Small balcony? No problem! Follow my expert tips and design ideas to grow an apartment balcony garden filled with herbs, flowers, and greenery.

As I watch my young adult daughters starting out in life, I instinctively think back to my own first apartment and what it was like. It was 1989, and I was a college student with a limited budget and a creative spirit. Picture a tiny apartment with brown carpet and a papasan chair. Okay, maybe that’s not too terribly different from our daughter’s first apartment!

My next thought was this: where were my plants? I’ve always loved flowers and greenery-surely I added them to my very first place of my own! After digging furiously through my photo albums, I found one sad photo of my African Violet purchased from the grocery store. I recall it promptly died because I put it in a pot with no holes and watered the heck out of it. Rookie mistake! Oops.

Finally, I remember my stepmom giving me some of her spider plant babies. Y’all, this is the quintessential apartment starter plant! No money needed, she literally snipped one of the baby spider plants dangling from her massive one and stuck it in a cup of water. I took it home and waited for the roots to grow longer. I planted it in a pot (with holes for drainage!) and let it flourish.

There was no internet or Google back then to help me with my gardening endeavors, it was all trial and error and words of wisdom from family and friends.

Throughout this post, I will add links to suggested materials and my favorite products to make your balcony garden experience successful and rewarding! No garden-gatekeeping here!

Be sure to look at this easy Small Space, Big Harvest Seed Bundle perfect for small balcony gardens!

Not sure where to start? Read The Homegrown Gardener’s Guide: Growing, Cooking, and Living with the Seasons.

Now, let’s put these years of experience to work for you and your small apartment balcony garden with this extensive guide.

*Ginger Tip: First and foremost: check with your landlord or management company about any restrictions for your balcony garden. Potted plants and water can be heavy, messy and drippy!

Step 1: Document and Understand Your Balcony Garden Space

Once you have permission and guidelines, it’s important to take the time to assess your space properly. If you have a smart phone, grab it now because it will come in handy!

Measure and Take Pictures: Trust me, this will be so handy when you finally get to the plant store and start buying materials. Take pictures from various angles and add them to an album or “Notes” folder on your smart phone. Measure the width and depth of your railing if you plan to add railing planters. Save measurements of your balcony dimensions as well.

Sunlight Exposure: Which direction does your balcony face? If you don’t know off the top of your head, use the compass on your phone to find out!

Track how many hours of sunlight your balcony receives. This will vary depending on time of year. Also nearby buildings and trees might shade your balcony.

*Ginger Tip: If you have a Ring camera, use it to monitor the space for 24 hours. Check the history to see when the balcony is in sunlight and when it’s in the shade.

Light Category	Daily Sunlight Hours	Description
🌞 Full Sun	6–8+ hours	Needs direct sunlight for most of the day; best for open or south-facing balconies.
🌤️ Part Sun	4–6 hours	Enjoys morning or late afternoon sun; tolerates brief shade.
🌥️ Part Shade	2–4 hours	Prefers dappled or filtered light, away from strong afternoon sun.
🌑 Full Shade	Less than 2 hours	Thrives in low-light or shaded areas; ideal for north-facing corners.

Wind Exposure: Does your balcony receive strong breezes? Usually higher floors are more susceptible to wind which can cause a couple of problems for small balcony gardens:

1. Wind dries out plants faster and that means more watering.
2. Wind also can topple lightweight or tall planters. Plan to secure them if necessary.

Water source: Does your balcony have a spigot? Drip irrigation with a timer can be set up easily for a small apartment balcony garden if there is a spigot. Read my post Easy Step by Step Drip Irrigation for Raised Beds to learn exactly how to equip your balcony with automatic water.

If there is no spigot on your balcony, be prepared to hand-water your plants regularly. I like this particular watering can for its gentle distribution and the fact that you can rotate the spout for different stream effects. Using self-watering plant containers can also help with handling the water demands.

I also like to use watering globes for backup watering when out of town like my friend, Cynthia, uses in the photo below. She’s such a wonderful neighbor; she bought me some, too!

Bottom line: Container gardens dry out faster than garden beds in the ground. Therefore, a typical balcony garden will require more water. Add hot sun and wind exposure to the equation and you will be needing even more water. Be prepared!

Step Two: Plan Your Balcony Garden According to Your Needs

This might seem obvious, but you would be surprised how many beginner gardeners skip this step. We are all guilty of it: “envision a lush Instagram-worthy garden, buy as many plants and containers as possible and then put them all out on the balcony willy nilly.” And then what? IT FAILS.

