Balcony, Patio, and Courtyard Gardening
By Gwen Stewart
People choose balcony, patio, and courtyard gardening for many
different reasons. Some are moving from a large house to smaller
accommodation, some don’t want the hassle of a large property, and
some chose to live in rental property to avoid the high-cost of owning
a home. Whatever the reason, this doesn’t mean we can’t garden. No
space is too small for a small space garden. One plant in a container
is a garden. In fact, ever more gardening options are available in
terms of pots, half-barrels, window boxes, troughs, cast-iron
planters, recycled materials – the list is unending with
possibilities.
Planning a Small Space Garden
When planning your small space garden several steps are fundamental.
The first consideration is to determine what purpose this space will
serve. Do you want to grow vegetables, herbs, entertain family and
friends, meditate, create a place of peace, healing, a memorial garden
– the list is endless. Next, walk around your space and really look
at what you have. Where are doors, sheds, permanent planters located?
Is there any clutter? Clear out the clutter by asking yourself: ‘Do
I love it? Have I used it in the past year?’ If it no longer serves
you, turf it out, paint it or fix it, give it to somebody who needs
it.
If possible, take a chair and sit down, move it around, and think
about where the energy feels best for you. Wherever that is, place
your seating such as a park bench, lounge, Muskoka chairs, dining
furniture, swing, etc. Do you want a formal or informal setting? What
features do you want? Features such as water, flowers, vegetables,
herbs, wind chimes, wild life, color, etc. add the finishing touches
to your small space garden. Finally, make a plan particularly if you
are going to use large features such as a half-barrel. Once filled
with soil you will not want to be moving it.
Creating a Small Space Garden
Containers: Generally speaking natural materials such as
wood, clay, stone, or cast iron in all their forms make better
companions for plants. Remember that wet soil weighs a lot so if you
garden on a balcony weight restrictions may apply. Containers made
from lighter weight materials such as fiberglass are ideal for roof or
balcony gardens. Styles of containers include hanging baskets,
wirework stands and baskets, wood window boxes, sinks, troughs,
galvanized buckets, old shoes or boots, bathtubs, old tires, and all
manner of recycled objects.
Scale is extremely important in small space gardening. For
example, small plants look more balanced in small containers, large
plants in large containers. I especially like the effect of vines
growing on trellis in half-barrels with smaller plants edging the
container. In the half-barrels I use, I have grown many different
vines but have found that the effect of scarlet runner pole beans (Phaseolus
vulgaris) is really a knockout with their gorgeous red flowers and you
can eat them too.
Microclimates: Which plants prefer which location? Choose
plants according to the conditions suitable for their optimum growth.
Plants such as begonia (Begonia x semperflorens), coleus (Coleus x
hybridous), and Fuchsia (Fuchsia x hybrida) prefer shaded areas while
geraniums (Pelargonium x hortorum), marigolds (Tagetes erecta), and
petunia (Petunia x hybrida) prefer full sun. Wind can be a major
factor and damage fragile plants. Choose plants that are wind tolerant
such as many of the grasses; the sound of the rustling of the grasses
as the wind blows through them is very pleasing to the ear.
Soil: I buy pre-mixed potting soil from the garden centers or
shopping malls. These are generally lighter in weight to carry,
sterilized to prevent weed seeds from germinating, and contain a lot
of peat moss that helps loosen the soil so that it doesn’t compact
in pots. I also buy organic soil that doesn’t have artificial
chemicals added as I dump my pots of used soil into the garden where I
grow vegetables.
Watering: Check daily as container plants often dry out more
quickly. This is especially true if you are using clay pots. Make
sure pots have drainage holes, as roots sitting in water will rot.
When there has been excessive rain or water, empty saucers that are
full. If you garden on a balcony sit plants on something to catch the
water so that it doesn’t run down on your neighbors.
Fertilizer: Due to frequent watering, container plants require fertilizer
on a more consistent basis then plants in the ground do. Use organic fertilizers
such as blood meal, bone meal, or fish emulsion, particularly if the
soil is going to be added to the garden at the end of the season, as
chemical fertilizers harm the wildlife.
Function: When you are creating your small space garden you are
actually designing an outdoor room. Keep in mind that this can be color
co-ordinated to appear as an extension of your home. I move my indoor
plants outside for the summer (which they love) and design these areas
as garden rooms.
