Gardening Ideas for an Apartment Balcony

Shade Gardens

• Shady conditions are a challenge for the gardener, whether it’s on the balcony or in the garden, because most plants thrive in sunshine. The trick is to research plants and find those that are considered understory varieties. These are plants that, in nature, thrive under the canopies of large trees. Depending on your climate, consider bayberry, viburnum, bleeding hearts and foxglove. Dichondra, a small-leaved groundcover, is a charming addition to potted flowers, spilling over the side.

Privacy Gardens

• Apartment living is not especially known for its privacy. Whether it’s an adjoining building that looks directly onto your balcony or you’re on the street where passers-by can peer in, it may seem as if you live in a fishbowl. Creating privacy on your balcony involves placing plants strategically. Use tall, dense plants to block the view to your private space. If you have shorter plants, elevate them. A discarded or flea market end table not only raises the plants higher, but provides a shabby chic look to your side of the balcony.

Vegetable Gardens

• Gone are the days when we assumed that it requires an actual plot of land to grow vegetables. Container gardening is practiced by many apartment dwellers. Grow potatoes in sacks, or deep planters. Herbs do well in boxes hung from the balustrade. Consider bush beans and peppers, which require hardly any space. Tomatoes grow upright, as can cucumbers and squash, so if you have the sunlight for these crops, grow them. The fact is, the amount of sunlight your balcony receives is the sole determining factor of which vegetables you may be able to grow.

Hardscape

• Hardscape is a landscape architectural term that originally encompassed paths, sidewalks and other paved areas. Over the years it's come to signify fountains, lampposts and other garden features that aren’t organic. Just because your balcony garden is small, there's no reason to neglect some of the hardscape aspects that your dirt gardener colleagues employ. Statues, benches and wind chimes all have a place in the balcony garden. Of course, you want to keep them to scale, and not overwhelm your plants. Consider a birdbath or feeder if you have the room. And don’t forget landscape lighting, whether it’s a string of white twinkle lights in a potted tree or a spotlight to highlight your accent plant, landscape lighting on the balcony sets the stage for relaxation or entertaining.