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Balcony Garden

Small-space growing and outdoor living for renters

Grow, sit and relax on a small balcony

A balcony garden, one spot at a time

Start a balcony garden in four steps: check what you are allowed to add, read your light, pick a container for each spot, and plan for water before the first pot goes out.

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  1. Check weight and lease rules. Ask building management or your HOA first; our weight limits guide explains why.
  2. Read your sun. Count the hours of direct sun, then match the plants in what to grow.
  3. Pick containers by spot. Railing, wall, floor or overhead: see planters.
  4. Plan water and drainage. Saucers, trays and a routine in watering a balcony garden.
A long second-floor apartment balcony lined with potted herbs, flowers and a small citrus tree, with an outdoor rug

Your balcony by zone

Every balcony has five places to grow. Pick the spot first; the container follows from it.

A planter box of orange and yellow calendula on a sunny balcony railingRailing
Hanging pots of rosemary and leafy plants on a wall gridWall
Potato plants growing in a fabric grow bag against a brick wallFloor
A hanging basket of pink flowers on a sunny porchOverhead
Terracotta pots with plants on an ornate metal plant stand outdoorsCorner

Before you buy anything

  • Ask building management, your landlord or HOA what you may add, hang or fix to the railing.
  • Remember that wet soil is heavy: read how much weight a balcony can hold before big pots.
  • Put a saucer or tray under every pot so water does not run onto the balcony below.
  • Keep pots and planters inside the railing, never hanging over the outer edge.
A cherry tomato plant with green and orange fruit staked in a terracotta pot on a balcony

I want to grow things

Tomatoes, herbs and flowers in pots

Start with the hours of direct sun your balcony gets, then pick a container for each spot and a watering routine that does not drip on the neighbors. A compact tomato needs at least a 5-gallon pot and six or more hours of sun; herbs share a box by how much water they like.

Railing planters and window boxes

Shop railing planters and window boxes

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Deck tiles

Shop deck tiles

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A leafy terrace with a hammock, a wicker chair and potted plants

Not a gardener?

A balcony you enjoy without watering

Furniture that fits the depth you have, a floor you can take with you when you move, a screen for privacy and greenery that needs no water. Most of it stands on its own or ties on, so you can leave the drill in the box.

Where do you want to start?

Planters, plants, a comfortable setup or a gift: pick the part you need.

A metal bucket planter of pink dianthus hooked on the inside of a balcony railingPlantersWhich container fits each spot: railing, wall, floor, overhead and corner.
A sunny balcony with potted shrubs, seedlings and a shelf of young tomato plantsWhat to growPlants by sun, shade and wind, plus tomatoes, herbs, watering and compost.
A small outdoor space with a patterned rug, rattan furniture and potted plantsSet up the spaceWeight limits, privacy, flooring and small furniture you can undo when you move.
A gloved hand holding a hori hori garden knifeGiftsGift ideas by person and by space, for any time of year.

Shopping for someone with a balcony?

Our gifts for balcony gardeners are grouped by person and by space: the first-apartment gardener, the cook who wants herbs within reach, the traveler and the person with a shady, windy balcony.

Before you start

Three checks that save money and trouble on any balcony, big or small.

  • Count the sun

    Count hours of direct sun on the floor where your pots will sit, not hours of daylight. That number decides what will grow. How to grow

  • Ask what it can hold

    Only your building's management and a structural engineer can tell you what your balcony can hold. Ask before adding large planters or heavy furniture.

  • Buy plants locally

    Shipping rules for living things vary, so buy plants and seeds at a local garden center and order pots, soil and tools online.

Latest guides

All guides

Compare

Balcony Awnings for Renters: Retractable, Clamp-On and Drop Shades

Compare balcony awnings: retractable wall awnings, clamp awnings braced floor to ceiling, and drop shades, with what to ask before drilling and wind limits.

Photo: michael clarke stuff / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
  • Wall awnings: Fixed to the building with brackets, so they need permission
  • Clamp awnings: Braced between floor and ceiling; check the maker's fixing method

Compare

Balcony Shade Ideas: Clamp Umbrellas, Shade Sails and Shade Cloth

How to shade a small balcony: clamp-on umbrellas, small shade sails, and shade cloth that keeps container plants from scorching, with what to check first.

  • Quickest shade: A clamp-on umbrella on the railing or a small umbrella in a weighted base
  • Sails: Need strong, permitted anchor points; a railing is not one

How to

Flowers for Balcony Planters: Sun, Shade, Wind and Window Boxes

Which flowers suit balcony planters in sun, shade and wind, how to plant a window box or railing planter with thriller, filler and spiller, and care.

  • Design (Penn State Extension): A thriller, a filler and a spiller in one pot
  • Sun (Clemson Extension): Geranium, petunia, verbena, trailing lantana

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