SPACE INVADERS

Creating a balcony garden often means that plants serve as the finishing touch after you’ve introduced soft-textured furniture to counter the harsh floors and walls. With no lawns, garden beds and space, you need a different mindset.

Tips to make the most of your space and shape

• A balcony is an outside room attached to your interiors. So let your design theme flow seamlessly from one to the other and place plants as you would inside.

They don’t dominate inside, so shouldn’t outside either.

• Adopt a neutral colour palette for your furniture, especially if your space is small, and add pops of colour with little touches like cushions. Then choose greenery with a shape, shade and size that adds visual – and living – interest.

• You may face north with the promise of all-day sun, but you may also have tall buildings opposite, giving you a southerly aspect. This is important to remember in your plant selection.