Balcony gardening can be an extremely satisfying hobby. It is a well known fact the positive impact greenery outside your windows can have on your well-being and make your indoor space bigger, especially if you can continue your indoor colour scheme to outside (match pots to indoor walls or furniture). Like in gardens, if you put a sculpture or specimen tree at the end of the garden, put a focal point on the wall/railing opposite your windows to pull your eye outside? Why not extend the enjoyment of your home by creating an outdoor room that you can enjoy while in or out? Small balconies really bring the outdoors into your living space. The larger ones offer an outdoor relaxation area to sit or even recline among your plants!
Start your balcony gardening a little slowly as you get used to giving care to the plants. I am sometimes surprised by the watering needed by potted plants in Ireland. Watering and feeding properly are so necessary to successful container planting, it is best just to get used to it slowly. Also as you go along, it is more efficient to decide what is needed, say, if there is a bare space that is really catching your eye constantly.
Keep some evergreens to have all year interest. These can be Skimmias, conifers, bamboos, box, bay, herbs! There are loads of choices! Now you can add your seasonal beddings, bulbs and perennials for variety. Remember the bigger the pot the better for the plants. If your balcony can hold the weight, the more compost the least amount of watering, the least amount of stress on the plants.
If you have a small space, try not to introduce TOO much variety. Too many colours and textures create mayhem. Decide on a colour scheme, maybe a couple of shade of purple with splashes of white or just a few contrasting colours repeated. This concept includes your pots. Keep it simple so the plants are holding the eye, not the pots. Keep to one colour. Another way to connect your theme is by adding a matching top dressing like slate, gravel or bark. This will also help slow down water evaporation saving you watering time.
If you need to screen out a particular view or neighboring balcony, bamboos, plants in tall pots and even screens with jasmines growing on them are wonderful living screens. Maybe this will be one of the focal points you need!
Remember it might be a good idea do check the load bearing capacity of your balcony before you do decide to bring in large pots and plants. The weakest point of most balconies is in the middle so keep the big ones on the perimieter.
So give it a try and change the plants and pots that don’t make you completely happy to look at everyday!
Start your balcony gardening a little slowly as you get used to giving care to the plants. I am sometimes surprised by the watering needed by potted plants in Ireland. Watering and feeding properly are so necessary to successful container planting, it is best just to get used to it slowly. Also as you go along, it is more efficient to decide what is needed, say, if there is a bare space that is really catching your eye constantly.
Keep some evergreens to have all year interest. These can be Skimmias, conifers, bamboos, box, bay, herbs! There are loads of choices! Now you can add your seasonal beddings, bulbs and perennials for variety. Remember the bigger the pot the better for the plants. If your balcony can hold the weight, the more compost the least amount of watering, the least amount of stress on the plants.
If you need to screen out a particular view or neighboring balcony, bamboos, plants in tall pots and even screens with jasmines growing on them are wonderful living screens. Maybe this will be one of the focal points you need!
Remember it might be a good idea do check the load bearing capacity of your balcony before you do decide to bring in large pots and plants. The weakest point of most balconies is in the middle so keep the big ones on the perimieter.
So give it a try and change the plants and pots that don’t make you completely happy to look at everyday! 