Try this instead: Ask yourself what you want to achieve!

1. Your Garden Vision

1. What inspires you to start your balcony garden?
   ☐ Fresh food ☐ Beautiful space ☐ Stress relief ☐ Sustainability ☐ Other: _______
2. How will you use your balcony?
   ☐ Quiet retreat ☐ Mini farm ☐ Entertainment space ☐ Decorative display
3. What’s your main goal?
   ☐ Look beautiful ☐ Feed me ☐ Feel calming ☐ Attract wildlife

---

2. Lifestyle & Care

4. Time per week: ☐ <1 hr ☐ 1–3 hrs ☐ 4–6 hrs ☐ Daily care
5. How often are you home to water? ☐ Daily ☐ Few days ☐ Weekends only
6. Garden type: ☐ Seasonal change ☐ Evergreen (plant it and forget it)

---

3. Space & Function

7. Balcony size: ☐ Small ☐ Medium ☐ Large
8. Features: ☐ Seating ☐ Vertical planters ☐ Shade ☐ Lighting ☐ Other: _______
9. Shared space? ☐ Yes ☐ No
10. Multi-purpose? ☐ Yes ☐ No → If yes: ___________________________

---

4. Style & Mood

11. Style: ☐ Lush ☐ Modern ☐ Rustic ☐ Bright ☐ Other: _______
12. Plants: ☐ Edibles ☐ Flowers ☐ Succulents ☐ Fragrant ☐ Pollinator
13. Theme: ☐ Cozy ☐ Mediterranean ☐ Tropical ☐ Cottage ☐ Zen

---

5. Reflection

Summarize what you learned:

• My garden will primarily be: ____________________________
• The mood I want to create is: ____________________________
• My top priorities are: ____________________________

Step 3: Choose Your Layout and Materials

I love this part! This is where you design the framework of your garden. We will get to the plants next!

Define your areas for seating, greenery and vertical growth according to your garden intention developed earlier.

When dealing with a small balcony space, height is your best friend! Think about hanging plants, trellises, and wall mounted plants (given permission of course!)

Another item to consider is a tiered plant display. These allow you to have more plants and build height at the same time.

When choosing planters, remember these tips:

• Small containers dry out faster than large ones.
• The container needs to be large enough for your plant’s mature root depth.
• Terracotta pots are porous which dry out faster and can crack in freezing temps.
• All containers need drainage holes-many decorative ceramic ones don’t have one!
• Use rolling plant caddies for easy maneuvering on a balcony and to keep containers up off the ground for better drainage and for preventing plant stains from dirt, etc.
• Use planter insulators to wrap pots in freezing temps, if necessary.

Regardless of your balcony garden’s purpose, keeping it aesthetically pleasing will encourage you to spend time in it. I recommend a cohesive look for your containers. For example, if your climate permits and you have ample water supply, using all terracotta pots of different sizes will look amazing.

Want some inspiration? Read my post DIY Hanging Herb Garden to see how I made a self watering garden for our deck.

For my most recent property, I chose all white glazed ceramic containers for a fresh clean appearance that lets the plants do the decorative work!

Going for a Boho vibe? Try mixing and matching various natural materials like basketry, macrame, and terracotta. Accent with twinkle lights and colorful seating pillows.

Need durable yet attractive containers for edible plants? I love love love my Vego beds. Consider their deck friendly items like this raised bed with wheels and storage shelf.

Or if you needed some added privacy, this Vego planter with attachable trellises is perfect!

For seating on a small apartment balcony garden, this metal bistro set fits nicely! I have two of them and love their durability. Bonus: I’m able to move them around by myself!

Step 4: Planting your Balcony Garden

It’s time to plant your balcony garden-woohoo! We’ve covered sunlight, watering needs, container choices and space layout.

Choosing plants and decorative items is an artistic and satisfying task. It’s the fun part, right?

What words come to mind when I say choose your soil? Boring? Confusing? Empty thought bubbles? No worries- we got this covered, too.

What to consider when choosing soil for balcony gardens:

• Avoid regular garden soil that will compact in a container and distress the plant’s roots. Save that for in ground gardening!
• Look for lightweight potting mix which has a perlite mixture. Perlite is a white volcanic glass and looks like tiny styrofoam balls in the soil. It helps with aeration and moisture control.
• Tropical plants require soil that has a good mix of potting soil, coco coir, orchid bark and compost to imitate the jungle floor.

