It may have all started with a trend. But using plants in and outside of our homes is here to stay, because not only do they look amazing; they make us feel better, too. Now we're turning to the small spaces and guiding you to make the most of a balcony or small terrace with a selection of pots as the basis for a flowery meadow or your own little kitchen garden.
We present six combinations of our favourite herbs, flowers, and plants – with everything from kale over small apple trees to strawberries and lavenders. With beauty, scents, and delicious tastes on their side, these plants will become dear new members of your family, and with the right amount of care and love, they will reward you with berries, fruits, or beautiful colours.
Growing vegetables is no longer just for those with large gardens or an orchard. Many species are easily grown in a pot on your balcony or terrace and let you enjoy the satisfaction of eating your own produce.
This selection is just as pleasing to your dinners as to the eye due to the sculptural nature of kale. The pleasurable scents of the herbs let you create a private paradise for all the senses. You can plant all of these plants from seeds if you are patient or take a short-cut and get them as small plants at the garden centre so that you can enjoy them straight away.
The Nordics are known for cold, snow, and rain. But also for the joys of changing seasons, because nothing feels better than the tiniest ray of sun when you get it after what felt like an eternity of cold and wind. In celebration of the four seasons, we plant four different plants in the pot that bloom at different times of the year so you will have flowers all year round. This way, there is something to look forward to when the temperature drops, and it feels like summer will never return.
Thinking back on our childhood, spent outside through summer vacations that felt eternal, memories of carefully placing ripe raspberries on our fingertips, making jam, or picking apples pops into our mind. A romanticised image, maybe. But also a very attainable fantasy.
Bushes with your favourite berries such as raspberry or sea buckthorn, which are perfect for Nordic-inspired cooking and don’t mind living in a pot as long as it is big enough. And what could be sweeter than a small apple tree which gives you not only fruits but also the pleasure of beautiful white flowers? Make sure you choose the right apple sort – some varieties need another apple tree nearby to produce apples.
Almost impossible to kill and easy to love: Succulents are the go-to plants if your thumb isn’t among the greenest. With their significant structures, they are great for pots, and with a variety of species, you get to form the pattern of your dreams. The great thing about succulents is that their roots need little depth to grow strong. So, as long as you go for a wide container, they will be just fine. However, containing the roots in a shallow pot will shorten the growth of the plants, which is why we went for plants that are low from nature.
If you are good at nursing your plants (or merely lucky), some of these succulents may grow an occasional flower. But with their thick leaves and distinctive exterior, they will form a lovely mosaic on your patio no matter what.
We’ve all been there: Extactic about making a wildflower bouquet to bring back home from the forest, only to see them all limp or withered a few minutes after they were separated from the comfort of their root system. And being so lovely as wild plants and flowers are, the solution isn’t not having them at home but to grow them yourself. That way, you get to enjoy them for an entire season without turning the backyard into a meadow.
This selection will bring nature even closer into your life – and if you want something new in the pot, you can pick them and bring them inside. These flowers will look equally lovely when dried./p>
We do appreciate plants with a purpose, but sometimes we give in to our weakness for pretty things. And nothing oozes summer more than a large pot filled with bright colours. Flowers go with everything and can even find their way into your home as a bouquet.
We chose some of our favourite flowers for this pot that all share the advantage that they look fantastic both before, while, and after they are in bloom.
We need bees. Generally speaking, but definitely, if we want to see fruits and berries on trees and bushes. Usually, that isn’t hard to achieve if you have a garden, but if you attempt to grow delicious things in a balcony planter box in the city, you need all the help you can get.
Herbs are a great way of attracting bees to your balcony and pollinate the strawberry plant so you can harvest all the strawberries you can eat during summer. Mint and thyme are great in cooking or for a fresh tea, and their lovely scent will lure the bees to stop by. And then you have it: The perfect combination for a miniature kitchen garden on your balcony. Bee- and strawberry friendly.