Focal point: Create a focal point such as a large pot, tall
plant or tree, color, or a water feature. Perennial vines such as
Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) will grow in a large
container and come back year after year. Create a sense of mystery by
hiding a plant or ornament behind something else to give the pleasure
of discovering it.
Color: In a small space, use three colors such as pinks, blues,
and whites; reds, oranges, and yellows; reds, whites, and blues; or
reds, whites, and purples that provide continuity rather than too many
colors which tend to be distracting. Cool colors make the space appear
bigger and brighter while intense colors shrink spaces. A white and
green color theme called a ‘moon garden’ is more formal and
particularly at night is spectacular. Many white flowers are fragrant
at night as well.
Lighting: I especially like the small Xmas lights hidden in
plants and interwoven throughout a trellis with climbing vines. Up
lighting with small spotlights can focus attention on a particular
area for evening entertaining.
Gwen Nyhus Stewart, B.S.W., M.G., H.T., is an educator, freelance
writer, garden consultant, and author of the book The Healing Garden:
A Place Of Peace – Gardening For The Soil, Gardening For The Soul.
She owns the website Gwen’s Healing Garden where you will find lots
of free information about gardening for the soil and gardening for the
soul. To find out more about the book and subscribe to her free
Newsletter visit http://www.gwenshealinggarden.ca
Gwen Nyhus Stewart © 2004 – 2005. All rights reserved.
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'Guerilla Gardening' Digs L.A. LAist - 0 KB- Found: 5 hours ago Guerilla gardening is largely thought to have its roots in England, where folks have long planted unexpected gardens in neglected public spaces as a sort of call to action that highlights the misuse of land and repurposes it into something beautiful. They often work in crews or teams and go on carefully-planned gardening missions. Recently a local team of guerilla gardeners transformed a ... Central Texas gardening workshops, seminars offer tips, advice Austin American-Statesman - 0 KB- Found: 11 hours ago Round Rock Community Garden Club 9:15 a.m. Monday . Judy Barrett lectures on 'Ecological Gardening Rain Barrels, Compost Bins, Potting Soil and More.' Baca Center, 301 W. Bagdad Ave., Building 2, Round Rock. Free. 218-5499. Gardening Gift Guide Carteret County News-Times - 0 KB- Found: 15 hours ago (ARA) - Whether you have a few plants at your desk, a container garden on your deck, or a full-fledged garden in your backyard, gardening is enjoyed on many different levels. Free UT event is a buffet of summer gardening activities Memphis Commercial Appeal - 0 KB- Found: 20 hours ago If you want to see plants thriving in the summer sun and learn about gardening throughout the seasons, you can join hundreds of like-minded people on July 10 at the 19th annual Summer Celebration at the University of Tennessee's West Tennessee Research & Education Center in Jackson. Vegetable gardening with my Three Sisters Grand Bend Strip - 0 KB- Found: 2008-07-04, 01:03 GMT Vegetable gardening, though not for everyone, can be a very therapeutic endeavour. Planting the seeds, harvesting, and then being able to enjoy the resulting food on your plate is rewarding in itself. Then there is the physical health benefit of the exercise and fresh air. Event marks 25 years of master gardening Corvallis Gazette-Times - 0 KB- Found: 22 hours ago The Oregon Master Gardener Association and OSU Extension Service have organized the 25th annual Gardeners Mini-College, scheduled for July 24 through 26. This year s event agenda includes featured talks on rain gardens, gardening with native plants, backyard bees and alternatives to pesticides. Forums on spiders in the garden, winter vegetable gardening and the worldwide legacy of Clematis also ... Gardening: Reader offers and competitons Daily Telegraph - 0 KB- Found: 2008-07-04, 00:12 GMT Gardening offers for Telegraph readers. Free gardening classes The Sacramento Bee - 0 KB- Found: 2008-07-03, 08:35 GMT The UC Cooperative Extension master gardeners of El Dorado County offer a class on organic gardening methods from 9 a.m. to noon July 12 at the Agricultural Extension Building, 311 Fair Lane, Placerville. A class on summer pruning will be held from 9 a.m. to noon July 26. An additional class, "In Love with Lavender," will be held from 9 a.m. to noon July 19 at the El Dorado County Main Library, ...
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