How to grow a balcony garden

Contestant balcony as part of our Sky Gardening Challenge 2024, in Manchester | © National Trust Images/Paul Harris

Even the smallest balconies can be transformed into a green retreat. With the right plants, your balcony can become a vibrant space to relax, attract wildlife and improve wellbeing. Discover tips and inspiration for getting started.

Pick the right plants

For quick results, choose ready-grown plants and use large pots because they hold more compost and water, making them easier to manage. Check the pots have drainage holes to stop the water from building up at the bottom.

Shrubs and small trees add height and structure to balcony gardens. Remember to use peat-free compost to protect peatlands, which are vital for preserving nature and the climate.

Think about leaves

Big, bold leaves can muffle street noise, clean and cool the air and give your balcony a lush, tropical feel. Plants like hardy palms, bamboo and banana plants thrive in sunny spots.

For shaded areas, try glossy evergreens like Fatsia japonica or Mexican orange blossom. Mixing different shapes, sizes and colours will add diversity and make your balcony garden more visually interesting.

Grow from seed to save money

If you’re on a budget, growing from seeds is a low-cost way to fill your balcony with life. You can sow seeds, or plant plugs in spring and have a thriving balcony garden by the summer.

Climbing plants like black-eyed Susan, sweet pea and cup and saucer vine are perfect for covering railings or filling vertical spaces. They grow fast and can be trained to climb or trail.

Add fragrance with scented plants

Fragrant plants make balconies feel more inviting and pleasant, especially if you’ll be spending time there. Star jasmine grows well in pots and produces a rich, sweet smell in the summer.

Other plants like stock or tobacco flowers release their scent in the evening to attract moths, which are a food source for bats.

Grow your own food

Balconies are a great space to grow your own food. You don’t need much room, just a few pots can give you fresh, home-grown ingredients.

You can grow herbs like thyme, rosemary, sage and chives. You could also plant lemon verbena or mint for making tea. Vegetables like lettuce, rocket and tumbling tomatoes are also easy to grow.

If you’ve got more space, you can grow blueberries and strawberries. Even apple trees can fruit in pots if they’re grown on a dwarf rootstock that keeps the tree small. Also, edible flowers like marigolds or nasturtiums add colour and can be used as garnishes for meals.

Attract pollinators

Plants with flowers provide bees and other pollinators with nectar and pollen. They play an important role in nature and can help turn your flowers into fruit.

To attract pollinators, grow nectar-rich plants like buddleia and let herbs produce flowers. Avoid double-flowered varieties, which often produce little or no nectar.

Help wildlife thrive

Your balcony can offer shelter and food for birds and insects. Adding a bee hotel to a sunny wall can give solitary bees a place to nest.

Native British plants like elder, ivy, dogwood, red campion and sweet woodruff are great food sources for insects and grow well in pots.

Collect and reuse water

Watering your plants is vital, especially if your balcony is covered, very sunny or doesn’t catch much rain.

If possible, collect rainwater by diverting it from the gutter using a water butt, though you may need permission if it involves changing guttering. You can also reuse leftover water from cooking or washing – just make sure it’s cool and clean.

If you’re going away during hot weather, move your plants into the shadiest spot to retain moisture. For very sun-exposed balconies with little access to rainwater, stick to drought-tolerant plants like lavender or hebes. Their small, slivery leaves help them hold onto water.

Head gardener working in the Rock Garden at Emmetts Garden, Kent with trees and hedges in the background

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