Tight Spaces - The Potted Garden
By Hilda M. Morrill
May 30, 2008

Gardening on a balcony, terrace, deck, or patio can be highly creative and satisfying, but it is definitely different from other forms of gardening where options for space, water, sun and shade are generally more plentiful.

When gardening in tight spaces, these critical ingredients are finite - basically what you see is all you get. And pots are what you will plant in - lots and lots of pots! Using groups of pots and containers allows you to create gardens where no garden beds exist, which makes them perfect for sprucing up tight spaces.

When planning a terrace garden, start with a critical eye and study your space. What exactly do you have to work with? How much floor space? What kinds of structures provide the "bones" of the place, i.e. walls, fences, railings, posts, corners, nooks and crannies? Where do you get the best or worst views? The most privacy? The least wind? The best access to doors, windows and interior spaces. From indoors, which outdoor area is viewed most often? At what time of day?

Consider where you will sit, eat, read and walk. Develop a floor plan - both horizontal and vertical - that works around these real life patterns of use. The goal is to make your life more enjoyable, not to give over your entire space to plant life. (Unless, of course, you live to garden - in which case, do whatever you like!)

If you have a superlative view, place your best chairs to take advantage of it. Add a side table to hold books or drinks. Will the sun be in your eyes? Bring in an umbrella or pots of tall cannas to cut the glare. If you need to hide less desirable areas, let the choice of your containers and plant heights accomplish this for you.

And don't underestimate the role of vertical elements in enhancing a personal "oasis." When greenery and colorful flowers climb walls or overhead, the effect can be remarkably cooling and romantic. Secure trellises to walls or railings or set them directly into large pots. Select a mix of climbing plants or vines such as roses, gloriosa lilies, mandevilla vines, morning glories, honeysuckle, Clematis or moon flowers to provide excitement all season along fences, railings, trellises or pergolas.

If you love to cook, incorporate herbs and vegetables in and among your ornamental plantings. And, whatever you do, consider fragrance. Among climbing plants, roses, honeysuckle and moonflowers are fragrant. Among summer bulbs, top choices include Amarcrinum, Oriental lilies, tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa), Acidanthera, and Freesia.

The "world of pots" has changed dramatically in recent years, as container gardening has surged in popularity. New pot options include large, lightweight winter-proof planters that are suited to housing small trees and shrubs year-round; inexpensive lightweight decorative containers of molded resins, fiberglass or plastic that capture the look of prohibitively-expensive and heavy antique containers made of cast iron, lead, stone and cast cement.

And, maybe you would prefer to just "water garden" with your pots - enjoying your water lilies, papyrus, etc., and maybe even a couple of little fish. The possibilities are endless.

Successful container gardens should be sources of pride equal to any. Europeans have a centuries-old tradition of balcony and terrace gardening. And though traditional American yards and gardens are often thought of as large, sprawled across spaces of a quarter to half an acre or more, the fact is that not all are big.

Fabulous gardens exist in tiny townhouse yards, urban terraces, balconies and rooftops. Each is a testament to the pleasures, challenges and joys of turning a space, however tight or towering, into a personal paradise.

Happy Gardening!

(We thank Sally Ferguson of the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center, www.bulb.com, for information used in this column. All images are (c) Hilda M. Morrill)