SMALL GARDENS:
for limited outdoor space
CHALLENGE 1 The environment
Often the space is windy due to the height of the building or proximity to surrounding buildings, and most plants hate wind. Light levels are another difficulty – because of the floor above, many balconies are not open to the sky, and this creates deep shade. This may then be complicated by blasts of low morning or afternoon sun. Other spaces may be fully exposed and subject to the harshness of full sun; combined with wind, this makes for a very harsh environment.
One of the biggest challenges for elevated gardens is the total lack of deep soil. That means all plantings must occur in either pots or troughs, thus reducing the volume of soil available to plants. Irrigation becomes critical as the small amount of soil dries out quickly. Plants exposed to wind, which they are on balconies, require a lot of water due to their high rate of transpiration. Plant choice is critical.
The solution
Built for balcony life, try these hardy growers on for size. Trees: Japanese maple, frangipani, bay, European olive. Citrus: Lemon, mandarin, kumquat, orange. Shrubs and perennials: Japanese box, gardenia, English or French lavender, white oleander, azalea. Climbers: Bougainvillea, creeping fig, star jasmine climber. Hedges: Japanese box, bay, white sasanqua camellia.
The size CHALLENGE 2
More often than not balconies are narrow and very constricted, leaving little room for furniture or plant material. In fact, they are simply a means to a view or, with doors open, a way to allow for airflow.
The solution
For smaller balconies, I recommend blending the paving with the same tile as the internal space; this creates a seamless transition between inside and outside and makes the outdoor space appear larger. Where this is not possible, find a tonally similar material. Small spaces will always appear larger if they are not broken up in terms of paving materials.
Small spaces also appear larger if vertical wall colours are consistent as well. If you have space to use troughs, try to select fibreglass or other lightweight materials that can be coloured and textured to match the external walls of the building. The other material I use for troughs is colourmatched aluminium; this can take its cue from door or window trims or other internal metal finishes. The important thing here, whatever you choose, is to ensure it is as light as possible.
CHALLENGE 3 Irrigation
I generally prefer troughs to pots as they have the advantage of allowing you to create the illusion of garden beds. Plants exposed to the wind require a lot of water due to their high rate of transpiration. They can be linked together with irrigation and drainage, thus solving the problem of hand watering and unsightly drainage water. If there’s no room for troughs, you are probably restricted to pots.
The solution
If space allows – often in the corner of balconies – I like to use those pots in groupings of varying heights and diameters, which creates interest and diversity of planting. Lower bowls are a good solution if there’s a distant view that you don’t want to obscure with high plantings or features.
Drainage is also a major consideration as pots and other planting containers will inevitably leak dirty water. Try to place pots near existing paving drains.