Colourful tagetes deter apids
It is amazing how many edible or ornamental plants can be successfully cultivated on a medium-sized balcony — even on a small one for that matter — as long as the balcony receives at least six hours of direct sunshine and can be protected from hot or cold wind, as the season dictates. The plants can also be provided with shade, specifically between 11 am and 3 pm at the height of summer.
Sustainable, organic gardening on a balcony can, with care and planning, be achieved, although compost-making may be better replaced with brewing compost tea — this is faster to make, requires far less space and any offensive smell is very short-lived.
An open balcony can, depending on the exact location and floor of the building, be overly exposed to wind. It is, therefore, extremely important that wind/sun protection is firmly fixed in place. Working on sustainable, organic principles and avoiding plastics like the plague, the most effective wind/sun protection can be had from cane chiks firmly fastened to the panels of a purpose-made, fixed wooden frame. It’s just like a window frame but with chiks that can be rolled up or down instead of fixed glass. This wind/sun protection is best placed before you embark on anything else. A certain amount of shade protection can also be gained by growing hardy, heat- and wind-tolerant, climbing plants, such as Ipomea learii (Morning glory), as long as it is kept under very strict control.
If you don’t have space for a proper garden, turn your balcony into one
The next step is to give thought to the flooring: if the balcony floor is plain concrete there shouldn’t be much of a problem. But if it is something like marble, you may want to protect it from staining by laying lengths of old carpet or very strong cardboard, to be replaced when necessary, beneath your trays/pots of plants or beneath any old tables you choose to use for cultivating your plants on. I’m sure you know that plants are perfectly happy in containers that are above the floor.
Also, for anyone with back issues, having a garden that can be tended without the need to bend down, is a massive bonus. In addition, if the outer balcony wall is solid cement, plants are best on raised surfaces so that they get maximum light exposure and the space beneath the tables, for example, is perfect for placing a lidded compost tea bin, gardening tools and other basic gardening necessities.
Plants can also be grown on shelving firmly fixed to the apartment’s wall and in all manner of securely fixed hanging baskets.