Balcony gardening is a great way to add some greenery to your condo without taking up much room and without getting too dirty. But before you start buying plants and planters, it’s essential to consider the environment in which you’ll be placing your garden.
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Many factors affect how successful a balcony garden will be, including how ample the space itself is, what kind of sun exposure it gets throughout the day, and whether there are any nearby sources of shade or wind that might prevent plants from growing correctly—and in some cases, whether or not your Homeowners Association (HOA) will even allow you to develop a garden on your balcony!
In this article, I’ll present some ideas for ways to evaluate these criteria before deciding if balcony gardening is suitable for you at all.
Homeowners Association (HOA) Rules for Balcony Gardening
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When creating a balcony garden in your condo, knowing the homeowners association (HOA) rules is essential. HOA rules vary from building to building and can be different for each floor or unit within a building. Usually, the HOA rules are posted on the building website and in its lobby, so it may be helpful for you to check these places out before getting started with your project.
- If there are no specific regulations about balcony gardening, then that means that you’re free to do whatever you want as long as it doesn’t violate any other kind of rule. For example, don’t paint your door purple if this isn’t allowed by the HOA because they might tell you not to do this again in future years if they decide they don’t like purple doors anymore!
- If there is a prohibition against hanging things off balconies (such as plants), then make sure that nothing is hanging while growing up there!
To avoid any hassle later on, the best thing is to buy a condo after going through all the HOA rules. When looking for condo sales, try to communicate with members of the HOA to know the flexibility you will get while developing a garden on your balcony. When you are aware of the rules, and when HOA is mindful of your plans, it becomes easier for you to create a balcony garden. Hence, instead of discussing things with HOA after buying the condo, try to communicate with them and learn the rules before purchasing.
How Big Your Balcony Is
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The size of your balcony will determine how much space you have for gardening. The larger the balcony, the more area you will have to plant plants and flowers. You can choose to use a large container or pots on your balcony garden, depending on the size of your area. A small balcony doesn’t mean that it has to look like one; there are many ways in which you can make an attractive design that uses minimal space but still looks great!
A big mistake people make when deciding what type of containers to use is choosing something that looks nice but isn’t practical for their situation. For example, if someone has a huge yard with lots of grass growing everywhere, they probably won’t want anything too colorful because those colors would stand out too much from everything else around them (and probably wouldn’t look good). However, if someone lives in an apartment building without any landscaping, having some bright colors could help make up for the lack thereof!
What Sort of Exposure Does Your Balcony Have to the Sun?
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The direction your balcony faces is essential when determining what plants will be suitable for your space. If you live in a cold climate, you may want to choose plants that grow well in the shade. In warmer temperatures, taller plants like tomatoes may require more sun exposure than others and should be planted toward the back of the garden, so they don’t shade out more miniature vegetables or herbs.
You also need to think about how much sunlight your balcony gets throughout the day and during different seasons. Suppose you have a south-facing balcony that gets full sun all day long during the spring and summer months. It may not make sense for you to plant leafy greens like lettuce or kale—these plants prefer partial shade or even filtered light over direct sunlight throughout most of their growing season (they can handle some direct sunlight if planted afternoon).
The Height of Your Balcony
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How high your balcony is from the ground will affect what kinds of plants you can grow. Plants that need lots of sunlight, or large amounts of space, might not fit in your balcony garden if it’s too low. For example, a patio tomato plant needs to be planted on the ground and get plenty of sunlight throughout the day. It won’t do well if you put it up against a wall, where there isn’t as much light, and its roots won’t be able to spread out as much.
How high your balcony railing is from the ground will also play an essential role in how well your plants thrive. If they’re growing on top of cinderblocks or brick walls instead of soil (which provides nutrients for them), they may not have enough nutrients since nothing is growing around them to absorb those nutrients through their roots into their stems and leaves.”
What Floor You’re On?
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Your floor level will determine how much direct sunlight your balcony receives. Balconies on lower floors, such as the ground floor, are more exposed to the wind because they’re closer to street level. If a strong storm blows in and you don’t have any trees or bushes planted around your balcony, be prepared for some damage.
Live on an upper floor with a large balcony (like me). There will be less exposure to the elements, but it might get very hot during the summer months and cold during the winter months, so make sure that you have enough space inside your unit so that you don’t feel claustrophobic when walking inside!
What Direction Your Balcony Faces?
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When it comes to your balcony’s direction, you’ll want to consider how much direct sunlight your plants will get throughout the day. North-facing balconies get the most miniature sunlight, while south-facing balconies get more. East-facing balconies receive most of their light in the morning, while west-facing balconies do so in the afternoon.
You must choose suitable plants for your climate and location; some plants thrive under full-sun conditions while others need partial shade. If you live somewhere with long winters (like me), then plan accordingly by choosing perennial or flowering perennials that can withstand cold temperatures better than annuals (like marigolds).
Why Do Balcony Gardening?
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Balcony gardening can be an exciting and fun way to add a little green to your inner-city condo. It’s a great way to get some fresh air, exercise, and meet your neighbors! If you’re lucky enough to have an outdoor space, many benefits come with growing your food.
Besides the obvious health benefits of getting more fresh fruits and vegetables, balcony gardening allows you to spend time outdoors in any weather. Some people may not like getting all muddy from working in the garden, but even if you don’t want to get out there yourself, there’s nothing wrong with sitting back on your cozy chair and enjoying what nature brings you!
Conclusion
Many factors can affect your balcony garden, but these can all be mitigated with careful planning. Ensure to check with the HOA before you start planting anything and get their input on the rules for gardening in your building. You’ll also want to consider how much space you have available and how much sun exposure it gets during different parts of the day. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned from my own balcony garden experience, it’s that taking care of plants takes a lot more than watering them once a week!
For more amazing ideas you can have, visit Guy About Home today or you can check the related blogs:
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Guy Keenan
Hi there! I’m Guy, the guy behind Guy About Home (that’s a lot of guy’s). I’m just your average guy (ok, I’ll stop) living in the USA who is really interested in making and doing.
