How to make a garden on the balcony and loggia?

The intense pace of life in the metropolis does not leave a person the opportunity to communicate with wildlife, relax in a park, forest or in the country. To make up for the lack of positive emotions, people try to decorate their homes with plants. To arrange a blooming garden, it is not at all necessary to have a large cottage - you can even create a small corner of wildlife on the balcony of an ordinary apartment.

The peculiarity of our natural and climatic zone is the change of seasons. For several months, the plants are in "hibernation" - they take a break from long flowering and fruiting and prepare strength for the new vegetative season. However, this is not a reason to be upset - lovers of enjoying wildlife all year round can create a greenhouse at home. And in order not to cut the so necessary square meters of living space, a balcony or loggia can be taken under the mini-greenhouse.

The advantage of such a solution is the arrangement of a picturesque recreation area without prejudice to the functional areas of the living space. In addition, caring for flowers, herbs and even fruit crops can develop into an exciting hobby.

Growing new crops requires tireless attention, specialized knowledge and new skills. This will only benefit people who seek to engage in personal self-development.

A winter flower garden on the balcony allows you to equip a comfortable resting place in such a relatively small space. Surrounded by plants, you can meet with friends or relax alone, putting your own thoughts in order. Green pets secrete phytoncides, thus contributing to the creation of a healing microclimate. And this, in turn, leads to an improvement in the mental and physical health of the residents of the apartment.

So, the main advantages of creating a mini-greenhouse on loggias and balconies are:

• original design of additional space, suitable for all eco-style lovers;
• a fascinating hobby, thanks to which you can learn a lot of new and interesting things about the world around you;
• improving the microclimate of the dwelling and the well-being of household members.

However, this business has its own pitfalls. So, the creation of a winter garden requires repair of the balcony. It is very important to create a comfortable environment for the full growth and flowering of plants. However, this is more of a difficulty than a serious drawback. We will describe below how to properly prepare a loggia for creating a home mini-arboretum.

As we have already noted, arranging a flower garden on loggias and balconies is not an easy task. Of course, on summer days, you can just put flowerpots or plant seedlings. However, in winter in a cold space, plants will simply die. Therefore, it is necessary to take care of the preparation of the premises in advance.

First you need to make sure the integrity of the balcony slabs and other structures - if necessary, they should be strengthened. If you plan to equip a comfortable lounge area on the balcony with voluminous pots and large pots, be sure to check what kind of load the floors can withstand.

If the space is open, glazing should be performed. At the same time, the quality of finishing work is of fundamental importance, since the loose fit of the sashes and the presence of cracks lead to cold drafts - this causes the death of green spaces.

Any existing cracks and seams should be repaired and sealed. It is very important to install the waterproofing of the room and insulate it. To do this, it is sheathed with heat-insulating material and heating is carried out.

A good solution can be a warm floor system, electric heaters built into the walls or an additional radiator.

Keep in mind that green pets require watering and spraying. Therefore, to decorate a home greenhouse, you need to use the most moisture-resistant materials - tiles, plastic plates, artificial stone or linoleum.

But still, the main criterion in this case will be practicality. If you intend to take wood, then you should pre-treat it with special moisture-repellent impregnations.

An important condition for arranging a cozy and at the same time ergonomic recreation area with a blooming garden on the balcony is a competent selection of furniture. Typical cars are compact in size, they are focused on low weight load. Therefore, when choosing furniture and interior decor, important nuances should be taken into account.

• Furniture should be lightweight and narrow. The best solution would be wooden or plastic seats along the edges of the balcony, inside which are modules for storing tools, old things or vegetables.

• Herbs and flowers do not need to be put into boxes. Watering cans and scoops can be effectively placed on suspended ceilings or on shelves - in this case, they have every chance of becoming a stylish decor element.

• A miniature fountain or bonsai will give an undoubted flavor to a home greenhouse with a miniature pond near the base. Such a decor item pleases the eye, in addition, it humidifies the air, which is very useful for green pets.

