Ideas To Design A Small Balcony Garden

While most of us would love a large and spacious garden, it is a luxury that only a few can afford. But that in no way should prevent one from enjoying the bliss of having their own little green nook. Small balcony garden ideas are an interesting way to introduce a garden space in your home without the need for a much larger area. Here are some beautiful balcony garden ideas that you can use to enhance the space around you.

1. Plan your space:

The first step to making any space utilitarian and beautiful is to plan it well. The notion of wanting a large space is preceded by using the space you have optimally. Hence, it is imperative to plan what goes where before you start working on your balcony garden.

Divide your balcony into three rough areas- the garden area, the seating and the utility space. Reserve the hottest and the sunniest part for the garden area and the more cooler area for seating. Chalk out a small area where you will store the essentials that you would need for a well maintained garden. This can either be open or you can use containers or multi utility items to store gardening equipments etc.

2. Choose the right furniture:

This is one of the key factors that one has to keep in mind while designing a small balcony garden. Use furniture that is light, weatherproof and ideally foldable. Introducing very large or heavy furniture is not only inconvenient but will make your space look smaller. It would be ideal to first determine if you want it to be your reading nook, hang out space or a multi utility space. You could even add a small dining table instead of lounging furniture and make your balcony garden an outdoor dining nook that is great to also accommodate guests for an evening outside.

3. Choose the right lighting:

While an outdoor space as a balcony wouldn’t need lighting during the day, choosing the right lighting for the night is very important. You may or may not use your balcony garden after sunset, but good and functional lighting is a must. However, what would really be ideal to make your balcony more dream like is the addition of unique and creative lighting ideas. Use fairylights, LEDs or quirky hanging or table mounted lights to make your balcony dreamy and magical.

4. A hint of colour:

While your balcony garden is going to be predominantly green, adding the right colour in the other parts of the design will determine how your balcony will look in the end. While bright and popping colours are a great addition, adding too much of these will make your space look small and cluttered. Adding too much of wood texture and darker shades will also have similar effects. If you have a small balcony using light colours with subtle shades of blues and yellows is a great way to make your space look large and airy. To this, you can add a pop of colour to make the space more lively and vibrant. However, if you do have the luxury of space and enjoy a more boho approach- a rainbow of colours combined smartly looks splendid too. Warmer tones of wood, earth etc are also great to make your space look rustic and cozy.

You can use any of the aforementioned ideas by introducing colours by adding colourful or earthy terracotta pots, lighting fixtures, white or off- white furniture or go for wooden flooring that would create a very warm base for your garden.

5. Statement additions:

Your balcony garden is a great place to show off your knick knacks. While adding big statement objects is a strict no, adding smaller items not only creates an interesting ambiance, but it enhances the look of your space. Add antique findings, or small sculptures by local artists or items from your travel that are safe to be used in a semi open space.

6. Upcycle:

Upcycle items to make your space more quirky. This is great opportunity to try your hands at DIYS and also save on you buying new items. Make planters out of tin cans, old ceramic ware etc. You can also use wooden crates, old planks etc to make furniture that is light and economic too.

7. Choose the right plants:

Plants are the most important part of your balcony garden, and this post on small balcony garden ideas will not be complete without a discussion about the flora that you can add to your balcony. Depending on how much time you can dedicate to tending to your garden, you can pick plants that are easy to maintain, or that need a lot of care. The rate of growth, the size that they achieve on complete growth, the kind of care they need are the most important factors to keep in mind while selecting your plants. Some plants are more prone to infection than others, and this can be risky as they can contaminate the other plants too. Opting for something hardy is the safest option that one can resort to.

Different plants need different kind of lighting. Some are more suited to be kept on the North, some others on the East or West. One must also take into consideration the amount of lighting that the plants need. If you are short of space do not opt for plants that have a large radius and grow rapidly. You can also opt for vegetable and herb planters as they are not just a great addition to your garden, but will keep your kitchen stocked with fresh and organic herbs.

You can also opt for hanging pots, planter boxes along the railing and vertical garden as they are beautiful to look at and save space too. The market is full of frames that you can use to install pots on your walls that are not just a great way to save floor space, but look great too.

Geared with these simple tips, one can embark on their adventure of designing their own little garden right in their balcony without the need of a larger or a much exorbitant space.