An umbrella can cool a hot, south-facing balcony. Flooring can be changed to make the space more intimate.
Candles create mood.
the container, the more trouble you will have with watering needs. Vertical gardening using wall hangers and plant stands are
good way to increase space on the balcony. Feeding the balcony garden
Container plants need fertilizer because constant watering
leaches away nutrients no matter what growing medium we use. Adding a slow release, granular fertilizer at the time of planting will eliminate the need for constant fertilizing at least for the first half of the season. Top this up at the end of July or add a soluble fertilizer to the watering can. A balanced (all three numbers the same) fertilizer is fine for most plants. Compost tea, worm castings and seaweed extract are good
organic aids to add life to the soil. You may want to add mycorrhiza to improve root growth.
What to grow You can grow almost anything but some plants will be
happier than others and are a good place to start if you are a novice gardener. Try pants that don’t mind drying out or that are just plain tough. In that category include petunias and calibrachoas, nastur-
tiums, the black-eyed Susan vine, geraniums of all kinds, especially the trailing geraniums, grasses, ferns, alyssum, pansies, and all kinds of succulents. Shade gardeners can put in hostas, fuchsias, browallia,
impatiens and begonias. As you become more confident in your balcony garden,
you can add more exotic varieties. Speaking of exotic, houseplants of all kinds really respond
to a summer on the balcony. Just don’t place them in direct sunlight or you will burn their leaves. There is a reason they survive indoors – most are shade tolerant plants that don’t require full sun.
www.localgardener.net What about food crops? What would a balcony garden be without tomatoes? And
how about some basil, rosemary, mint, oregano, chives . . . herbs are a must-have on the balcony if you cook at all. Don’t stop at tomatoes and herbs. Try a pot of carrots;
a trellis supporting a cucumber (like beans, the more you pick them the more they will produce); or a trough full of Swiss chard. Remember, most vegetables need sunlight, but you can grow lettuce or spinach in a shady spot. Some root vegetables will grow in shade, although most want six hours of sunlight a day.
How to water Watering is the biggest issue on the balcony garden. In
addition to the self-watering container, adding coconut husk (coir) to the potting mix will make it much easier to keep the pot moist and to rehydrate if the pot does dry out. Coir lasts much longer than peat and retains water better. You can also use water crystals to keep the container hydrated. There is a new hose system that we haven’t personally yet
tried but that sounds perfect for balcony gardening. There are a number of them on the market, but they all self-coil and collapse down to fit into a flower pot, expanding when filled with water from the tap.
Using water, light and sound Nothing soothes like the sound of running water. Create
a sense of ambiance and peace that will help block out street noise and make your outdoor living space a wonderful haven. Lighting is another way of furnishing your spa-like space.
There are many inexpensive solar powered systems that can create just the right mood. Keep the lights low or use spot lights to highlight a feature on your balcony. Finally, don’t overlook the magic of sound. A single speak-
er hooked up to your eye pod and turned down low to avoid irritating the neighbours will add the final magical touch. V
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