Sometimes, our garden dreams don’t match the reality of our gardening space. But even city dwellers can flex their green thumbs, even if it’s just with a small balcony or rooftop patch.
“You can grow anything on your balcony that you can in the ground, with the exception, maybe, of really big trees,” said Susan Maki, Designer and Buyer with Squak Mountain Greenhouses & Nursery in Issaquah.
Maki said even Japanese maples can be grown in a balcony container.
“The options are wide and long and there’s just so much to choose from,” she said. “You can grow vegetables, as long as you’ve got the sun, you can grow flowers, you can grow anything your heart desires in a container on a balcony.”
Maki says when getting started with your container garden, the first thing that you want to think about is what kind of light you get at different times of the day.
“Because when you’re doing a yard, you can say, OK, this is west-facing, so I know I’m going to get that hot afternoon sun, but on a balcony, there’s lots of things that can cast shadows and block sunlight that you may not realize,” she said. “So, it’s really important to first get a lay of the land, understand what kind of light you’re going to have.”
Consider what kind of space you have and what size containers are going to work. Use a well-draining potting mix and be sure your pots have drainage holes. You don’t want to end up with a swampy pot caused by overwatering.
“Then think about what the function of your plants is going to be Do you want to feed hummingbirds? Do you want to grow tomatoes?” she said. “And then you can start narrowing down what kind of plants you want.”
If you have a sunny location (at least six hours of sun per day) and want to grow vegetables, tomatoes are a great choice.
“There are different varieties of tomatoes that will do great in containers,” said Maki. “There are some cherry tomatoes that are even designed to grow hanging from a pot like a hanging basket, but the cherry tomatoes are always good in a container.”
Maki said you’ll want to look at tomatoes that are classified as “indeterminate.”
“That means they continue producing all summer long,” she said. “You want to get a bang for your buck.”
The Sweet 100 and Sweet Million varieties live up to their names, delivering dozens of toms over the summer. You’ll be snacking on the sweet fruit and tossing them into a salad up until the first frost.
Be aware that tomatoes are hungry and thirsty plants, so you will have to be vigilant with your watering and apply fertilizer. Maki recommends organic fertilizer.
Other veggie options for a sun-drenched balcony include lettuce, spinach, radishes, beans, zucchini, peppers and herbs.
If you share your home with a cat (or two) you could try some catnip. Catnip is a fast-growing, sun-loving herb. A fresh sprig will delight your feline friend.
If your vision is a flower garden on your sunny balcony, you have many options.
Petunias, geraniums, and marigolds are the go-to flowering annuals for sun. They are simple to grow, come in a variety of colors, and you can find them at your local nursery or big box store.
More suggestions for sun:
Calibrachoa: Sprawling plant with petunia lookalike blossoms in red, pink, yellow, white, purple, and orange, frequently bicolored or striped. Good for hanging baskets.
Salvia: Spiky flowers in shades of blue, dark purple, lavender, red, pink and white. Heat and drought-tolerant. Butterflies and hummingbirds love it. Deer resistant.
Zinnia: Eye-catching flowers in shades of orange, pink, purple, red, white and yellow. There are also bi-color and tri-color varieties, as well as those that come in various shapes. Deer-resistant.
Thunbergia (Black-eyed Susan Vine): A vigorous twining vine that comes in shades of yellow, pink, orange, cream and red.
Lavender: Add lovely aroma to your garden with lavender. It comes in a range of purples, as well as white and pink. Snip some for a bouquet or dry it to make a sachet.
Plants for full or partial shade include fuchsias and begonias, which are prized for their vibrant colors and showy display. For texture, try a hosta or fern. These foliage plants, which come in a variety of shapes and sizes, can be a dramatic addition to your shade garden.
Browse the Plant Finder section on Squak Mountain Greenhouses & Nursery here!
Susan Wyatt is a freelance writer for Seattle Refined, specializing in pets, gardening and all-around swell stuff in the PNW.
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