You don’t need much space to create a bit of paradise on your balcony, patio or deck. Fill the space with a collection of plants that provide texture, color, and privacy. Then add comfortable seating, a fountain and lighting for additional ambiance and relaxation.
Start by evaluating the space you want to transform and how the surrounding views and noise will impact your enjoyment. Before enclosing the whole space, identify the views you need to screen and those you want to keep. Perhaps a view of your favorite flower garden, the park across the street or your neighbor’s water feature extends your enjoyment beyond the limits of your garden oasis.
Use tall grasses, large tropical plants, vines trained on trellises and upright shrubs and trees to define the space. These can be grown in weather-proof containers if no in-ground planting space is available. Just make sure your balcony or deck can handle the weight of the planters once filled with soil and plants.
Select plants that provide multiple benefits. Look for plants that deliver several seasons of beauty with flowers, colorful foliage, seedheads and fall color. Include fragrant plants for aromatherapy and those that attract butterflies and hummingbirds to add motion and color.
Decide how you plan to use the space. Are you longing for a quiet area to relax and read, one to entertain or a space to accommodate all your outdoor activities? Select furnishings with the color, form, and style that will create your desired look and feel. Then select plants, containers and accessories that complement the furnishings for your outdoor oasis.
Add a stand-alone or wall-mounted fountain or container water garden to the space. The sound of moving water helps create a sense of peace and relaxation, calming the mind, reviving the spirit and masking noise pollution.
No need to worry about mosquitoes taking residency in your water feature. Moving water is less appealing and adding an organic product like Summit® Mosquito Dunks® to water features prevents mosquitoes from breeding there. Just toss this donut-shaped cake of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) into the water. This naturally occurring bacteria only kills the mosquito larvae but doesn’t harm people, pets, fish or wildlife.
Further reduce mosquito problems by lighting a few citronella candles and placing them near you and others enjoying the space. Use a fan to help keep you cool and the weak-flying mosquitoes away.
Extend your enjoyment into the evening with some lighting. Be mindful of birds and night-flying insects by using shields to point light down to the ground instead of into the night sky. Select lights with lower lumens that aren’t as bright but still provide sufficient light and ambiance for you. Avoid white and blue light and opt for amber and yellow greens that are less disruptive to the birds and night-flying pollinators.
Like any decorating or gardening project, be ready to make needed adjustments. While fine-tuning your design, be sure to take time to relax and enjoy your new space.
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” streaming courses and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Summit for her expertise to write this article. Myers’ website is www.MelindaMyers.com.
