What to Plant in Your Balcony or Patio Garden

About Nicole Pajer

Nicole Pajer is a Los Angeles-based freelance published in The New York Times, Woman's Day, AARP, Parade, Wired, Glamour, People and more.

Want to add some greenery to your life? Or maybe you are in the market to grow some of your own fruits and veggies. The good news is you don’t need a lot of space to house some plants. If you have a small yard or just a balcony, you can still enjoy the perks of a garden. Here are some tips from garden experts on how to make the most of your balcony or patio garden space.

Know your zone.

“While you can do some things to shelter balcony or patio plants from extreme weather, you'll still want to choose plants whose hardiness zone is a good fit for where you live,” says Rafi Friedman, CEO of Coastal Luxury Outdoors. For example, tropical plants probably won't survive in the northeast, and conifers are a poor fit for the south. Ask your local gardening center for help choosing which plants will do best in your region and with your specific home’s sun exposure.

Consider shade and freezing.

“Balconies in particular are usually fairly shady, and plants in containers are especially vulnerable to cold snaps,” says Friedman. Make sure your plants will tolerate the cooler temperatures and limited sun. When purchasing plants or seeds, ask your local gardening center for recommendations based on your local climate.

Pay attention to drainage.

Holes in the bottom of plant pots can help them to drain and not take on too much water. But this can also lead to water pooling up in places you don’t want it, like on balconies. “Make sure you're using drip trays to catch any excess water from your containers in order to avoid puddles on your patio or dripping on your downstairs neighbors,” says Friedman. It’s also important to use the right kind of soil. “Opt for quality potting mix, not garden soil as it can lead to compaction,” adds Andrew Connolly, founder of Little Flower Cottage, a gardening and flower blog.

Start easy.

If you’re ready to grow your own produce, start small. So instead of hopping into more advanced plants to grow, tiptoe in with something easy. Lettuce is the number one vegetable that Jeremy Yamaguchi, owner of yard maintenance company Lawn Love, recommends to beginning gardeners. “It can be grown in pots, so if you only have an apartment balcony and not a full-on backyard garden, you can still grow them with ease,” he says.

Consider plants like lettuce, which can grow year-round – “you just need to provide some shade for it during the hottest months and you may need to bring it inside during the winter,” says Yamaguchi. Tomatoes, he adds, are another easy vegetable to grow in pots on your balcony. “You’ll just want to place them in a spot that gets as much sunlight as possible and make sure to use well-draining soil,” says Yamaguchi.

Try herbs.

These, says Tammy Sons, founder and CEO of TN Nursery, are an easy way to start with growing your own produce. As a bonus, they thrive in small spaces and pots. “Some wonderful herbs to start on a balcony or patio garden would be basil, parsley, thyme, oregano, or really any herb due to their ease of growth in pots and containers,” she says.

Grow upwards.

Don’t have much space? Build a vertical garden. “Vertical gardens feature tall plants and vines that climb trellises, which include plants like cucumbers, peas, and beans,” says Sons. She also recommends hanging planters, which allow you to grow plants in areas with limited floor space or help free up extra floor space for other plants, tables or even chairs to sit in and enjoy your mini garden.

Give your plants the right TLC.

“Balcony gardens dry out faster than a regular garden,” warns Connolly. Thus, he says, to be sure you're watering regularly but are also careful to avoid overwatering. It can also be helpful to give plants some liquid fertilizer, which Connolly recommends doing every few weeks.

Embrace smart gardens.

Don’t have time to water but still want to have plants? Consider a smart garden. “They are designed to fit into small areas like countertops, windowsills and shelves,” says Connolly. These high-tech planters handle all the hard work, managing water, light, and nutrients. “The best part is they can grow a surprising amount of greenery in a small area,” Connolly adds.

Layer plants.

Another way to make the most of your space is by layering your plants—combine taller ones with smaller varieties. “This technique not only maximizes your space but also adds a beautiful, dynamic look to your patio,” says Connolly. This practice allows you to grow more without overcrowding. “Since I have so many plants around the house, I use this technique all the time to keep the rooms from looking untidy or overwhelming,” Connolly says.

Buy taller planters.

“Aging brings aches and pains that can limit our mobility,” says Sibohan Shaw, co-founder of Growing to Give. “As I write this today with a sore rib, bending over to reach lower containers is a challenge!” To avoid this, she suggests arranging containers at waist height by purchasing taller pots or placing shorter ones on plant stands.

Have fun.

Start with a few pots in the corner of your deck and expand each season. “Add something new—a vibrant flower like purple salvia, an unusual herb like lemon verbena for tea, or a childhood favorite vegetable, mine being Parisian carrots which are small round and bite sized,” says Shaw. You can trade gardening secrets with friends, start a gardening club or even share produce with neighbors.