A north or east facing balcony that receives plenty of morning sunlight is the ideal space for a balcony garden. What better place to sip a morning cup of coffee or for chilling out at the end of a day?
Don’t be surprised if cultivating a balcony garden turns you into an avid gardener. It’s an excuse for some ’me’ time, just pottering among the plants, watering and watching their daily progress.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Resist the temptation to start with too many pots because there must be space to move.
- Bear in mind the weight of containers filled with soil, plus your weight. Terracotta pots get very heavy which makes plastic pots a better option because you can use larger containers which contain more potting mix and stay moist for longer
- A potting mix of 50% potting soil and 50% palm peat brick, hydrated in water makes a nice, light, mix that allows the water to drain through but also holds the water.
- Watering is the biggest challenge because excess water has to go somewhere! Put saucers under the pots to catch excess water and regulate the amount of water so that the excess in the saucers evaporates or is drawn up by the plant during the day. Plants should not stand in water indefinitely.
What to plant ?
Make the most of limited space by choosing compact, upright growing flowers, herbs or veggies that don’t take up too much space. Use them in pots and window boxes. Go vertical by including plants that can be trained up a trellis and fill in the upper space with plants in hanging baskets.
Top performers
The most rewarding flowers for a balcony are those that are not shy to flower and need only the most basic care, like petunias, pelargoniums, osteospermum (best for spring and autumn), Sunpatiens (that need afternoon shade), calibrachoa, dahlias, Delosperma and more.
Petunias and their hybrid cousins Petchoa (a cross of petunia and calibrachoa) are the ‘go to’ flowers for balconies.
Petunia Easy Wave and calibrachoa ‘Cabaret’ ( mini petunias) are good for tumbling out of window boxes and hanging baskets. While Petchoa Caliburst are more compact they will also quickly fill a window box, pot or hanging basket.
The speckled novelty petunias like ‘Night Sky’, ‘Cherry Sky’ and ‘Baby Doll’ as well as ‘Amore Queen of Hearts’ are high impact in pots or hanging baskets. All they need is plenty of sun, watering when the topsoil feels slightly dry and feeding with a liquid fertiliser once a month to encourage new flowers.
Pelargoniums are at their best in the cool months of autumn and spring. Pelargonium ‘Turkana’ Pink Sizzle, Strawberry Twirl and Dark Red, fill pots perfectly as they are bushy and compact with dark green leaves and produces plenty of large, eye-catching flowers. Don’t over-water; the soil should dry out slightly before watering again.
The Osteospermum ‘Serenity’ range of easy growing perennials are hardy no fuss plants that are compact with glossy dark green leaves. They are most spectacular in spring and autumn but are heat tolerant enough to flower through summer too. Water pots regularly and feed once a month with a liquid fertiliser.
Lavender with stamina
For fragrance there is lavender “Primavera’ a stoechas lavender that flowers well into summer, unlike other stoechas that taper off after spring. ‘Primavera’s large flower heads that are a magnet for bees and butterflies.
Even when not in flower, it shows off when filling a container. Place in full or partial sun and water deeply then let the soil dry out moderately before watering again. Fertilise monthly to help sustain its flowering flushes and trim down by 50% after each flush to encourage fresh flowers.
Climbing plants like Dipladenia ‘Diamantina’ take up very little space but deliver loads of flowers Diamantina Opale ‘Grenat’ can be grown on trellis 40 to 45 cm in height. It likes morning sun and afternoon shade. Water regularly and fertilise monthly in summer and prune untidy old growth in spring.
Easy edibles
The Patio range of compact or dwarf varieties of veggies have been bred for growing in 30cm diameter pots or hanging baskets. These include tomato ‘Cherry Falls’, the mini vine cucumber ‘Patio Snacker’, mini sweet pepper ‘Cute Stuff’ gold and red, eggplant ‘Patio baby’ and mixed salad and Asian greens.
They grow fast and produce early, continuous high yields making it easy to grow moderate but satisfying amounts of many edibles in small spaces. They need plenty of sun and regular watering and feeding.
For more information visit www.ballstraathof.co.za
Article and images supplied by Alice Coetzee.
