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Gardening doesn’t have to happen at ground level. Balconies, roofs and windowsills can allbecome your private oasis of green. Here’s a few ideas to inspire modern-day sky-dwellers. Use them if you live on the ground – they work at low altitudes too! BY KEVIN FARRELL

SKY GARDEN

THE STRUCTURE Before loadingyour balcony

with weighty pot plants and water features, check that thestructure can support it all. Most balconies are suspendedconcrete slabs, but some are steel or timber frames.

If you have a timber balcony or deck there’s a fewspecial things to consider.

First, check its structural condition. If it’s cantilevered(no posts – it’s fixed to the wall of the building) check for rotin the timber frame where it meets the wall. If there is any,reduce the load on the balcony until it can be repaired.

Second, check the condition of the decking boards,balustrades and handrails. You don’t want a 100kg potplant falling on Mrs McGillicuddy downstairs…do you?

Concrete balconies aren’t immune to rot either. It’s notuncommon for the steel reinforcement within the concreteto rust. If it’s near the surface it can get pretty ugly – chunksof concrete split off to reveal the rust beneath. But if it’sdeep down it can be much worse, particularly forcantilevered balconies. These are continuations of theconcrete floor and the only thing holding them up is theirsteel reinforcement. When this rusts along the line of thewall the balcony can fall off the building.Windows

Don’t despair if you have no balcony or roof –awindow can be made suitable for a sky garden. There’s atleast three ways to put a garden in a window: windowboxes, garden windows, and internal shelves or hangers.

Window boxes are an old idea that still works. You

can use a long pot or planter box that sits on the windowsillor brackets, or place individual pots on a shelf. You canmake your own window boxes from any durable material,such as treated pine. Very easy indeed, but there are acouple of considerations. The first is gravity. RememberMrs McGillicuddy? Planters or pots must be fastened sowind or clumsy hands can’t dislodge them. They shouldalso sit in a tray to catch excess water. Position the tray sospillage won’t do any harm.

Garden windows are bay-style windows that protrudefrom the wall to catch more sunshine and display theplants. If you already have a bay window it’s an ideal placefor a garden – just add pots or planters on shelving orracks. If you don’t, several companies make windows thatcan be installed to replace an existing window. Give thiscareful thought, because you could add more heat andhumidity to your home.

Shelves and hangers are the easiest way to ‘green’ awindow. If there is suitable fixing in the ceiling above thewindow, install hanging hooks, hang chains of variouslengths and attach planter baskets. Alternatively, fixbrackets either side of the window, fix a shelf on top in thematerial of your choice, and sit planters or pots on them.Just consider the weight of the plants, soil and the wateryou add when choosing shelf material.

For more information, there’s two MITREPLANS toread: ‘Create wonderful window gardens’ and ‘Create yourown Hanging Gardens of Babylon’. They’re available instore or at www.mitre10.com.au.

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Floor finishTiles, paint, synthetic grass, mats, pavers, real grass,

timber decking, wooden paving tiles – the sky’s the limit! Ofcourse, the simplest thing is to leave it raw, but polishing orpainting concrete will greatly improve its feel and look. Tilescan create a formal look and are available in a huge varietyof colours, sizes and patterns. Make sure you use exteriortiles, and get advice about the right waterproofing,adhesive and laying method – or hire a tradesperson(check with Mitre 10 for some reputable local contractors).Consider tiles with a non-slip finish – it might be a long waydown from your balcony.

Mats and synthetic grass are nice underfoot, but cantrap lots of dirt, harbour insects, and go rotten unless youvacuum and clean them regularly.Plants

Your local Mitre 10 garden centre can help youchoose plants for your climate and orientation to the sun.Any plant that doesn’t grow too large is good, but avoidspiky or poisonous ones.

The main issue is their containers – pots and planters – so be careful to select plants without extensiveroot systems.

Plants can be used for privacy and wind protection(palms, bamboo, shrubs, vines on a trellis), scent(geranium, gardenia, violet, herbs, lavender, roses), colour(pick anything!), noise reduction (thick hedges such asazalea, box, or abelia), for striking form and foliage(pandanus, golden cane, cordylines, palms or ferns) or forfood (herbs, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, chilli, orcolourful lettuce varieties) It’s probably wise to also selectplants that are not thirsty.Water and Light

These are key aspects to any landscape project.Water addresses three of our five senses: it looksappealing; the sound of trickling or falling water can have amajor effect on how you feel; and you can run your fingersthrough it or dip your toes for a cooling sensation.