The key here is drainage and food. If your container holds too much water, your plant will essentially drown. The roots will rot. The leaves will yellow. Fungus will set in and the show is over. Make sure your container has drainage holes and your soil has perlite.

*Ginger Tip: Place coffee filters over the drainage holes to allow water to drain, but prevent soil from running out the bottom.

I’ve also used these drainage hole screens in the past and found them to be very effective!

As far as brands of soil, I am a true believer in Fox Farms. They have organic materials and fertilizer (not the blue stuff!) like bat guano, worm castings and fish emulsion to feed plants naturally. I’ve never had a problem with Fox Farms and use both Ocean Forest Potting Soil and Happy Frog Potting Soil.

See all of the dirt on the deck boards? You don’t want that on your balcony or in your apartment. Take my advice and grab one of these handy Plant Mats that help contain the excess soil. It’s a game changer for planting and repotting without the mess! You will thank me!

If you missed this link earlier, Botanical Interests has a Small Space, Big Harvest Seed Bundle that contains dwarf varieties of vegetables and flowers perfect for containers.

Step 5: Feeding Your Balcony Garden

I cannot stress this enough: feed your plants! Remember all of the information about watering and drainage? Water is running through these pots like crazy and taking nutrients with it. Your container plants will be hungry and need lots of fertilizer.

Your fertilizer choice depends on what you’re growing. Some plants are for flowery shows. Some are for consumption. Others are for big green leafy privacy.

If you’re curious about the three numbers on a bag of fertilizer, they represent the three components N-P-K or nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. I wish potassium was called kotassium so I could remember it more easily!

In my chart below, I suggested the fertilizer 10-10-10 because it’s a good balanced blend. However, you can find products with various amounts/ratios suitable for your plants’ needs.

Save this chart to your phone so can refer to it when looking for fertilizer!

My feeding routine is a 2-step process:

1. Add a slow-release fertilizer to the soil at the time of planting. I like Gardenwise 10-10-10 Fertilizer for most of my container gardens. It looks like small fish eggs that you sprinkle over the soil surface, and a little bit of fertilizer is released each time you water.
2. Every 2-3 weeks, use a liquid fertilizer. Follow the directions on the packaging for accurate measurements. I repurpose gallon sized milk jugs for easy mixing. Again, Fox Farms has wonderful organic liquid fertilizers that come in concentrate form. This Fox Farm Fertilizer Trio is perfect for feeding your plants at different stages of development.

*Ginger Tip: Gardening is all about trial and error! Observe your plant’s appearance to determine if you need to adjust your water/food schedule.

Keep in mind that your garden will require extensive feeding and watering during the growing season. If you live in a climate with a dormant season, you will need to back off your schedule to prevent damage to tender new growth.

Looking for more specific ideas? Read Spring into Summer Container Garden: Tips and Recipes where I teach you how to use the Thriller, Filler and Spiller method.

Interested in a “One Plant, One Pot” design instead? Read The Quiet Beauty of the Single Plant Containers perfect for small apartment balcony garden.

Step 6: Maintaining Your Small Balcony Garden

One of the benefits of a small balcony garden is the ease of maintaining it. You’ve done all of the hard work already! Now you let the plants show you what they want.

• Droopy leaves? Try repositioning the pot to a spot with less wind or adjusting the amount of water.
• Yellow leaves? You might be overwatering. Is the pot draining like it should? Does it need nitrogen?
• Bugs nibbling? Identify the pest and deal with them using Neem oil or good old handpicking.
• Deadhead spent blossoms and remove debris from the balcony routinely to keep plants producing and to maintain an inviting tidy space.
• Keep up with your watering and feeding schedule.

Step 7: Enjoy your garden!

Make time to relax and enjoy your special spot. City life has an energy that is exciting and adventurous. However, it’s also draining. Nourish your mind and body with the health benefits of gardening. Studies show that just looking at a garden helps lower blood pressure and encourage healing. Smell the fragrances of your flowers, cook with your herbs, or read a book under the leaves of your privacy screen! You deserve it!

Did you make a design for your small apartment balcony garden? How did it turn out? Please leave a comment below!

For more suggestions read Cozy Porch Ideas where I detail how to make a porch feel cozy.