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Gardening Tips for your Apartment Balcony

Think you need to have a big yard to have a garden? Think again! With these tips, you'll be able to turn your apartment balcony or terrace into an outdoor oasis in no time!

Observe Location
Before you start building your balcony garden, spend some time observing your outdoor space and make note of how much sun it gets. Vegetables and most annuals and perennials need at least six hours of direct sunlight a day. If your balcony spends most of the day in the shade, you can still have the beautiful garden of your dreams. Choose a shade-loving plant, like these , that will thrive on your balcony.

Choose Containers
If you have a balcony with a rail, hang a window box off of the railing and plant there. Whether you have a balcony or a terrace, you can place pots on the floor. We recommend choosing pots of varying sizes, shapes and heights to create a more interesting look. You can also bring an old shelving unit outside, or even hang plants off of the rungs of a ladder. Get creative!

Consider Water
Consider how much water your plants will need. Plants in larger pots need more water, and that can mean lugging a lot of water from the kitchen sink out to your balcony. Don't choose plants and containers that will require more watering than you're willing to do. Put saucers under the drainage holes to prevent water from spilling down off your balcony. Your downstairs neighbors will appreciate it!

Shop and Plant
Here's the fun part. Take a trip to your local gardening center to get all of your plants, soil and tools, and get planting! Anne Arundel County residents: We recommend Homestead Gardens, Baltimore County residents should check out Valley View Farms and Ellicott City residents should hit Williamson's Nursery. Take advantage of their expertise and make sure you are getting plants and soil that suit that weather conditions of your balcony! A tip for when you plant your flowers and especially vegetables: you'll want to allow a minimum of two inches from the roots of your plant to the bottom of the container.

Add Furniture and Enjoy
You'll undoubtedly want to enjoy your new outdoor oasis. Place a small bistro table and a few chairs out on your balcony, and now your garden becomes the perfect place to enjoy your morning cup of coffee or read a book in the evening.