How to Grow Edibles on Your Balcony
Balconies of all sizes can be the perfect spot to grow fruit, herbs and vegies – and they'll look good enough to eat!
Not everyone has a large backyard to create their personal fruit and vegetable garden. And some people live on very bushy and shady blocks that just aren’t all that suited. But many of us do have an outdoor space, even a small high-rise city balcony, that gets some sun. This is all you need to you grow a few herbs, some vegies and maybe a citrus or two. They’ll not only be in handy reach of the kitchen, but they’ll add greenery and privacy to your home, too. Take a look at these fabulous balcony edible garden creations.
Narrow spaces. Many city balconies are quite narrow, but you really don’t need a lot of width to install a productive raised bed, which will increase your options of edibles to grow. Some dwarf fruit trees and root vegetables need that extra soil depth.
Tiny areas. A nook is all it took to make this balcony look pretty appealing in more ways than one. Leafy lettuces make a great planting choice as the outer leaves can be picked as needed.
The Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability at Waverton in Sydney holds workshops on sustainability, where you can learn how to produce food in very tight places. Look out for similar centres in your area.
The Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability at Waverton in Sydney holds workshops on sustainability, where you can learn how to produce food in very tight places. Look out for similar centres in your area.
Mixing it up. Don’t be afraid to mix your herbs and fruit trees with ornamental plants to add perfumed flowers into the mix. This tiny balcony in Miami has opted for a lush tropical feel by bunching all the plants in pots together. Some of the pot plants have been placed on top of similar terracotta pots that have been upturned to gain extra height.
Dwarf trees. If you have a little more space for shrubs, or small potted trees, then branch out from plants with edible fruits and try those that have edible leaves. If you’re an enthusiastic cook, think of how much you pay at the market for bay and curry leaves or kaffir lime leaves.
Look to Aussie bush tucker varieties, too – lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) has fresh fragrant leaves that can be added to dishes for a lemony flavour.
Being so very productive on your balcony can also feed a great aesthetic. Just like on this side balcony, you’ll want to sit among the greenery of your perfectly potted plants and sip a relaxing cup of tea.
Look to Aussie bush tucker varieties, too – lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) has fresh fragrant leaves that can be added to dishes for a lemony flavour.
Being so very productive on your balcony can also feed a great aesthetic. Just like on this side balcony, you’ll want to sit among the greenery of your perfectly potted plants and sip a relaxing cup of tea.
Pretty pots. Here’s a close-up of some of the stunning pots used on this balcony. Low wide-necked bowls give herbs space to spread. And terracotta pots breathe well, preventing waterlogging – just remember to water your plants well in warmer weather.
Wall climbers. Vertical gardens are quite the rage right now, and this clever design is a great example of what you can do with herbs and lettuces. Espaliered fruit trees can also be a wonderful addition to your balcony, or vines such as passionfruit trailed over a frame.
Standards. Fruiting trees clipped into topiary balls are elegant and can be kept trimmed to maintain your views. Australian lilly pilly varieties and native cumquats can do well in topiary form, and their fruit can make great jams.
Feed me. Amazing things can happen in small amounts of soil! Some edibles thrive on little care, but feel free to use liquid fertilisers to enhance your crop potential – consult your local garden centre for the correct type and amount to use. The results can be good-looking enough for a tabletop display.
Raising the bar. A few rows of raised box beds can provide quite of lot of salad pickings. Having this extra space also allows you to sow the varieties a few weeks apart, spreading out your harvest time. Here, the balcony positioning offers better sunlight than the shadow-filled yard.
Beginner’s herb pot. You don’t need to aim big for your balcony. A wide pot and your favourite herbs is a great place to start to test out your green thumb tendencies. Choose five or six different herbs – add a couple of spreading herbs so that the leaves spill over the edge of the pot. Lovely.
Crates are great. Old wooden crates are an upcycled solution to turn a pretty bland space into a flourishing, feel-good environment that is also nice to observe. And with all this dirt space suddenly at your fingertips, simply pop in a few fruit trees and vegie greens and you’ll never need to visit a fruit and veg market again.