Don’t Let Your Balcony or Porch Go to Waste
You can plan to get more enjoyment from your outdoor space with these 10 tips
Make the most of your balcony, porch or other compact outdoor space with a few simple, low-commitment gardening strategies. Create a lush patio garden entirely in containers, take advantage of movable outdoor seating and planting boxes and more. Here are 10 ideas to bring style, personality and more green to a balcony, porch or other small outdoor space.
2. Invest in Flexible Seating
Stylish outdoor furniture that can be moved to accommodate your needs is a must-have for a balcony or porch. There are plenty of chairs, tables and lounges on the market to suit any style and budget.
This outdoor space in British Columbia also features a built-in bench as a more permanent seating option.
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Stylish outdoor furniture that can be moved to accommodate your needs is a must-have for a balcony or porch. There are plenty of chairs, tables and lounges on the market to suit any style and budget.
This outdoor space in British Columbia also features a built-in bench as a more permanent seating option.
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3. Give Your Entrance Presence
Up the charm of your front door with a few personal touches like colorful potted plants, a cafe table for enjoying your morning coffee or a small mounted vertical garden. Adding personal elements to the entrance can be particularly effective in making a unit in a large complex feel more customized.
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Up the charm of your front door with a few personal touches like colorful potted plants, a cafe table for enjoying your morning coffee or a small mounted vertical garden. Adding personal elements to the entrance can be particularly effective in making a unit in a large complex feel more customized.
Find a home pro in your area
4. Add Garden Art
One of the simplest ways to make a balcony garden feel more personalized is to add unique, personal elements that speak to you in some way. These could be sculptures, found objects like interesting stones, shells or driftwood, or respectfully presented spiritual symbols.
One of the simplest ways to make a balcony garden feel more personalized is to add unique, personal elements that speak to you in some way. These could be sculptures, found objects like interesting stones, shells or driftwood, or respectfully presented spiritual symbols.
5. Go All-Out With Containers
Potted plants are a gardener’s best friend when it comes to increasing growing space on patios, rooftops or terraces. Plus, growing in containers allows for a flexible design, simple seasonal planting changes and easy transport if you move. Turn a stark urban entrance into a lush patio garden with layers of different-size containers planted to the brim with colorful foliage and swaying grasses.
Potted plants are a gardener’s best friend when it comes to increasing growing space on patios, rooftops or terraces. Plus, growing in containers allows for a flexible design, simple seasonal planting changes and easy transport if you move. Turn a stark urban entrance into a lush patio garden with layers of different-size containers planted to the brim with colorful foliage and swaying grasses.
You can grow a good-sized edible garden all in containers on a sunny terrace. This Seattle garage’s rooftop garden contains a culinary smorgasbord of herbs and edible plants.
10 Easy Edibles to Grow in Containers
10 Easy Edibles to Grow in Containers
For the ultimate flexibility, consider putting wheels on larger planters so you can easily move them to change the arrangement on your patio.
6. Roll Out an Outdoor Rug
Outdoor rugs pack the biggest style punch for a deck or terrace with the least effort. Choose a bright patterned style to set the stage for your garden or opt for a more understated design. Either way, an outdoor rug can help cover neglected decking and make a terrace feel like an extension of the home.
Outdoor rugs pack the biggest style punch for a deck or terrace with the least effort. Choose a bright patterned style to set the stage for your garden or opt for a more understated design. Either way, an outdoor rug can help cover neglected decking and make a terrace feel like an extension of the home.
7. Treat Artificial Turf Like an Outdoor Rug
Yes, it sounds like a design faux pas, but synthetic turf can be a useful material for making a terrace, balcony or small urban garden feel greener. Place a square of artificial turf as a soft, grassy mat under an outdoor seating area.
Yes, it sounds like a design faux pas, but synthetic turf can be a useful material for making a terrace, balcony or small urban garden feel greener. Place a square of artificial turf as a soft, grassy mat under an outdoor seating area.
8. Increase Privacy With Potted Plants
To increase your privacy without investing in building a fence, use fast-growing plants in containers to form a living privacy screen. Tall ornamental grasses, such as ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’, USDA zones 4 to 9; find your zone), provide an effective screen. Other quick-growing options include clumping bamboo and tree ivy (x Fatshedera lizei, zones 8 to 11).
See more of this roof terrace in London
To increase your privacy without investing in building a fence, use fast-growing plants in containers to form a living privacy screen. Tall ornamental grasses, such as ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’, USDA zones 4 to 9; find your zone), provide an effective screen. Other quick-growing options include clumping bamboo and tree ivy (x Fatshedera lizei, zones 8 to 11).
See more of this roof terrace in London
9. Just Add Water
A simple water element on a patio or balcony helps replace the noise of neighbors or the city — traffic, air conditioning units and leaf blowers — with the soothing sound of water. Consider looking for recirculating designs that can moved and taken with you.
Browse outdoor fountains
A simple water element on a patio or balcony helps replace the noise of neighbors or the city — traffic, air conditioning units and leaf blowers — with the soothing sound of water. Consider looking for recirculating designs that can moved and taken with you.
Browse outdoor fountains
10. Look for Unused Spaces
Increase your green space (and cover any unattractive fences or walls) with vertical gardens, hanging baskets and wall-mounted containers.
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Increase your green space (and cover any unattractive fences or walls) with vertical gardens, hanging baskets and wall-mounted containers.
More on Houzz
Read more stories about patios
Find a pro for your home project
Shop for outdoor products
Shop for Outdoor Products
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If you’re lucky enough to have a space with good bones — an existing patio or deck, raised planting beds or an inviting shade tree — look for ways to show off these elements and make them your own.
For example, a handsome existing deck forms a strong starting point for this balcony in San Francisco. Potted plants, lanterns and cushy throw pillows add a lot more personality.