Container Gardening, Growing Annuals, Growing Food, Hanging Baskets

Top Alberta Balcony Garden Ideas [+ Free Downloadable Chart]

Gardening is an incredibly popular hobby, and it has bubbled over into small garden spaces, like balconies, small patios, and porches.

Gardening is no longer exclusive to those with large yards, small gardens can be grown just about anywhere, and Alberta is a great place to grow a balcony garden!

Let’s talk about the benefits of gardening on your balcony, how to maximize a small garden space, and about sun and shade options for balconies.

*Solenia Begonias are ideal for balcony gardens because they grow in sunny and shady environments.*

The Benefits of Having a Garden on Your Balcony

Balconies are places of refuge where we can seize garden tranquility by just stepping out of the busyness of life and into nature, wherever we live.

With the popularity of container gardening over the last years, growing a balcony garden has become versatile, easy, and fun. Plant breeding programs have focused on developing compact versions of many flower and vegetable standbys.

Now you can choose to grow fresh veggies, herbs, and floral favourites in container plantings.

How to Utilize a Small Garden Space

*Rooftop patio with table and stool chairs, colorful flower baskets along a balcony railing with Calgary building skyline in the background*.

Balcony spaces have unique concerns. Every inch counts in small garden spaces, so efficiency and creativity matter.

There are maintenance and neighbourly issues, too.

Conscientious water containment is essential. Water and fertilizer can leave stains on decks and standing water can cause rotting or breed bad bugs, not to mention mosquitoes. Use water catchment systems or trays to hold water and keep it from marking decks and overflowing into other balconies nearby or below.

Here are strategies and ideas to squeeze out all you can from a small garden space:

Containers for Balcony Gardens

*Container plantings can be adapted to any environment.*

Growing plants in pots and containers are the drivers of balcony gardens because of their adaptability to any environment.

Whether a balcony gardening is shady or sunny, the container can be planted to thrive in that space.

Flowers and vegetables thrive in containers. You don’t have to limit yourself to just flower or vegetable pots; flowers and vegetables can grow together in the same pot.
Use a mix of container styles and shapes to keep things efficient and exciting. Stagger them and stairstep planters to provide more growing area.
Planter boxes, square containers, round pots, and tiered planters help to make your balcony creative and beautiful.

Raised Beds

Raised beds are growing beds that are longer and beefier than window boxes. They are great for growing fresh vegetables in successive plantings.

On balconies, raised bed gardens must have bottoms and water catchment.

Hanging Baskets

*No matter your environment, there is a hanging basket option.*

Hanging baskets take advantage of the top level of balcony space.

Suspend them independently or on different levels. Hanging baskets allow plants to cascade over the edges unrestricted.

Railing Planters

Railing planters make good use of some underused real estate in balcony spaces, namely the railings.

Fasten planters securely to railings to prevent them from accidentally falling off.

Trellises, Arbors, & Lattice

*Trellises make good use of small spaces by allowing plants to grow upward.*

These additions extend container heights by facilitating upward growth.

Peas, cucumbers, and beans grow effortlessly on trellises.
Climbing vines like Cobea, Thunbergia, Mandevilla, Morning Glory, and Passionflower look stunning growing on a lattice framework.

Vertical Gardens and Living Walls on Balconies

Vertical gardens and living walls are new trends in gardening.

They require intentional planning and special installation, but they are another interesting option to check out.

*Growing vegetables is no longer exlcusively for large gardens.*

Plan out Your Balcony Garden

Before you get started growing anything on your balcony, be intentional and strategically plan your garden. It’s important to know what you want from your garden space.

Here’s a list to get you started:

Figure out what you want from your balcony garden. Once you’ve defined your purpose or focus, it makes the rest of the planning simple.

Here are some questions to start the dream:

What would you like your balcony garden to be?
Would you like your balcony to be a place to relax?
Would you like flowers? What about fragrant flowers?
Would you like to grow some vegetables, or kitchen herbs?
Would you like to cultivate edible flowers?

For more details on garden planning, see my full blog called How to Plan & Design a Garden in 4 Simple Steps

Things to Know About your Balcony Gardening Space Before Planting

*Railing planters are idea for balconies.*

Become a student of your balcony gardening space and get acquainted with its growing conditions because the balcony’s environment will determine which plants will grow there.

Answer these questions to narrow down the details about your unique space:

1. How Much Direct Sun Does Your Balcony Get?

Direct sun exposure means that the sun is shining right on your balcony or patio.

Get to know how many hours of direct sun your space gets each day, rather than the direction it faces, because things external to the balcony can affect sun exposure. You can match the right plants with the location when you know this.

Here’s a list of questions to ask about sun exposure:

What time of day does the balcony get sunshine? Does it get sun in the early morning, all or part of the afternoon, or late in the day?
How many hours of direct sun does it receive?
How many hours of shade does it get?
How hot does the balcony get?
Is there anything that blocks the sun? Are there any trees, downspouts, pillars, eves, other buildings, or things that interfere with sunshine?

2. What is the Wind Pattern like on the Balcony?

Balconies can be windy spaces, particularly ones high in the sky. Wind can damage plants that have large or delicate leaves and wind tunnels can form between buildings, too.

Get to know how wind affects your balcony:

What direction does the wind come from most days?
How strong is the wind?
Is the air movement continuous or intermittent?

Sun and Shade Plants for Balcony Gardens

It can be difficult to decide what kind of plants to cultivate on your balcony. Here is a chart of fantastic small plant ideas with a big impact on balconies:

Download the Balcony Plant Chart

Balcony Gardens are Tiny but Mighty

Small gardening spaces offer big gardening opportunities, so don’t let your balcony slow you down.

By utilizing your small space, you can create an oasis just outside your door.

Get to know your unique growing space, match the right plants with the right place, and enjoy the beauty nature and delicious, home-grown food no matter where you live.

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Sharon Wallish Murphy

Sharon grew up in the Greenhouse at the heels of her father, Charlie, who mentored her. Sharon’s passion is to share the love for growing and to empower others to find JoY in their gardening journey.