In the bustling cities that we live in today, greenery has become even more precious than ever. There’s no feeling that can quite come close to the peacefulness we feel when we are in the midst of lush greenery. But with most of us living in apartments, gardens have become a rarity. Do you still yearn for a patch of the outdoors in your home? If you have a balcony, then this is all you need to get started! Apartment balconies of all sizes are the perfect way to add some much-needed greenery to your space. These simple tips can help you transform your balcony into the green oasis of your dreams.
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Choose what plants you want to grow
When you are picking out which varieties of plants to add to your balcony garden, there are a number of factors you need to take into consideration. Generally, local varieties are a lot sturdier and easier to maintain than exotic ones as they have adapted to the climate. If you are a first-time gardener, local plants are your safest bet. You also need to take into account how much sunshine your apartment balcony gets. If there are buildings in front of your balcony, the number of hours it receives direct sunlight might be limited. Areca palms, alocasia, pleomele or snake plants don’t require a lot of sunlight and can thrive in shady balconies. If your apartment balcony receives plenty of sunlight throughout the day, you can grow begonias, marigolds and bougainvilleas. You can even grow succulents if you are new to gardening as they require very little care.
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Use high-quality soil
Since you will be growing your plants in pots, the soil that you use is extremely important. Unlike garden soil, potted soil cannot absorb nutrients from a number of different sources. That is why you need to use high-quality soil that is rich in nitrogen and minerals. Unless your plants have nutrient-packed soil to grow from, they aren’t going to flourish.
To ensure that your soil remains fertile, you can also reuse your kitchen scraps as manure. Vegetable peels, roots, leaves and egg shells are often thrown away, but they can actually help your apartment balcony garden bloom. Add these scraps to your soil and as they decompose, they will release nutrients and nitrogen. Reusing your waste is also one of the ways you can make your home more eco-friendly.
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Hanging pots can help you save space
In most apartment balconies, space is the biggest constraint. But even if you have a small balcony, this doesn’t mean you can’t have your own patch of greenery. Hanging pots don’t just look charming, they are also very space-efficient. They can help you add plants to your balcony without taking up any floor space. You can hang them from hooks on your ceiling or even from your balcony rails. Just make sure the pots aren’t too heavy otherwise the hooks might not be able to bear their weight.
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Make use of vertical space
Another way to bring a small apartment balcony to life is with a living wall. Balcony walls often go unused, but they have incredible untapped potential to make your home greener. You can install a trellis against a wall and plant creepers on it so they will eventually grow along the frame. You can even nail rows of small pots against the wall and grow small flowering plants in them. This is one of the simple but effective DIY tips to enhance the beauty of your home. Living walls are beautiful to look at, easy to maintain and are perfect for apartment balconies.
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Lay out a green lawn
Walking barefoot on a green lawn is one of the many joys of having a garden. Surprisingly, you can recreate this feeling with an apartment balcony garden as well. Roll-out turfs are one of the easiest ways to make your space greener. They require very little maintenance and can transform your dreary balcony into a vibrant green garden. You can even use artificial lawn turfs that look and feel like the real thing, but require no upkeep at all. This is one of the quickest ways to renovate your floors on a budget.
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Add a miniature water feature
Water features might be more commonly associated with large gardens and parks, but there’s no reason why you can’t have one in your balcony. They come in a number of different shapes and sizes, so you can easily find one that’s the perfect fit for your balcony. Small stone water features look the most natural and instantly add zen to your space. Most water features run on electricity, so make sure there’s a electrical outlet available in your balcony.
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Fit in seating space
With a balcony as beautiful as this, you will definitely want to spend more time relaxing here. Adding seating to your apartment balcony is important to help you make full use of your new green oasis. If you have a larger space, you can add two chairs and even a small table. To save on floor space, you can hang a bench from the ceiling or a single-seater swing. For smaller balconies, you can attach a small bench against one side for a cosy nook. You can even add a folding table against the side of the wall which you can pull out whenever you need to use it. This will quickly become your favourite space to drink your morning tea or just unwind after a long day at work.
With these small apartment balcony garden ideas, you can this space into the most beautiful part of your home. At Lancor, we understand that open green spaces are as important as the interiors of a home. This is why, in each of our residential apartments in Chennai, we have tried to maximise the amount of greenery for our residents to enjoy.