No garden? No problem. Welcome to the National Trust’s Sky Gardening Challenge. Join people in cities across the country and let’s turn your outside space into something special.
Got a balcony? A Juliet balcony? Even just a window box? If you live in a flat - whatever bit of outside you’ve got, it could be brilliant. It could be your little escape, a space that makes you feel good.
What to grow? Whatever you fancy!
Brighten up your view. Grow some herbs you’ll actually use. Add a few flowers and they might become a pit stop for pollinators.
Join the challenge
You’ll be joining people in cities across the country doing exactly the same thing. Planting some seeds. Trying things out. Learning as they go. Sharing what works and what doesn’t.
NB: Make sure you check the terms of your lease and get relevant permissions from your housing provider/building owner before making any changes.
Join a workshop
Come along to one of the National Trust’s Sky Gardening Challenge workshops – in person or online – to get tips, ask questions and meet other people giving it a go. They’re free and taking place across the country.
When you sign up to National Trust's Sky Gardening Challenge, you'll be able to access exclusive online workshops. For more information and advice, sign up today.
Birmingham
Birmingham Settlement Nature & Wellbeing Centre, Edgbaston Reservoir, 79 Selwyn Road, Birmingham, B16 0SL, Sunday 28 June
Join the National Trust gardening team at the Neighbourhood Futures Festival to find out how to green your balcony or window box this summer. Prepare to get your hands dirty and get gardening as the team shows you how to start your balcony greening journey.
Join Mark Ridsdill Smith from Vertical Veg to explore the basics of growing on your balcony or window box with a budget friendly, environmentally conscious approach. Prepare to get your hands dirty and get gardening as the team takes you through how to start your balcony greening journey. At the end, you can take what you have planted home with you.
Places are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment.
Workshops supported by L&G and being delivered in collaboration with Islington in Bloom.
Join The Barefoot Planter, Chauntelle Lewis to explore the basics of growing food on your balcony or window box. Prepare to get your hands dirty and get gardening as the team takes you through how to start your balcony greening journey. At the end, you can take what you have planted home with you.
Places are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment.
Workshops supported by L&G and being delivered in collaboration with Islington in Bloom.
Join The Barefoot Planter, Chauntelle to explore what you can achieve with just one pot and how to make this friendly for pollinators. Prepare to get your hands dirty and get gardening as the team takes you through how to start your balcony greening journey. At the end, you can take what you have planted home with you.
Places are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment.
Workshops supported by L&G and being delivered in collaboration with Islington in Bloom.
Manchester
Join the teams from Plant CIC, Hulme Community Garden Centre and Northern Lily to explore the basics of turning your balcony or window box into a green oasis. Prepare to get your hands dirty and get gardening as the team takes you through how to start your balcony greening journey.
Places are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment.
Castlefield Viaduct, 8 May, 1pm
Sign up for Balcony Basics
Hulme Community Garden Centre, 9 May, 1.30pm
Sign up for Balcony Basics
Grass Roots Project, 30 May, 11am
Sign up for Balcony Basics
Workshops supported by L&G.
Join Northern Lily and the Plant CIC team to explore the basics of urban farming and growing food on your balcony or window box. Prepare to get your hands dirty and get gardening as the team takes you through how to start your balcony greening journey. At the end, you can take your garden creation home with you.
Places are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment.
Join the teams from Plant CIC, Hulme Community Garden Centre and Northern Lily to explore the basics of turning your balcony or window box into a green oasis for nature. Prepare to get your hands dirty and get gardening as the team takes you through how to start your balcony greening journey. At the end, you can take your garden creation home with you.
Places are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment.
Ready to show the world what you’ve done? Launching on 1 June, the National Trust’s Sky Gardening Challenge competition is searching for the best sky gardeners from across the country.
It's not just about what you grew, it's about what you tried, what you learned, and what your space means to you.
Watch this space for more details on how to enter.
These are just some of the brilliant entries from the Sky Gardening Challenge Competition 2025.
See what other people are growing and share your own progress. Find us on Instagram and Facebook @NTSkyGardeningChallenge
Essential information
This document provides minimum essential safety considerations, is not exhaustive, and does not replace landlord and/or building manager, insurer or fire authority requirements.
If you live in a flat and want to garden your balcony, window box or ground-floor space, it is important that you:
Get relevant permission from your landlord before undertaking the challenge. Many housing providers allow ‘managed use’, which means you may be able to use the space for gardening; there may be certain rules you need to follow, which could differ from housing provider to housing provider. Some housing providers may have a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to balcony usage or ‘sterile balcony’ policy, which would prevent you from using it for gardening. In this case, you could not take part in the challenge, but you can focus on houseplants you can grow in your flat!
Check your Buildings and Contents Insurance policies to check if there are any restrictions.
If you get permission to garden your flat’s balcony, window box or ground-floor space, it is essential that you:
Comply with any requirements your landlord/management company specifies.
Don’t make material alterations (e.g. structural alterations) to your flat or balcony when gardening, without first getting consent from your housing provider and any necessary approvals from building control.
Do not use fire under any circumstance.
Keep all fire escape routes free of obstructions, such as plant pots. This could include common areas such as stairways, deck walkways/linking balconies, or roofs which form part of a fire escape route for yourself and/or others.
Don’t do anything through gardening that would interfere with the fire protection measures for your flat or building (e.g. fire doors, signage), or impact on the compartmentation of your flat, i.e. cause fire to spread more easily from one flat to another or into an escape route.
Don’t use, or store, combustible materials for gardening on a balcony (e.g. wooden trellises, petrol gardening equipment, hazardous chemicals, gardening waste etc). Dry compost and dry plant material (e.g. dead plants) can be flammable, so it’s important to keep your plants healthy and well-watered; in the event of a fire, they could encourage fire to spread to a neighbour’s flat. Do not attempt to extinguish any flame or cigarette in plant pots as it will be at risk of igniting.
Check the weight restrictions for your balcony with your housing provider, and make sure you don’t exceed them. Lightweight containers and lightweight roof garden soil can help keep weight down.
Ensure plant pots and heavy items are kept away from the edge of the balcony and do not hang over the external side of the balcony due to risk of falling and causing injury to anyone below.
Avoid positioning pots, planters, or trellises in such a way that they form steps up the balcony rail/parapet, or create trip hazards.
Ensure that any free-standing structures such as plant pots, stack planters and free-standing arches are robust and weighted down to avoid them becoming damaged or hazardous in high winds. Avoid placing planters or other items on the balcony parapets/rails. If railing planters/hanging baskets are permitted by your management company and/or landlord, keep them on the inside of your balcony.
Do not lean over or sit on balcony walls or railings in order to garden, or stand on balcony furniture, ladders or stepladders due to risk of falling over the balustrade.
Ensure any electrical equipment used for gardening (including fairy lights) is in good working order, suitable for outdoor use and not left unattended when switched on. Avoid wiring it directly into your flat or using extension leads.
Use drip trays, saucers or trays underneath plant pots to prevent water overflowing from plant pots and dropping onto balconies below or damaging the structure of your balcony. Make sure that drain outlets are not covered and water flow into them isn’t restricted.
Follow instructions and warnings on gardening products and tools.
Be aware that some plants can be hazardous to people or pets if touched or consumed. Check plant labels for toxicity warnings (sometimes stated on label) and take necessary precautions.
Add a touch of colour to your windowsill and create a small haven for pollinators to thrive. Follow our easy step-by-step guide on how to grow your own mini-garden.
We've committed to going peat free as an organisation, and all the plants we grow, buy and sell are potted in peat-free compost. Hear from our team of gardening experts and discover top tips for peat-free gardening in your green space.
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