• If you plan to place colorful flowering plants in the garden, then there is no need for additional decor. In this case, preference should be given to laconic forms and natural textures - moss, wood or stone.

• To make the interior of the mini-flower garden look complete, all pots and flowerpots need to be decorated in the same style and the same shade palette.

• If the footage of the balcony does not exceed 3-4 sq. m, then it makes sense to think over the original glazing system. Stained glass and panoramic solutions look good - they allow you to achieve a visual expansion of the balcony space and provide the greenhouse with natural insolation.

When placing plants, it is important to adhere to the requirement that they do not interfere with the unhindered passage through the room. Flowers should not interfere and hurt the shoulders and heads of family members having a rest. At the same time, tall and lush crops should not obscure miniature ones - lighting should be redistributed evenly to all crops.

The simplest solution for organizing a mini-greenhouse on the loggia will be a simple layout without using decor. In this case, the room is decorated with any flowers you like, placing them in compact racks, on shelves, as well as on the windowsill and on the floor. It is advisable to make a bright accent in this green composition; for this, the largest plant is placed in the corner zone. Most often it is a tall cactus, shrub flower, palm tree or bonsai, they are planted in voluminous flowerpots.

To decorate the window sill in hanging pots, you can plant decorative grass, as well as ampelous plants and even various spices. If you wish, you can always try to plant strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers and other horticultural crops. Climbing plants look harmonious in hanging flowerpots - they are placed near the walls or under the ceiling.

The smallest flowers can be placed on a table or small rack in decorative pots. Here you can put figurines and books, as well as tools needed to care for green pets.

It's no secret that different plants require different conditions. There are cultures that are resistant to cold, and there are thermophilic ones. There are flowers that prefer shade and those that need good lighting for full development. In order to choose for your mini-greenhouse all the cultures that can successfully develop on your balcony, you should determine its location.

For northern loggias of gardens diffused lighting is typical. The sun's rays here do not particularly heat the air in the flower garden. This means that in the absence of additional heating and artificial lighting, preference should be given to crops that are resistant to light shading and low temperatures. In this case, ficuses, ivy, begonia, as well as gardenia and maidenhair will be the best solution.

On the southern balcony, the bushes will receive a lot of light and heat. This is the most advantageous option, which allows you to release creativity and build a small paradise on a single balcony. Light-loving palms, decorative flowering cacti and tangerine trees grow well here.

To prevent excessive humidity, you need to install a split system or air it from time to time. Keep in mind that when airing the room during the frosty months, it is better to remove the plantings from the greenhouse during processing.

In the east, there is moderate illumination and average temperature until lunchtime. In the afternoon, the sun begins to bake, this is especially noticeable in the period from May to September. To protect the plants from burns, you can hang tulle, and climatic technology will help maintain a comfortable temperature.

Ficuses, coffee trees, dieffenbachia and ampelous plants grow well on such a loggia.

The western balcony keeps warm throughout the day. Here you also need to take care of creating a light shade. Suitable for planting are groundwort, monstera and certain varieties of exotic plants, for example, coconut.

At first glance, decorating a mini winter garden may seem like a daunting undertaking. However, it's worth spending a few days on it - trust me, you won't regret it. There is nothing better than going out on a green balcony on frosty days and relaxing in an armchair, enjoying the unity with blooming nature. We offer a small selection of mini flower greenhouses in a modern style.

In conclusion, we recall that creating a home greenhouse with your own hands on the loggia is just the beginning. To keep the garden in bloom, you will need to devote a lot of time and effort to it. If there are a lot of plants, then at least half an hour a day will be spent on watering, spraying, as well as cleaning the leaf plates from dust.

Periodically it is necessary to inspect green spaces. If signs of pests or rot appear, treatment should be started in a timely manner. In specialized stores, you can buy special nutritional supplements and parasite medicines.Plants love care and will surely thank their owner with natural freshness and charm.