to the planters. This will give them another look and can also serve as mulch for the soil.
How to plant a garden on the balcony with your own hands?
To help your crops fit into tight spaces, consider large containers and pots. For example: large round flower pots, rectangular boxes for seedlings, barrels.
There is no need to save on the volume of containers; due to the small space, the cults can begin to hurt, bear fruit worse and reduce the quality of the harvest. There are special requirements for the kidney, namely:
- It must be fertile;
- It must be free of pests;
- It must be moisture-permeable and breathable. It is best to purchase it in specialized stores.
For example, an adult cucumber plant will require a five-liter container, and tomatoes and eggplants will require all of ten liters. A two or three liter pot is enough for mini tomatoes.
And for greens, the following are suitable: plastic cups, mayonnaise buckets and other small-sized vessels.
Vegetable garden on the balcony: photo ideas
Provide watering
Despite what you might think, plants need care. The amount of watering a plant may require may vary. But all herbs, flowers and vegetables need life-giving moisture.
Do you often stay away from home? You may need to install a drip irrigation system. Or buy self-watering pots with large reservoirs for your balcony plants.
Watering becomes even more necessary if your balcony gets windy or gets too hot during the day. Your plants can become dry if under-watered in these conditions.
Furniture for garden greenhouse
Almost all balcony garden ideas include a seating area. Therefore, it is extremely important to select compact and ergonomic furniture for such purposes. A good idea would be to install wooden seats on the sides of the loggia, where you can place various utensils inside.
For areas with good reinforcement, options for wicker furniture, rocking chairs, and miniature chests of drawers are suitable. Shelves made of beautiful wood will also harmoniously complement such a room.
You can add a special touch with the help of a decorative fountain that is mounted on a table, or a bonsai. We also note that if you have large plants with fairly voluminous buds, it is better to refrain from bright decor. Give preference to strict forms, natural shades, textures.
Remember the laconic combination of colors. Use flowerpots, flowerpots and containers in a single range of shades. When performing panoramic or stained glass glazing, it will be possible to achieve the effect of visually enlarging the space.
Source
Vertical compositions
Compositions located on one level do not look very impressive. It is much more original to hang pots with bushy plants. You can assemble a compact alpine slide with your own hands In addition to the ceiling clothes dryer on the balcony, how to make a clothes dryer to make drying. Multi-level flower stands can replace it on the balcony. Lay artificial turf on the floor that imitates a lawn to create a cozy corner.
Homemade arched structures with vines planted around them look original on the loggia. If you don’t want to bother with them, you can always buy ready-made pots of petunias. They will delight you all summer and do not require much care.
Generalization on the topic
Having your own greenhouse on the balcony is, of course, a troublesome task. But many people like to tinker in the ground, and for some, caring for plants turns into a real hobby that brings a lot of positive emotions. In order for the winter garden to constantly please you, you need to properly care for it. In the fall, experienced gardeners advise removing and burning all remains of diseased plants. It would be good to loosen the surface of the soil in pots from time to time. It is necessary to ensure that there are always large lumps on the surface.
Every year, gardeners recommend adding a few handfuls of manure or compost soil to soil preserved for the winter. Part of the old soil on top is periodically removed, and new soil is poured into the pot.
Choose simple solutions and available tools
Use the simplest means at hand, for example, a cargo pallet as a base for an ottoman or a box as a table. This will give the garden on the loggia a relaxed feel in the spirit of country style. Plant simple plants that are easy to care for. For example, petunia will bloom all summer long, a thuja in a pot will turn green at any time of the year, and vines will create a green wall - it will be cozy here for at least five months a year.
Photo: IKEA
Photo: IKEA
