Balcony Gardening

Very often when people move from a house with lawn and flower-beds, to a high-rise apartment, one of their greatest regrets is leaving the garden behind. This change need not be an end to gardening, for growing things on a balcony can be just as great a challenge and just as much fun as growing them in your own backyard.

The first thing to do of course is examine your balcony. What size is it, how much space do you wish to use for chairs and table, how much for plants? Then there is the matter of growing conditions. Is the railing open or closed, in which direction does the balcony face, is it shaded by buildings or trees, how high up is it? All of these factors will regulate the amount of light available. Lastly, there is the important problem of wind. How windy is it at different seasons of the year? Those gusts can lift and tip some quite heavy pots, and tear leaves to shreds! The windiest spot I have encountered was a twelfth-floor balcony exposed to a great sweep of air from across the river and park to the northwest By contrast, my present east-facing sixteenth-floor balcony is almost wind-free. You will need to consider wind in choosing your plants.

Having noted the physical environment of our future garden, the time has come to make plans. What shall we grow and where shall we put it? There is no more pleasant way to spend a stormy winter evening than to sit down with a seed catalogue, and with a beautifully illustrated copy of the library's best "container gardening" book as an inspiration. Here are some ideas that I have found practical in my own situation.

Seeds

I like to grow some of my plants from seed. It is partly for enjoyment, but also because some plants like the Cardinal Vine, cannot be found at the market Also, at the market one has to buy either one plant in a pot, or a whole flat of them, either too few or far too many.

Containers

This set-up is useful for anyone who places planters on the floor of the balcony. I like to use good-sized plastic window-boxes, which are easily available. I also have a few clay pots. The window-boxes are placed on bricks or short pieces of two-inch-by-four-inch lumber in made-to-order galvanized metal trays which are a little longer and wider than the window-boxes and about four inches deep. Thus when they are watered the extra water runs into the trays and not down to the balcony below, an important consideration in maintaining friendly neighbourhood relationships. One of the metal trays is filled with damp

peat moss, and in it clay pots filled with such moisture loving plants as ferns are buried. This is especially helpful during a hot, dry summer such as we had in 1983.

Soil

I use the commercially available planting soil, lightened and made more porous by adding vermiculite or perlite. To this I add lime or peat moss, if the plant has a need for either, and fertilizer as directed by the manufacturer or special requirements of a particular plant.

Turf

This is a good place to mention that a carpet of artificial turf can tie your whole balcony together and set off your plants to great advantage. Try it!

Flowers

The choice of flowers depends of course, on personal taste and on your balcony's situation, but one can hardly fail by planting some of the old favourites. In sun, geraniums, petunias, alyssum, marigolds and zinnias are always cheerful. In light shade impatiens, begonias, petunias, alyssum, and lobelia are equally satisfying. But there is no reason not to try anyone of your favourites in a planter if you can give it the conditions which it likes.

Vines

Vines or one vine can take the place of the background hedge which you had in your home garden, and add the interest of varying heights to the whole. They can be annuals or perennials.

Among the perennial vines Virginia Creeper is almost indistructible. I know of one which survived twelve to fifteen winters in an eighteen inch pot, exposed to cold north-west winds, some years not protected in any way and finally disposed of because the owner had grown tired of it In order to keep it under control the branches were trimmed about twice each year, and the roots every four or five years. A Boston Ivy, on the other hand died down to the crown every winter, and revived only late in the following spring. It never achieved a useful height, though it was protected by insulation every winter. Perhaps it would do well in a less rugged situation.

The Cardinal Vine is a very attractive annual climber with numerous small scarlet trumpet-shaped flowers and leaves like miniature Japanese Maple leaves. It can be grown easily from seed. Since it cannot withstand either fast or strong winds, a good idea is to plant it in a peat-pot around May first and keep the plant in a plastic covered box on your balcony until the spring winds have died down, around the beginning of June. Two other good annual vines are also old favourites, the large white Moonflower for perfume, and the Morning-glory for colour.

Shrubs and Small Trees

These fulfill the same purpose as vines, they add variety and provide a background for flowers. On a small balcony, a diciduous tree or shrub gives a more light and airy effect, is less overwhelming than an evergreen with its dark, closely-set needles.

There are two deciduous shrubs with which I am familiar. One is a base-bunching shrub with small narrow, silvery blue-green leaves, which was bought from McConnelIs' under the name of Arctic Willow. It looked particularly attractive with a clump of yellow Marigolds at its base. Another is the Peashrub, which has trailing branches, small leaves and bright yellow flowers in spring. Both of these plants are extremely hardy.

The familiar white cedar and balsam are the only two evergreens which I have tried. Both came through the winters with very little protection, and served to highlight the colourful Petunias and Geraniums growing in front of them when summer came.

Trees and shrubs grow much more slowly in a container than they would in a garden. The branches will need to be pruned every year of course, and the roots every few years. They also need to be fed and kept well watered, but are not difficult to keep healthy if you stay with hardy varieties.

Winter Protection

If one grows only annuals this question will not arise, but if one likes to try perennials, the harder ones will survive quite well using this method. Remember that in a high-rise everything you use must be carried up on the elevator, and then carried down again if it will not fit in the garbage-chute. In late fall I start saving newspapers, and I buy a package of the large garbage bags. When the ground begins to freeze I place a thick pad of newspapers at the bottom of a garbage bag, place the potted plant on top of it, stuff crumpled newspapers all around and over the top of the pot, then tie the bag loosely leaving a good-sized breathing space. The covered plant is then placed in a corner out of the sun and wind. It is important to water your tree or shrub well before covering it, and to check it early in spring to make sure that it does not dry out on you. The plastic bag containing your newspapers will slip down your garbage-chute easily when the time comes to finish uncovering your plant for the new season of growth.

Insects and Diseases

These are not usually a problem in a balcony garden.

There are many other interesting ways not yet mentioned in which to develop one's

hobby. You have plenty of sunshine, why not try a herb garden, or a vegetable garden, or a combination of the two? One can grow spring-flowering bulbs, or a water-garden, or a cactus garden, or a wild-flower garden. And if the sun never touches your little corner, why not try ferns and mosses, with a weathered rock and water gurgling down one of those small cascades which are now available?

HAPPY BALCONY GARDENING!

A good book on the subject is "Gardening Off the Ground" by Art Drysdale J .M. Dent & Sons - paperback.

Please contact the OHS or the author if you wish to republish these articles. © Ottawa Horticultural Society

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