Plants will make all the difference. Good idea to green it up. I like a stand with levels or plants that adds depth and you could try different flowering ferns or succulents (depending on the temp out there)

Cloison végétale Etcetera · More Info

You can't really "cover" the gas heater - but you could try to "disguise" it using a 'low growing' bamboo or informal hedging plant in a container that you can keep pruned and - that way you can move the plant if you need to access the heater for maintenance. If you were to put a storage unit under it you could easily disguise the heater with rosemary, or grass plants etc.

Be sure to check what load bearing capacity your balcony has - so that you can safely use your balcony to its full advantage.

Mirrors make a difference on the opposite wall to where your heater is - you could even use a one on that wall too - if you use a mirror opposite a garden wall your space will instantly feel bigger.

To keep the maximum floor space you can on the balcony, think about a vertical wall garden and planter boxes on the railings. If you do decide to go for planters on the floor of your balcony remember to go light weight plastic as terracotta, and porcelain can get heavy quickly. For your soil - think about core peat with a slow release fertilizer - core peat is light weight but has no nutrients for your plants.

I cant see that you've got a tap - if you don't then think carefully about drought tolerant plants as carrying out watering pots several times a day in summer isn't much fun. If you do have a tap - think about installing a drip irrigation system on a timer to give yourself more time to sit back and enjoy your balcony rather than working on it.

Great suggestions thank-you! I love the idea of a vertical garden on that wall and chose the creeping fig because it is hardy and evergreen and should grow easily (and I don't have a tap so I do have to water by hand, and it's just one pot!!). I still have the problem of disguising the heater, and can only hang something down from the roof (which has rafters) but can't put anything under the heater to sit a plant on as the lounge sits flush in the corner to maximise space. I did wonder whether I could sit something on or above the heater unit and let it grow down over it, or whether that would still be covering it which is no-go. Love the idea of planter boxes, and also a mirror. :-)

Ps. Balcony is east facing and only gets sun from 6-10am each morning.

Hi Petapea, Go for plants for semi-shade - mint, impatients, philodendrons, bromeliads and peace lilies will work. Please be careful with the gas heater - they cost a bomb to replace and you need to be able to access them for emergency purposes - also remember that to drill into the wall you have to make sure that you're not going to hit any pipes (I'd recommend shelving with some of the hardier ferns such as fishbone ferm- but would caution you to check where the pipes are). Good luck