Continuing our series of blogs in conjunction with the release of Isabelle’s upcoming book “The Balcony Gardener,” we’re featuring our essential guide to setting yourself up as a Balcony Gardener, perfect if you’re a gardening novice.

This week, we’re looking at the essential Balcony Gardening kit which will help you get started. It can be a bit daunting to know where to start and what to invest in, so Isabelle can help you with her top tips!

• WATERING CANS / GARDEN HOSES

To keep your balcony garden healthy and flourishing it will need occasional watering. I would recommend using a couple of smaller watering cans as opposed to one large one which can often get pretty heavy when filled with water. A long spout is also useful to reach plants in a container, I would also suggest buying a rose attachment which gives a softer shower which is ideal when watering seeds and other delicate plants. If you want to use a hose either be sure you have an outdoor tap or you can use a hose attachment for an indoor tap.

• TROWELS AND HAND FORKS

Finding the right tools and the right fit is essential, when you’re shopping try using the tools in the shop. You want to make sure that they’re comfortable and easy to handle. I think stainless steel trowels and hand forks are much more effective and last a lot longer.

• PRUNERS

There can still be wayward plants on a balcony that will need cutting back so you will need a good pair of hand pruners or secateurs. If you decide to grow laurel, bamboo, evergreens or roses they will need a regular tidy-up.

• SEED-SOWING

It’s always best as a matter of course to buy quality organic seeds, produce that is free from chemical interference. As a rule I would recommend coir pots to sow seeds in, they’re much more environmentally friendly that plastic pots or polysterene which can rot down in potting mix.

• BRACKETS FOR WINDOW BOXES

It’s very important when you’re suspending window boxes and troughs on a balcony garden that they are securely fixed. Make sure you hang the box or trough on the inside of the balcony and not over the edge where they could fall and injure a passer-by. You can buy adjustable brackets to match the filled weight of the window box.

• PLANT LABELS AND OTHER USEFUL ITEMS

It’s important to use labels when sowing seeds so that you can recognise seeds after you’ve planted them. Make sure you use an indelible pens on labels and get into the habit of inserting labels as soon as you’ve planted the seeds. Don’t feel that you have to only use plastic labels, there are plenty of more attractive metal, copper and slates. I also think it’s a good idea to use pot feet they help with drainage and deter slugs.

• SPRAY BOTTLES

Use a spray bottle to mist indoor plants, you can also use a spray bottle containing pesticide to tackle pests and diseases. Make sure you label the bottle correctly.

Summer in the Geffrye Museum Herb Garden. Source: www.geffrye-museum.org.uk

With the cold weather outside, it’s a good opportunity to take time out for some gardening inspiration. We ventured out to look at the beautiful Herb Garden at the Geffrye Museum in Hackney, and recently visited it a wintry afternoon in January. Whilst the gardens were closed we were able to look out from the warmth of the garden reading room and look at the formal layout, the herb garden and different planting styles.

The Geffrye Museum celebrates and explores British living rooms over a period of time from 1600 to current day. The collections of furniture, textiles and paintings are all displayed in period living rooms. The museum is located in old alms houses at the bottom of Kingsland Road, and is surrounded by some lovely gardens.

Summer in the Geffrye Museum Gardens. Source: www.londonholic.blogspot.com

The walled herb garden opened in 1992, and has matured into an oasis of beauty and botanical interest, which is particularly fitting considering its location in the East End – an area with strong tradition of gardening. The nearby parish of Shoreditch was home to a group of extremely influential nurseries in the 17th and 18th centuries. The current herb garden was built on derelict land located next to the Museum, and contains over 170 different herbs stretched out in 12 beds. and also includes a variety of plants traditionally associated with herb gardens such as roses, honeysuckles and lilies. The beds are divided into areas for specific uses – medicinal, cosmetic and household.

Similar to the living rooms, the gardens are then divided into different periods. You can visit the 17th century garden and look at the herbs and vegetables traditionally grown, comparing it to the formal structure of the later 18th century garden featuring gravel paths, geometric beds and clipped evergreen shrubs.

19th Century Garden, Geffrye Museum. Photo: Sunniva Harte

The 19th century garden design can be traced to archive photographs and descriptions of an actual garden Victorian garden in Hackney. It features a greenhouse, a shrubbery and an apple tree. Moving onto the 20th century garden the mixed borders are full of herbaceous and traditional cottage garden plants, this garden shows the influence of the gardening designer Gertrude Jekyll.

If you do happen to visit the gardens, we would recommend a Sunday in Spring the gardens re-open in April, and you can combine a visit with a trip to the nearby Columbia Road flower market.

Photograph: Amazon Rainforest, Alamy

We were enthralled when we saw designs for an incredible walkway through the Amazon Forest. Plans are in place for a 9.6km walkway stretching through the Amazon rainforest with a science centre at the heart of it. The pioneering centre and walkway will give visitors spectacular views across the forest and right into the heart of the Amazon.

