As fall rears it’s colourful head, you may find yourself chilled and heading indoors. But wait! There’s still ample time to enjoy your apartment’s balcony as the weather cools down. Here are our best tips for making your balcony an urban oasis that you can enjoy well into the fall.
Get cozy
Invest in comfy throw blankets, plush cushioned seating (on the less expensive end this could be as simple as throw pillows on a bench) and possibly a compact outdoor-appropriate space heater (check with your landlord or property manager first!) to keep things nice and toasty on your balcony. The warmer it is, the more inclined you’ll be to enjoy it as the temperature drops. You can also stay warm by dressing for the weather -- in a cozy sweater, thick socks and a light jacket.
Let there be light
Fall brings earlier evenings and more darkness, so you need to fight the dying of the light to get the most out of your balcony. Keep the cozy vibes going with a string of twinkle lights or invest in some outdoor solar lights and sconces for the balcony.
Grow Fall flowers
Bring some of summer’s colour into the fall by adding fall flowers to your balcony. You can grow celosia, chrysanthemum, heather, pansies, dianthus, cosmos, alyssum, and asters. These delightful floral additions will add unexpected colours, textures and contrast to your fall balcony view. Pansies are some of the best fall flowers to grow because they flower well past the first frost and there are many varieties that have summery yellow petals.
Grow Fall foliage
Some of the best plants for autumn are Heuchera, croton, ornamental grass, New Zealand flax, begonia, dusty miller, oakleaf hydrangea and coleus. These are lively, welcome additions to your fall balcony garden! Ornamental grasses will add much needed movement and colour toyour fall balcony garden. They’re suitable for container plantings, too.
Plant Fall veggies
Kale and rainbow chard are surefire picks for a gorgeous fall garden that you can eat!
You can also try to plant a colourful collection of gourds and mini squash. Check out this list of delicious cold-season vegetables that are easy to grow, or if you’re short on time, explore this list of fast-growing fall vegetables to plant in containers.
Autumn inspired colour palette.
In small balcony gardens, the colour of your plant containers can make just as much of an impact as the plants themselves. Bronze-colored containers, earth tones and clay pots fit right in with fall’s colour scheme. You could go for a stark contrast instead with brightly coloured pots.
We hope you use these tips to extend balcony season well into the fall this year!
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