Balcony Garden

Balcony gardens are ever more a common occurrence especially to my generation, but that doesn't mean they can't be turned into valuable space for yourself and to wildlife. Far too often I see rows and rows of balconies bedecking London's high-rises with absolutely no plants, not even a leaf, or at the very least a rather sickly and neglected looking shrub. This long but rather narrow balcony was very tired, and was in desperate need of sprucing up. Good quality terracotta pots were added - never use plastic this heats up the roots in the soil causing a plant's stunted growth or death. Hardy, colourful and low maintenance perennials and grasses were added along with local wood mulch to mitigate rapid drying of the soil (a common theme on sunny balconies with glass fronts). A bespoke bench was created using a 200 year old Sessile Oak tree that blew down in a storm in 2019 near Sedbergh, with a Cumbrian blacksmith creating the metal legs. the colouring of the oak subtly echos that of the terracotta whilst also softening the mass of modern metal and glass cladding the building and the balcony. I will be adding more pictures during the summer when the plants begin to grow and flower, but I hope this proves that balconies can be crucial spaces not only for wildlife but also for yourselves in this busy and hectic world of ours.

Click on the images below for a closer look at the before and after pictures along with further information.