Who needs a green thumb?

Balcony inspiration, via Mykonos. Photo by the talented Sarah Farago

The inimitable Costa Georgiadis once told me, “There’s no such thing as a green thumb”, and his words came back to me with a resounding thud this week. The thing is, I killed a basil plant. I over-watered it and it promptly curled up and died. Distraught, I was going to blame a lack of green-coloured digits when I remembered Costa’s matter-of-fact comment. Gardening skills aren’t born, they’re learned.

While my little blunder won’t stop me rushing out to buy a replacement, it's the sort of thing that could discourage others who are less confident in the plant department. Like my former flatmate, for example. She inherited my Sydney balcony when I left and recently went to her local garden centre with the best of intentions, only to return empty handed and completely overwhelmed. Yes, the garden centre is an intimidating place, especially if you’ve never done so much as murder a pot of basil. Worse, I promised her months ago that I would send her step-by-step instructions on what to buy and how to care for it, and I never did.

So, here it is: the Balcony Love guide to starting from scratch, whatever your colour your thumbs.

1. Go slow

Take a tip from the fabled tortoise: slow and steady wins the race. Of course you want your balcony to be a vision of beauty after one afternoon’s toil, but the reality is, it’s a labour of love that you'll add to over time. Don't aim to fill the space in one fell swoop, unless your space is shoe-box tiny. I’m going to be hardcore and suggest limiting yourself to no more than three or four pots to start with.

2. Pick a theme

I personally hate the word ‘theme’, it smacks of feature walls and bland show homes. But I’ll admit it can be useful in cases of extreme garden-centre intimidation – it’ll help you narrow down the options and stay focused. Think about what you want most from your potted paradise and go from there. Do you dream of snipping fresh herbs for cooking? Or would you prefer a floral feast for the eyes? Sure, you can have both, but if you’re new to this biz I’d suggest building your repertoire gradually. My friend loved the fresh white and bright colours of Greece, which is a deliriously simple theme to follow, and classic to boot. 

3. Sun-spotting

Does your balcony have morning or afternoon sun? Is it partly shady? Is it covered or open to the elements? Having just a smidgen of an idea of the conditions you're dealing with will help you find the right plants to grow, and fortunately it’s a pretty sweet job finding out. Spend a lazy weekend on your balcony taking note: pot of tea and good book optional.

4. Go to thy garden centre

Write a shopping list (see below for a sample), get in there, ask some advice if you need it, and get out again. Stick to your plan and don’t get distracted by the pretty flowers. I’m speaking from experience here.

With these points in mind, here’s the starter recipe I’ve planned for my balcony of old. It’s medium-sized and enjoys morning to mid-afternoon sun most of the year. I've chosen two types of bright, big-impact but easy-care plants to kick it off.

Buy this:

3 or 4 white pots in different sizes – go larger than you think; these will be the bones of your future balcony design

2 large bags of quality potting mix (you might need more depending on the size of your pots)

1-2 dwarf bougainvillea plants – Bambino is a good variety

1-2 punnets petunia seedlings – look for a perennial variety if possible

A trowel and gardening gloves

Straw mulch if you’re feeling really keen

Do this:

• Half-fill the pots with potting mix and pop in your plants. Plant the bougainvilleas in the largest pots and two to three petunias each in the smaller pots (you may need to fill the pots to roughly three-quarters full to get the right height for the petunias). Pour more potting mix around the plants until the pot is full, and press down around the base of the plants to give them a firm footing. Add more potting mix if needed. Water them really well and press down firmly again. The water should sink into the soil and drain easily. Place the pots in your desired arrangement in a warm, sunny position.
• Keep an eye on them all and water when the soil starts to get dry or if they’re wilting. When it’s really hot, aim to water them every day. In saying that, bougainvillea is really hardy and will flower better in dry conditions. Snip off the flowers when they die to encourage repeat flowering, and trim off any long shoots. Pinch out the dead petunia flowers, too. Petunias are a ground-cover plant so as they grow and fill out the pot, they’ll spill over the edges and look really lush. Win!
• And... actually, that’s it. I don’t think there’s much point talking fertilisers and flower food when you’re just starting. If you want to get fancy, you could buy a small bag of straw mulch and spread a few handfuls over the top of the soil to protect it and keep it moist while the plants are starting out. It looks nice and neat, too.

Note: If bougainvillea and petunias don't float your boat, there are loads of options out there. I love geraniums, seaside daisies, miniature roses and fuschias, just to name a few. And for some really low-maintenance, forget-about-it greenery, may I introduce you to the world of succulents? They look gorgeous and lush, they suit a variety of “themes”, they flower, and I haven't killed one yet. Also, if you’re going down the herb route, I’ve found thyme and oregano are generally pretty tough, as are garlic and onion chives. But whatever floats your boat – if you can follow the instructions on the tag, you'll be fine.





Succulents make you look like such a great gardener.



Petunias can be pretty!



Got questions? Any balcony gardening advice to share? Have you ever killed an innocent pot of basil like I did?