The Balcony Gardener: Creative ideas for small spaces

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She has designed spaces for Anthropologie and appeared on numerous TV shows such as Love Your Garden.

Meghan Markle forced to miss glitzy Beverly Hills ceremony where Prince Harry received a 'Living Legend'. The House Gardener has more than 60 ideas, from Victorian style terrariums to cosy fireplaces, and even the ingenious idea of using old lightbulbs as small plant containers, providing me with some much-needed creative inspiration. If you live in a climate with cold winters, consider growing some plants that are hardy enough to leave outdoors year-round or that can be overwintered indoors so you don’t have to start from scratch again each spring. Isabelle is a renowned city garden designer and the founder of The Balcony Gardener, her innovative and fresh approach to small space garden design and gardening retail has earned her well deserved attention. You can also turn your balcony, roof terrace or patio into an attractive space to dine and entertain with stylish lighting and furnishing ideas.Invest in the biggest pot you can as that will lessen the time between watering, which is the only chore of gardening in pots. Attach pots, shelves, or trellises to the walls; and if your balcony has a ceiling, add a few hooks for hanging plants.

Keep in mind that the hotter and windier the conditions on your balcony, the more frequently you’ll need to water -- sometimes as often as twice a day. I used to have an apartment with two very small balconies and I wanted to create a lush, green, verdant space of my own,” shares Isabelle. We are “have-a-go” gardeners and learn year-on-year what works for the plants and what works for us.Cover the railings of your balcony with chicken wire to support climbing plants, or purchase plant hangers that can be attached to the top of a railing. In this video I show you what is possible to achieve in a small space container gardening with my end of season vegetable balcony garden tour. Jack Sutcliffe, co-founder of Power Sheds, further comments: 'There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to arranging your balcony garden, a lot of it depends on the size of the space available and what you hope to achieve.

If you can’t attach anything to the walls of your balcony, you can still make the most of the vertical space.Note however that these plants will be more exposed to wind, rain and intense sun so opt for succulents and hardier plant varieties that can withstand a quick change in climate. Our ethos is to maximise the potential of your space, however large or small, whilst always acknowledging the level of maintenance that is best suited for your lifestyle. Our 4m x 4m patch of London garden works seriously hard, containing a playhouse, table and chairs as well as fruit and veg.

Wood pallets turned on end, old book shelves, or tiered planters are all practical solutions for gardening up rather than out. Check the weight loading of your balcony - this is usually calculated at around 70kg per m2 (dependent on age, construction etc.

Isabelle Palmer has created a successful business from her ability to enliven any balcony, roof terrace and window sill with her inventive gardening ideas.