Plans for Environmental Centre, Marks Barfield Architects and Amazon Charitable Trust

The centre is being funded by a British charity and will be a crucial research base for scientists working in the area. “This will be the first scientific research center to be built in the jungle proper’ explained Robert Pasley-Tyler speaking from the Amazon Charitable Trust who are funding the project. Researchers will be able to use the walkway to study the rainforest canopy whilst tourists will be able to look at the stunning views across the forest.

Amazon River, free-extras.com

Most importantly the centre will provide jobs and opportunities for local tribespeople, it will be located in in Roraima, an isolated province in northeast Brazil. It’s expected to take two years to construct and will boost the local economy. As Robert Pasley-Tyler says ‘It will employ the local river tribe, giving them a way of making a living without destroying the forest, and also boost awareness around the world.”

Treetops Walkway, Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew Gardens. www.kew.org

The site will be designed by Marks Barfield Architects, the firm behind the London Eye and the treetops walkway in the UK’s Royal Botanical Gardens. They are consious of the design and construction being appropriate for the natural surroundings. “It doesn’t support a lot of people in the natural state. You have to be very careful about what you bring in,” said David Marks, from Marks Barfield Architects, adding that the site could be constructed from bamboo.

The team are even trying to get James Cameron involved, it really will be a real-life Avatar experience!

Happy New Year from all of us at the Balcony Gardener! With it being a brand new year we thought we would start a series of blogs to tie in with the release of Isabelle’s new book for all budding balcony gardeners. Hopefully through the next series of blogs we can help you kickstart your new year gardening resolutions, and help you embark on a fresh start as a balcony gardener.

Here in the first blog we’re going to consider what you need to think of before you even step outside and start gardening. Make sure you check with a qualified architect or structural engineer to check just how much your roof or balcony can take, you don’t want to incur any accidents later, it’s always better to be on the safe side!

Once you’re sure that your outdoor space will work as a garden and will comfortably bear pots and containers, you can then start the fun of planning your garden. It’s helpful to give some thought to the plants that will thrive in your garden, and whilst you don’t need to be too strict on abiding to gardening rules there are a few guidelines that will help your garden blossom:

BE SELECTIVE

Invest in a few larger containers that will create focal points instead of lots of smaller ones. A small space can easily look overcrowded with lots of plants and ornaments.

THINK ABOUT LIGHT

Most outdoor space will have spots that don’t receive enough light, so tailor your planting to the available light. If you have low levels of sunlight pick shade-tolerant plants with lush foliage such as hostas and ivy.

CREATE A BACKDROP

To begin with choose evergreen plants such as box and sweet bay. Lavender is a lovely yearlong green base but won’t flower all the time.

USE ODD NUMBERS

Planting in odd numbers gives the most aesthetically pleasing results, so plant one, three or five plants in a container.

RESTRICT THE COLOUR PALETTE

It can be easy to overdo the number of colours in a planting scheme but this can make it look too busy and overcrowded, so pick a few colours and stick to them.

GROW VEGETABLES AND START WITH HERBS

Herbs are relatively easy to grow in containers and are a great way to start growing your own produce. Mint, chives, parsley and rosemary are good varieties to start with and all grow well in containers. Once you’ve mastered herbs, move onto other crops such as tomatoes, salad onions and carrots.

Hopefully this will give you a few ideas to get started with, next time we’ll look at the essential gardening kit.

We’re pleased to say that the Balcony Gardener has launched its January sale here. The sale will be available until the end of the month.

Happy Shopping!

Image from The Baltimore Sun

Brrrr…… it’s certainly getting chillier and chillier, and whilst we might all be feeling toasty inside wrapped up in our favourite blankets and with a log fire burning, it’s important to take a few moments to think of our garden in the chilly outdoors. Whilst we may not have experienced the snow of last year, there’s still plenty of time for frost to set in and balcony gardeners need to know how to weather the storm.

This is a great time to weed off any dead plants, particularly old tomatoes and climbing plants. To prevent the build up of disease and insect, use this as an opportunity to clean out the dead plants. Start the year afresh!

Be careful of bringing too many plants inside to a dry space – particularly if you have the central heating turned up. Make sure you keep them refreshed with plenty of water and close to a window so they get plenty of natural light.

Image: Red Butte Garden Winter Solstice Celebration, Photographer: Laurie Rubin

If you have a container garden, glass cloches are a great way to protect your plants from the frost and any impending snow. They’re great for small containers in a spot away from wind. Keep containers warm by wrapping them with bubble wrap and brown paper. For those less hardy plants, shrubs and herbs can endure the chilly temperatures under a cold frame. A cold frame is a glass-roofed enclosure built close to the ground used to protect plants, letting the sunlight in the cold frame acts as a mini-greenhouse. Use your cold frame to house your plants and as decorate it with fairy lights for a spot of festive cheer!

Whilst you have a break from watering and taking care of your garden, you can use the time wisely to plan your Spring-time blooms and planting for the New Year!