Greening an Enclosed Balcony: Plants for Glazed and Open Loggias

A loggia, an enclosed or recessed balcony, is a great spot for a small garden: summer flowers, herbs, citrus trees and even a winter garden. But it has its own conditions: it can overheat in summer and get cold in winter, and the light depends on which way it faces. Here is how to choose plants and arrange them well.

Plants for your loggia and home: potted plants and flower baskets.

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Assess the conditions

• Aspect decides how much sun you get: a south-facing loggia is the hottest, a north-facing one cool and shady.
• Glazing. A glazed loggia can get very hot in summer, so you will need blinds, curtains or film. Without insulation it may drop below freezing in winter.
• Weight. Large tubs of wet compost are heavy; place heavy containers close to the building wall.
• Water. Use saucers so watering does not flood the floor or the neighbours below.

Which plants to choose

Sunny loggias suit pelargoniums, petunias, portulaca, succulents and Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary, thyme and lavender. Begonias, fuchsias, busy lizzies and most herbs like part shade. For a north-facing loggia, choose shade-tolerant plants: ferns, ivy and hostas. More ideas in “Balcony flowers”.

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Vertical greening

• Shelves and ladder stands fit lots of pots into a small space.
• Hanging baskets under the ceiling suit trailing plants: petunias, bacopa, ivy.
• Annual climbers such as morning glory, sweet pea and nasturtium quickly cover a trellis or strings.
• Wall pockets and modules are ideal for herbs and salad leaves.

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A winter garden on an insulated loggia

If the loggia is insulated and stays at around 10–15 °C in winter, it can house plants that need a cool, bright winter: citrus, bottlebrush, oleander, bay and olive. These conditions are often better than a warm room with dry air. For a citrus tree to grow at home, see “Calamondin”.

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A mini kitchen garden

A loggia is handy for herbs and greens: basil, parsley, dill, mint and chives, plus cherry tomatoes and peppers in sunny boxes. How to grow herbs in pots is covered in “Herb garden in pots”.

Care

• In hot weather water in the morning or evening; soil in boxes dries out quickly.
• Use containers with drainage holes and saucers.
• Feed flowering plants every 1–2 weeks.
• Ventilate a glazed loggia to prevent overheating and fungal disease.

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FAQ

Can plants stay on an uninsulated loggia in winter?

Only hardy perennials in large containers with protection; houseplants and tender plants must come indoors.

How do I protect plants from overheating?

Shade the windows with curtains or film, ventilate and keep dark pots out of the sun.

Author: Maria Svitlovir

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.

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