Our buyers love townhome life. The low maintenance lifestyle is perfect for those who aren’t into mowing the lawn or shoveling sidewalks. One of the questions our sales team often gets is “How can I grow flowers and garden?” With patios, balconies, porches and entryways, there are plenty of ways for our Calgary condo owners and Edmonton townhome owners to get their gardening fix!
Taking some hints from a local Albertan container gardening blog, “Life on the Balcony,” here are some sure-fire ways to bring the outdoors in, and maybe even grow some flowers or veggies!
Mark your containers: Ensuring you know what you planted where is important, especially for first-time gardeners. In your excitement, you may come back only to find little green sprouts and wonder what you originally planted. Our Avi Urban designers recommend painting pots with chalkboard paint to label each pot.
Make it affordable by purchasing basic containers from your local supercenter or dollar store. Or use household items as containers, like teapots or mason jars.
Start your plants inside! When it comes to Alberta weather, it can be sunny one minute and snowing the next. Come May, start your plant pots indoors and bring them out once summer arrives. By that time, they’ll be mature enough to start growing whatever it is you intended them to grow! Plus, you always have the option of bringing the plants inside on stormy days, once you’ve made space for them.
Talk to the locals in your neighbourhood who run community gardens, or who have thriving balcony gardens of their own! The Calgary Horticultural Society (@YYCGardening on Twitter) is a great resource for all things related to small-space gardening and can help answer questions.
If you’d like more ideas on how to bring your balcony to life with container gardening, check out lifeonthebalcony.com.