Balcony garden ideas

On a balcony the pot is the garden. Get the container size and the wind right and nearly everything else follows.

AI-generated concept image

Light: Partial shade
Water: Moderate
Upkeep: Medium
Colour: Warm
Planting survives: −12 °C / 10 °F

Getting it right

Buy bigger pots than you think you need. Anything under about 30 cm across dries out by lunchtime in July, and roots cook against the sides. Check the balcony's weight allowance before you commit, and use a peat-free mix lightened with perlite rather than garden soil. Screen the prevailing wind with a slatted panel rather than a solid one, group pots so they shade each other's sides, and fit an irrigation timer if you are ever away in August.

Plants that work

Botanical names are given first so you can order the right plant anywhere. Heights are for mature plants in open ground.
Plant	Type	Light	Water	Height	Hardy to
English lavenderLavandula angustifolia	Shrub · Evergreen	Full sun	Low	40–70 cm	−20 °C / −4 °F
RosemarySalvia rosmarinus	Shrub · Evergreen	Full sun	Low	0.6–1.5 m	−12 °C / 10 °F
ThymeThymus vulgaris	Herb · Evergreen	Full sun	Low	20–30 cm	−20 °C / −4 °F
BasilOcimum basilicum	Herb · Deciduous	Full sun	High	30–60 cm	Grown as an annual
StrawberryFragaria × ananassa	Edible · Deciduous	Full sun	Moderate	20–30 cm	−25 °C / −13 °F
Zonal pelargoniumPelargonium × hortorum	Perennial · Deciduous	Full sun	Moderate	30–50 cm	Grown as an annual
Star jasmineTrachelospermum jasminoides	Climber · Evergreen	Partial shade	Moderate	3–6 m	−12 °C / 10 °F
Blue fescueFestuca glauca	Grass · Evergreen	Full sun	Low	20–30 cm	−30 °C / −22 °F
Japanese sedgeCarex oshimensis	Grass · Evergreen	Partial shade	Moderate	30–45 cm	−20 °C / −4 °F
Coral bellsHeuchera (hybrids)	Perennial · Semi-evergreen	Partial shade	Moderate	30–50 cm	−30 °C / −22 °F
Common ivyHedera helix	Climber · Evergreen	Shade	Low	2–10 m	−25 °C / −13 °F
TomatoSolanum lycopersicum	Edible · Deciduous	Full sun	High	1–2 m	Grown as an annual