High-Rise Garden Rooms

With our busy lifestyles, more and more people are opting for apartment-style living. If you love gardens and live in an apartment, the good news is you can still design and create your own thriving greenspace to enjoy

- Carrol Baker

Despite popular belief, balcony gardens cannot be potted up and then forgotten about as the garden can be exposed to high winds, hot sun and extended shade. But by establishing a garden using the right plants, soil and pots, and setting aside a little time to maintain it, you’ll have a potted garden that will be the envy of your neighbours.

DESIGNING A BALCONY GARDEN

One of the most important things about planning a balcony garden is design. Landscape designer Brian Fuller, owner of Leaf Stone Water, says good design is key. “Your garden will always be on show every time you access your balcony,” he says. “Perhaps even more importantly, if you love what you’ve created, you’ll spend more time outdoors on the balcony enjoying it.”

Balconies are often where we enjoy alfresco dining, or a cosy seating area to watch the world go by. Creating an inviting balcony garden space begins with choosing the right pots or troughs for plants.

When it comes to making your pot selection, Tom Brooks, director and landscape designer from The Small Garden, says in balcony gardening, bigger is generally always better. “Because it is a balcony, size and scale are important; pots need to sit higher to work with the scale of the balcony space,” he advises.

Tom adds that there is another reason bigger pots will work better. “Plants need to develop their roots; larger pots aren’t as restrictive for plants and in a larger vessel, pots hold moisture better, so you won’t need to water as often.”