Balcony and roof themesWhat do you want your new garden to feel like? Try this list of theme ideas or create your own:Oriental: use traditional forms such as Japanese, Thai orChinese, or pinch a little from each and mix them up.Characterised by clean lines, focal points such as specimenplants, water features, rocks, sculptures or artefacts. Bambooand pebbles work a treat.Native: yes, native gardens can work on balconies andwindows. Have a close look at the precarious places thatplants survive on rocky hillsides. Materials such as bush rock,weathered logs and coarse sand are the go.Contemporary: a contemporary apartment building demandsthe same of its balcony gardens. Clean, formal lines are thefashion. Incorporate current artworks and sculpture to impressyour guests. Materials include large tiles, terrazzo, stainlesssteel, and glass.Artistic: go on, it’s been burning in you for years to create a sculpture garden from old bicycle parts and cans ofCampbell’s soup (are you the next Warhol?). Use anythingfrom space junk to jelly, but rarely anything green and growing.Naturist: if you like to go nude, create a little screening for privacy. Avoid sharp, scratchy plants, furnishings and materials.

Island: bring the feeling of that holiday in Bali or Bora Bora with reed, thatch, wood and

tropical palms. Furniture should be laid back, so consider scattering cushions on thick

reed mats instead of using tables and chairs. Sand is nice underfoot as long as the cat

doesn’t use it and it doesn’t wash down the drain.

Marine: not just water, but all things marine. Use driftwood, watercraft, seaside

plants and weathered materials. Choose washed or limed paint styles to add to the

weathered feel.

Formal: symmetry, topiary, hedges, rows of identical potted plants, and carefully

placed stylish furniture make a formal balcony, maybe with a little statue or a wall-

mounted water feature. Materials include tiles, glass, stone, and terracotta.

Entertainer: just the basics: table and chairs, barbecue, bar fridge (if you’re serious,

get the type with a tap on top and keg inside), a few large pot plants (with sand in the

pots for stubbing butts). Materials should be hosable.

Group potted plants, rather than

spread them around the balcony.

They’ll look more interesting

and lush.

Kev’s Tip

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YOUR MAKEOVEREvery balcony needs something to make it

comfy, especially if it’s typical of mostbalconies – bare concrete, steel balustrade,brick walls, sliding glass doors.

Plants and pots

Plants soften the whole effect, as well asbecoming quiet ‘friends’ we get to know andcare for. If your balcony only receives full sunin the morning, choose plants suitable for sunand shade. Garden centre staff can help youwith the right plants for your balcony, butyou’ll need to be able to tell them which wayyour balcony faces, how much sun it gets,and what kinds of plants you like. Maybe youlike cacti? Maybe Asian-style plants or brightflowering plants. The owner of this balconylikes plants that keep to themselves but wasalso keen to have a few ‘utility’ plants. Theseinclude chillies, basil, parsley and lemongrass.

BalustradesYour first step is to clean and paint the steel

balustrade and roof beam. This is easy enough; scrape offloose, flaky paint and rust, clean with a wire brush andpaint. Naturally, choose the right paint for the task – WhiteKnight’s Rust Guard. Generally go for the brush-on variety,but if you have wrought iron or cast iron lace balustrades,the spray-on type might be better. Rust Guard is an anti-corrosion epoxy modified resin paint that’s been around formany years, but has just been relaunched in hundreds ofshades that can be tinted in store, so there’s no problemwith matching colours – even Colorbond! This is reallyimportant, because you’ll probably find that you can’t paintyour balustrade just any colour, it must match the original.You see, your balustrade is really common property withthe other units, and if they were all painted different colours– Yuck! Check with your strata body corporate if you wantto do something different. Floor

Next step, the floor. Bare concrete just doesn’t cut it,unless you polish and seal it. You might choose to paint thefloor for a relatively informal look – especially if the concretehas existing stains that need covering. Paint is alsoinexpensive and fast – but only if you choose a fast-dryingpaint like Jet Dry Aquatread. All you need to do is clean anddegrease, etch the surface for good adhesion, and paint.Two coats provide a beautiful and durable surface you canwalk on in just two hours. If the concrete is newer andunmarked you might use the Jet Dry Aquatread Clear Sealer instead. Both products are water-based

for an easy clen-up and no unpleasant fumes.Water feature

You might choose a pond for your balcony especiallyif you love goldfish. On the ground, ponds are usually back-filled and planted out to make them look natural, but toachieve a similar effect on a balcony use bush rock,pebbles, potted plants and mulch. A formal water feature ismuch simpler!

Make sure the pond or fountain is level by packingwith blocks or sand (your balcony has a ‘fall’ to allow waterrunoff), and ensure that any balcony drains are clear andable to do their job.

If there’s no power on the balcony, get a licensedelectrician to install a weatherproof outlet or two, fitted withsafety switches.Lighting

Solar-powered garden lights give a soft, subtle lightwithout cables. If you want more powerful light – perhapsfor dramatic spotlighting effects – you may be able to hidean extra-low-voltage transformer behind a pond or plant.Furniture

All you need is a table and chairs and possibly abamboo screen to provide a little privacy from aneighbouring block of units. Bamboo fits well with a‘natural’ landscaping style, filtering light and sight, butletting in the breeze.

You can fix the bamboo directly to an overhead steelbeam or the underside or the balcony above, and tie it tothe steel balustrade at the bottom.

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