Vertical Apartment Balcony Garden: Growing A Balcony Vertical Garden

A balcony vertical garden is a great way to make good use of limited space, but before you choose plants to grow vertically on a balcony consider your growing conditions. Is your balcony exposed to morning light or intense afternoon light, or will plants be in the shade? Will they be protected from rain?

Once you’ve determined your growing conditions, you can get busy planning your apartment balcony garden. Read on for a few vertical balcony garden ideas to get you started and remember, you’re limited only by your imagination!

Vertical Balcony Garden Ideas

A stepladder is ideal for a small apartment balcony garden. Hang small plants from the rungs or attach narrow planters to the steps. You can also build your own ladder or “staircase” from redwood or cedar, then arrange rectangular planters on the steps. Let ivy or other trailing plants climb or cascade around the ladder.

Prop a wooden trellis against the wall or railing then hang plants from the trellis. You can also build your own trellis or use cedar or redwood lattice. Suggestions include hanging plants in buckets or whimsical painted food and paint cans. (Be sure to drill a drainage hole in the bottom)

Upcycle an old, unused pallet that would otherwise be hauled off to the dump. These can be painted or left natural for an interesting vertical garden and you can fill this with all manner of plants.

Chicken wire turns recycled objects into rustic (and inexpensive) vertical planters. For instance, use chicken wire to cover an old pallet, window frame, or picture frame. Hang small terracotta or plastic pots from the wires.

A plastic shoe organizer makes a cute vertical planter for baby’s tears, dwarf ferns, or other miniature plants. Just attach the organizer on 2x2’s to protect the wall. Fill the pockets with high quality, lightweight potting mix.

A helpful watering tip for apartment balcony gardens, place troughs or buckets under vertical planters to catch excess water or let water drip into rectangular plastic planters filled with blooming plants or colorful foliage.