As long as you have even the tiniest balcony area, you can still create a garden to match the best, albeit in a more enclosed environment.
The first consideration is safety, so find out how much weight your balcony can bear, consulting either the architects of your scheme or a surveyor to determine the safe load.
“False” railed balconies, such as those on Georgian or mock-Georgian properties, will take only window boxes and smaller pots, and they need to be well secured to prevent them from falling off in strong winds.
Balcony gardening relies on containers and large amounts of compost or soil, so using wooden or plastic plantholders rather than terracotta, clay or stone reduces weight, as does the use of a non-soil planting medium. Peat is light but not ideal since it dries out easily. It is also environmentally unfriendly as it is in scarce supply but supports rare wildlife species. Lightweight compost mixtures are fine, however.
Higher plants in particular will need to be secured, while a saucer placed under each container will prevent your downstairs neighbour from getting a soaking every time you water your plants.
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Exposure to wind means balcony plants in containers may have to be watered twice as much as those on a patio. Wind can also ruin even the most carefully planned high-rise garden, so consider fitting a Perspex windbreak.
Softer materials for windbreaks include brush or bamboo mats, which can be secured around the railed area. These can look great but have the disadvantage of blocking the light, so a good halfway-house option is to use layers of tight mesh netting to take the sail out of the wind.
When it comes to containers, remember that water retention and drainage are the main considerations. Appearance is also important here, as the containers will be the only architectural structures in your balcony garden. One or two striking pieces are far better than many mundane versions.
Compost mixes topped with a layer of mulch can help to retain moisture, as can water-retaining crystals laced through the mix. Drainage holes are also important, but remember to place a layer of stones or crock in the bottom of each pot.
When planting nursery-size plants and seedlings in balcony containers, ensure both the plants and their containers are well watered before making the transfer.
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The next consideration is structure. Ideally your balcony will have space for a small table and a chair, so structure the ensemble around this vantage point.
Your garden should have sufficient foliage to provide interest at varying eye levels. Deep window box-type pots can be laid end-to-end to make “flower beds” or “borders” at ground level, while attaching similar containers along the top of the balcony rails creates another level from which plants can both hang down and grow upwards.
Hanging baskets (secured with masonry screws) and climbers positioned against the wall provide interest at the rear and at higher levels.
Next come the plants themselves. Most annuals will grow on any balcony as long as they are protected from the wind and kept well watered and drained.
For year-round interest, put in some evergreens. You can even produce “box hedging” in your flower pots by using shrubs.
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Hebes are another good option, as are some “shrubby” herbs such as rosemary and thyme, while miniature conifers are hardy and can be trained into almost any shape you want. For trailers and climbers, ivy variants are excellent and come in a range of colours.
Lobelias are ideal for their colourful, softening effects, the trailing versions perfect for hanging baskets and raised, rail-mounted boxes.
Next choose the climbing plants for the balcony entrance and back wall areas. For the climbers (attach some trellis) there’s ivy, sweet pea, clematis, honeysuckle, runner beans and nasturtium, which comes in yellows, saffrons and fiery reds. Climbing roses will also do well if they are fed correctly.
For vertical height in pots, bamboo is hard to beat, as is ornamental grass.
Other balcony favourites include fuchsias (hanging and regular), geraniums, cornflowers, wallflowers, camelias, azaleas and succulents.
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You can also provide food for thought with herbs, potted strawberries and tomatoes.