How to Grow a Patio Garden

A patio garden is an outdoor space adjoining the house, uncovered but paved (or tiled), where plants can be grown. It can also be referred to as a balcony or terrace garden.

Most importantly, the soil must be able to absorb and retain moisture. Look for potting mix that feels light in your hand and provides ample nutrients.

Vegetables

From cherry tomatoes ripening in a hanging planter to peppers, eggplants and other vegetables climbing on a trellis, patio growing is perfect for supplementing your grocery bill with home-grown produce. It’s also great for people with limited outdoor space or who are unable to care for a full-fledged garden.

Use pots and containers specifically designed for vegetable gardening or a mix of smaller pots and troughs. Group crops that have similar watering needs and sun exposure to help maximize space.

Look for plants with varying heights, colors, textures and growth patterns to create a jaw-dropping container display. Adding companion flowers can boost pollination and plant production.

If you’re on a budget, some gardeners have luck turning storage totes and Tupperware bins into potting containers. Just be sure the plastic is food safe, with a number inside the recycling symbol that indicates it meets safety standards.

Flowers

Flowers add a pleasing visual element to a patio garden, whether they trail down a trellis or are grown in a decorative planter. Look for plants that bloom in a range of colors and sizes to suit any style.

Begonias are a great choice for sunny and shaded patios, with many varieties that are frost tender and bloom all summer. Try ‘Paperplant’, with 12-inch leaves with deep serrated lobes and tropical charm, or the fast-growing Mandevilla, which rewards growers with trumpet-shaped flowers in several hues. Both are hardy to zone 8, and require regular watering, high-phosphorus fertilizer every 2 weeks, and a spot in full sun.

Fuschias have delicate, fan-shaped petals that are available in a range of colors and patterns. They grow best in warmer climates and should be brought inside when temperatures start to dip, but are a good filler for any mixed container. Sweet alyssum, with its tiny flower clusters, is another popular patio plant that requires little care.

Herbs

Herbs are easy to grow and require a lot less care than other plants. They thrive in a variety of conditions, including sun, wind and cool temperatures.

Many herbs like chives, oregano and parsley do best in containers and are easily grown from seeds. You can also buy herb plants or seedlings from nurseries or garden centres.

The right planter is critical for a successful herb garden. Railing planters that hang from or suspend on the balcony rail are a great option. This allows you to use the space on your balcony for growing vegetables, flowers and herbs all in one place.

Make sure you choose a container with adequate drainage holes, especially for herbs that prefer dry conditions. It is important to water regularly, but avoid overwatering because this can cause the soil to rot and kill your herbs. Frequent harvesting is good for the health of herbs and encourages new growth. Regularly check for signs of depleted nutrients such as yellow leaves (which indicate a need for nitrogen), purple leaves (for phosphorus) or dry wilting of the herbs (indicating a need for potassium). A general all purpose fertilizer with balanced N-P-K is fine.

Succulents

Succulents add year-round texture to patio gardens and rock gardens. Their spiky shapes can be sculptural features or form a background for flowering plants to pop out and be noticed. Some are even hardy enough to become permanent outdoor plants.

The only important thing to remember with succulents is that they like free-draining soil. They can withstand drought but will not thrive in wet conditions. Using a moisture meter and avoiding wetting the foliage can help inhibit fungal diseases that are their biggest problem. Fertilizer is optional; apply half-strength liquid succulent plant food to miniature varieties and full-strength plant food to larger specimens at planting time and in spring.

When combining succulents in containers, try to put plants with similar growing needs together. For example, putting cold-hardy plants with tropical cactus in the same pot can cause confusion about watering requirements. In the north, it’s possible to overwinter some succulent varieties in their containers or in-ground by bringing them indoors to a sunny south window and supplementing light with indoor grow lights.

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