Urban Gardening
Having a balcony in NYC is a blessing. They are not too common and if you have one hopefully you appreciate it. I did not really appreciate it as much as I should until I began planting flowers and herbs 3 years ago on it. I also really started to appreciate it when I bought my first outdoor rug for it, added lighting on the balcony rail, and brought out an old book shelf for an herb wall and decoration.
This is a post about what I’ve learned grows best and worst out there so far and my top plant recommendations if you live in the northeast and want a small low maintenance gardening project.
Top Plant recommendation
Cactus Ivy - grows so quickly, has little flowers that bloom throughout and cover any ugly balcony railings, like I currently have - they have different names but are usually at any big gardening store
Basil - pretty hard to kill and easy to revive with water and sun
Hanging plant - Dragon Wing Begonia only needs to be watered once a week and looks great through the apartment window
Diamond Frost, also grows very quickly and is a great filler flower
Celosia - this year is my first time planting this beautiful fiery flower but they’ve made it through some cold nights and are already multiplying in their flower boxes!
Ranunculus - this is also my first year planting a few ranunculus in a pot, so far they are still alive and I am shocked
Cilantro - my cilantro plant has also really kept up on my herb wall
If you only want to plant one thing I’d recommend starting with the cactus ivy, it will give you a lot of confidence in what you can do because it grows so quickly and delights you with little flowers throughout.
See some pictures of previous years growth and my current balcony below.
