City living definitely has its perks, except when it comes to personal outdoor space. If you’re like many young professionals or empty nesters living in smaller digs, you might find that your balcony or deck just doesn’t cut it when you need a break from the concrete jungle. With a well thought-out plan and some creative ideas you can transform your small space into your very own urban oasis in the sky.

Before you speed off to the garden centre make sure you take these factors into consideration:

The Rules
Check with your building’s superintendent or your condo board to find out what the rules are concerning balconies, patios or decks. Usually there are strict weight restrictions in place for safety reasons as well as prohibitions against tying anything along the railings. You’ll also want to check with your neighbours to make sure it’s okay if your plants or flowers blossom onto their balcony. Always, check first, act second.

Climate
You may not realize it, but you’re working with a silent partner on this project and her name is Mother Nature. If you don’t take her into consideration, she’ll turn your whole operation upside down! For instance, if your city is hot and muggy during the summers, some plants may not thrive. If it’s really dry as well, it may dehydrate others. Smog is also a deadly offender. Be realistic about what plants are going to thrive in a city environment, as opposed to a country garden.

Clear the Clutter
When every last centimetre counts, it’s important to remove any unnecessary objects from your space to give it an open, airy feeling. If you’re using your balcony to house your bike, painting supplies, old hockey equipment and other odds and ends, you may not have room for plants. Clear up your space to make room for your greenery.

Direction
Another important factor when balcony gardening is sunlight—do you get a lot of it or are you stuck in the shade? Here’s a quick list of plants and flowers and which direction they fare well in:

South-facing and west-facing balconies:
• Marguerite daises
• Bidens
• Blue fan flower
• Calibrachoa
• Cannas
• Cosmos
• Dahlias
• Gazanias
• Lantana
• Licorice vine
• Nasturtiums
• Pentas
• Geraniums
• Phormium
• Plectranthus
• Purple millet
• Snapdragons
• Zinnias

North-facing balconies:
• Begonias
• Coleus
• Nicotiana and scented geraniums
• Eucomis
• Gladiolus Callianthus

South-facing balconies:
• Herbs (Basil, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage and Tarragon)
• Cactus and other Succulents (Prickly Pear, Blue Spruce, Blue Beauty, Red Beauty, Pluto and Floribundum)

Container Gardening
Even without a sprawling English estate, you can still create a lush, regal space. Growing plants and flowers in containers is one of the best options for small space gardening. Use pots that are big enough to accommodate the flower and plants that you choose to use and make sure you have an easy way to transport water to them. Don’t forget that some plants rapidly expand, requiring you to split them into two, in turn taking up more space. Also, there are generally stronger winds the higher up you go, making it difficult for plants to live. When container gardening, choose relatively small plants and ask an expert at the garden depot if it will thrive in your circumstances.

Opposites Attract
Why would anyone think of planting roses with garlic? Believe it or not it works! Companion gardening involves planting two different plants or vegetables alongside each other to reap the benefits from each other. Not only smart, but space saving too. Here’s a list of seemingly strange pairings you might like to bring together:

• Borage (herb) with strawberries
• Basil with peppers or tomatoes
• Mint with cabbage or broccoli
• Rosemary with cabbage or broccoli
• Sage with carrots
• Thyme with cabbage
• Corn with beans
• Marigold with tomatoes

Trees and Shrubs Maybe cars drive down the unsightly alleyway behind your complex leaving clouds of exhaust fume behind. Maybe your neighbour spends every weekend morning hanging his unmentionables out to dry on a make-shift clothes line. Whatever the case, it’s easy to partially disguise a vexing view with a few strategically placed greens. Here is a list of trees, shrubs and vines that are sized just right for small spaces:

• Japanese maple
• Persimmons
• Bonsai
• Weeping Pea shrub
• Cotoneaster
• Euonymus
• Grafted evergreens
• Blue chip junipers
• Wintercreeper
• Bearberry Cotoneaster

Think Vertical
Look up… way up! Since space is at a minimum, it’s a great idea to plant vertically. Besides providing even more additional privacy, vertical planting is a great way to add much needed shade to your balcony. Plus, certain pests aren’t vertical crawlers, so your plants can benefit from the excellent air circulation without the creepy crawlers. There are many ways to take your garden off the ground by using trellises, plant stakes and railing boxes. Here are some plants to try growing vertically:

• Morning glory
• Sweet pea
• Moon vine
• Cup and saucer vine
• Clematis