Get Gardening With Patio, Courtyard And Balcony Planters
For many, turning a small balcony, patio or courtyard into a lush, green oasis can feel daunting... especially if you have the familiar history of failed pot plants or wilted window herbs haunting you.
Aside from a shear lack of area and the need to keep your space neat and tidy for when its time to entertain real live people, there are legitimate obstacles that can make small space gardening feel tricky. Allowing enough volume of soil and water to adequately grow healthy plants is a real challenge, not to mention keeping on top of the watering! Then you have drainage conundrums, portability issues, heat, cold, land-lords, pets, pests, kids!!!
Balcony Pots
Balconies are the tightest possible position for planters. They require clever space management to make sure they remain functional, and looking great with interesting balcony specific pots and planters.
Having a system of planters that fit to any small balcony space, with modular sizing, sleek aesthetics and 'set and forget' watering technology, will make your life easier. That way your balcony will remain well managed spatially, and available for all the other essentials like entertaining, BBQs, and the odd shut eye on lazy Sundays (hammock style).
Got a million dollar view? You don't want to obstruct that advantage. Raised planters are ideal to make sure you can enjoy the greenery, as well as the scenery. If they are raised, planters can also second as a storage area for any peripheral object you may have lying around. Think garden tools, spare beers from an impromptu BBQ, or the odd Tonka truck from the kids.
Courtyard + Patio Planters
Courtyards can be the most beautiful outdoors spaces, often the best example of stylish indoor and outdoor living. With more room than balconies, courtyards often offer a mixture of shade and light at ground level. This means that you have the option to create cool climate temperate zones, or flourishing, sun drenched garden beds.
For these larger spaces, it may be necessary to interconnect your planters. We can recommend how to do this, whether it be manual, or connected to your water source.Self watering garden beds create no fuss options in a courtyard context. They cater for a range of spatial arrangements, meaning you can enjoy the courtyard you create, rather than worrying whether your plants will survive. Hedges, screens, centre pieces or scattered garden beds can be used to create private zones, open plan entertaining areas and relaxation havens.
Balconies, Patios And Courtyards
At the end of the day, with tight spaces on a balcony, patio or courtyard, you need to plan. I recommend our friend Indira Naidoo, and her fantastic book The Edible Balcony to help you out here. Whether it's a Romeo and Juliet bi-folding window in Toorak, or a rooftop deck spanning retail below in Newtown, self contained, compact planters that look good are a winner no matter what the context.
