Ruffle some feathers with balcony revamp
Reclaim space from pigeons and turn it into a bright extension that will be envy of your neighbourhood, says Ella Walker
Balcony envy is a very real thing.
It’s a malady that tends to kick in when you’re on holiday, particularly in Mediterranean countries, where the myriad balconies – wrought iron and stacked on top of one another – are laden with succulents and adrift with coral coloured geraniums.
It’s ramshackle chic, and it looks great.Too often back home though, your standard balcony is less bright urban oasis, and more temporary bike park – or shrine to the washing airer.
Either that, or you end up plagued with nesting pigeons, who have somehow misconstrued your outdoor space as a cliff edge suitable for rearing their young on. Disaster.
But as autumn commences and the gardening season winds down a little, now is the time to take charge of your balcony.
Tidy up the wellies and bring them indoors, lock your bike up out the front for a change, sweep your patch of concrete clear of fallen leaves and pigeon feathers, and consider a few of these items. They might just help turn your rectangle of elevated space into a bright, usable extension of your home – rather than a shabby storage-spacecum-bird-sanctuary... For a pop of sunshine regardless of the weather, nab this super stylish Orla Kiely watering can.
With a sturdy handle and a ‘rose’ nozzle, it’ll make trekking to and fro between the kitchen tap and your window boxes slightly sweeter. As the evenings become darker, but the temperature doesn’t quite call for coats and gloves, a bit of balcony mood lighting (supplemented by the odd candle) wouldn’t go amiss.
These solar bulbs will brighten up your ledge – especially if you string them up overhead via trellis – and they come with rechargeable batteries in case the sunshine doesn’t fully power them up. To make a real statement – and to fill a problem corner – this raised Ferm Living plant box will do the trick. It’s definitely an investment piece considering the cost, but its minimalist look won’t date. Fill it with ferns, as suggested, or turn it into a mini-kitchen garden, packing it to bursting with thyme, rosemary, bay, mint and oregano.
4 Bird House, £9.99, Homesense stores
You may not want to encourage pigeons to your balcony (and fair enough, they cause a right mess), but smaller birds – particularly blue tits – make friendly additions, and they’re always on the lookout for a new nesting spot. Make sure you place bird boxes out of direct sunlight, and always try to leave a dish of water out for passing feathered creatures who might be thirsty, especially once winter kicks in properly.
5 John Lewis & Partners Burford Small Garden Shelf Ladder, FSCCertified (Eucalyptus Wood), £149, John Lewis
Employing a bit of height will help elongate your balcony, giving you more floor space, but without minimising storage. We’d stack this simple shelf ladder with trailing plants, pots of herbs and a crate filled with you gardening tools – it’ll end up looking eminently Instagrammable.
6 Concrete Hanging Planter, £18, Next
Your balcony will feel uber Mediterranean with this smooth white planter dangling against the wall. Fill it with fragrant hanging plants or sturdy evergreens that’ll bring a bit of colour throughout winter – preferably ones that won’t require too much watering.
7 Bee Block – White, approx £18.60, shop.designist.ie
While you can, of course, drill a s e - ries of holes into a block f wood and string that up on the wall as a quick, rustic DIY bee hotel. This chic, brutalist-style bee-friendly block has a certain class to it.
8 Original Paper Potter, £10, netherwallop trading.uk
If you’ve got the gardening bug, this little paper potter will come in handy. It’ll help you avoid cluttering up your balcony with lots of plastic pots, and means that when you want to pot up seedlings or cuttings (from all your holidayinspired geraniums, of course), all you need is a few sheets of newspaper to get going.
9 Garden Up Wall Garden – Black, £18.50, Homebase stores
Planting up a balcony is all about making the most of any space you can wrangle greenery into, so if you can’t slot in a free-standing plant ladder, try a wall one instead. This trio of boxes are simple, functional and nicely plain, so you can go big filling them with every brightly coloured, winter-busting flower you can get your hands on.
10 Overallt Stool, £45, IKEA
This stool – made from eucalyptus – is small enough to fit into any balcony nook or cranny, without compromising on comfort (as so many metal outdoor chairs do). It provides an ideal perch for sipping your morning coffee, reading a book, or potting up new plants too.