Five favourites – plants for a sunny balcony
The Cloud Gardener, Jason Williams, shares his top five plants for growing on a sunny balcony
My balcony garden is south facing, and gets full sun all afternoon throughout the summer months. When I started gardening on my balcony I only grew fruit and veg, but I swiftly learned that I needed to include plants for pollinators to improve yield, and a water feature to increase biodiversity. My top five sunny balcony picks help to achieve this balance.
- Best plants for balconies
- How to make a balcony garden
- Seven of the best balcony planters
- 10 best fruits to grow in pots and containers
Malabar spinach
The glass balustrade on my balcony intensifies the heat in summer, causing many leafy greens to bolt. But one crop I've had success with is Malabar spinach, whilst not a true spinach, the foliage is very similar and is delicious. It is a climber that thrives in a warm and sunny location, so perfect for a warm balcony.
Colocasia esculenta 'Black Magic'
I love plants with darker foliage, and the heart shaped black leaves of Colocasia esculenta 'Black Magic' are stunning. It can take shade but due to the darker foliage, it will also thrive in a sunny spot on the balcony. It can also be grown as a marginal pond plant (pond depth zone 2). Mine currently grows in a container pond on the balcony.
Aquilegia vulgaris
I didn’t appreciate aquilegia until late 2021. Many of the plants I grew couldn’t deal with the windy conditions on my balcony garden, however, since aquilegia are used to mountainous conditions, they thrive on the balcony. The flowers are beautiful and come in a vast array of colours and plant height can range from 20cm up to 100cm.
Tomato 'Gardener’s Delight'
You may think that you can only grow flowers on a balcony, however, balconies can be extremely productive spaces. Cherry tomatoes are a must on a sunny balcony garden. The yield can be astronomical, if conditions are right. You can grow Tomato 'Gardener’s Delight’ vertically on a trellis or tied to a stake. I am able to harvest mine right through until December, because of the protection my balcony offers.
Oenanthe javanica 'Flamingo'
No matter the size of your garden, I would always recommend a water feature. One of my favourite pond plants is Oenanthe javanica 'Flamingo', with its striking variegated pink and cream leaves. Throughout the season, as the plant grows, it offers shade to the pond below and produces beautiful white flowers in summer.
Top tips for growing on a balcony
Here, Jason, aka the Cloud Gardener, shares his top tips for growing on a balcony. We caught up with Jason at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022 and he spoke to Lily Middleton about his balcony and how he gardens on the 18th floor. Listen to their conversation, below, for more balcony-gardening advice.
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