Green-thumbs do live in apartments so it’s fortunate that there are plants that will thrive on balconies. Look for these at your local nursery.
- Agapanthus is an Australian favourite, are tough and withstand hot summers, and they are quite at home in pots on balconies. They prefer cramped root conditions (so smaller pot to start with) and don’t like to be water-logged. Grow ‘aggies’ out of the wind.
- Rosemary is a hardy Mediterranean dry-climate herb for the balcony in summer, with fragrant foliage and flowers in shades of pink, white and blue. Once a week watering is usually enough. Re-pot at least once a year.
- Bougainvillea can look stunning in balcony pots. They like at least six hours of direct sunlight a day, so are perfect for exposed balconies.
- Geraniums are great in pots and hanging baskets on balconies and easy to grow – once again, choose a heat tolerant variety. They prefer morning sun and afternoon shade.
- Frangipani grow well in a well-drained pot on a sunny balcony.
- Petunias are a popular easy-care plant for balconies, in pots and hanging baskets, and there are loads of varieties and colours.
Would you like to go native and attract bees and other helpful wildlife? Think about these:
- Kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos) makes for a good apartment pot plant if placed in a sunny spot. They are a high-energy food source for many native birds and insects.
- Native bluebell (Wahlenbergia stricta) has pretty royal blue flowers that attract bees and butterflies. You see them by the roadside, but they do very well in pots and hanging baskets in light shade.
- Everlasting daisy (Xerochrysum) is a heat tolerant plant that does well in pots. It’s best in full sun, but can tolerate a bit of shade. Flowers can be up to 60 mm in diameter on a single stem and colours include pink, yellow and white.
If your apartment complex offers you garden space, you could consider there:
- Banksia (Banksia) flowers, in shades of white, yellow, orange and red are packed full of nectar to attract native bees, birds and small mammals.
- Bottlebrush (Callistemon) are hardy plants, requiring little maintenance. They are a food source for possums, flying foxes, lizards, insects, nectar-eating birds and other wildlife.
- Spider flower (Grevilleas) attract insects, bees, butterflies and birds. There are hundreds of different species and a variety of flower and foliage colours.
- Wattle (Acacia) trees are a great source of pollen so are popular with native bees. Acacia drummondii ssp. candolleana – is a dwarf wattle with large sprays of golden flowers that’s good for small spaces and rockeries.
Note: Always choose the right size plant for your space. Choose plant species that are native to your area as some natives might be considered weeds in other locations.
And don’t think apartment living means you miss out on growing your own fruit, herbs and vegetables. Understand weather conditions – sunny, shady, windy, where the rain falls etc – and best containers – tubs, pots, climbing frames, vertical gardens etc. Then consider these:
- Berries may go well on your balcony. Try hanging pots for strawberries. Train blackberries to climb in partial shade. Blueberries and raspberries need larger pots on the ground or on a table.
- Cumquat is easy to grow in a tub in a protected but sunny spot. They hate having wet roots. They can look spectacular, create privacy and the ripe fruit can be used to make sauces, marinades and marmalades. Try growing figs as well as other citrus in tubs. Look for dwarf varieties of apples and pears (need two varieties so they can cross-pollinate).
- As for vegetables, most will grow in will grow in containers and tubs including carrots, radishes, beetroot, eggplant, capsicum, cauliflower and zucchini. Many leafy vegetables do well in pots and vertical gardens. Peas and beans will climb a trellis. Vegetables need about four to five hours of sunlight per day to thrive.
