64% of people living in Boston rent their home, and 83% of renters live in an apartment. The majority of apartments don't come with a private backyard, particularly in the busy parts of the city, but many of them do come with balcony space. A balcony may only be small, but with the right planting it can be transformed into a beautiful sanctuary for you to spend time in. In the summer you can bring your houseplants outside - just make sure that they get plenty of water if there is a heatwave. In the winter you can plant some hardy, colorful flowers and even grow some herbs. Your balcony is a versatile space that will make your Boston apartment feel like a home.

 

Summer plants

The summer months in Boston are warm, and this is the perfect time to bring your houseplants outdoors onto the balcony. There are many broad-leaved varieties that would benefit from the extra sunshine, and also some natural rain. Learning how to care for your houseplants while on vacation is important though, especially if there is a heatwave, because they need plenty of water. Put some woodchips on top of the soil to protect the roots from the wind, give your plants a good water, and then cover the woodchip layer with a plastic bag. This will give your plants enough moisture if you're away for a few weeks. Good planting options for summer months are the Snake Plant (Potted Sansevieria), which is extremely hardy and doesn't mind the wind, and the Corn Plant (Dracaena), which doesn't need much watering. Some potted palms, such as the Kentia Palm, will also give your balcony a real tropical feel.

 

Winter pots

The Boston winters can be cold, snowy and harsh, however, that doesn't mean that you can't still fill your balcony with color. Cyclamen is a great flower to put in pots and doesn't mind cold weather. The blooms come in bright shades of pink, purple, red and white. Winter heathers are another great choice - they thrive in the highlands of Scotland, and will easily live in pots on an apartment balcony in Boston. Planting some hollies with their red berries will give your balcony a real festive holiday feeling, and also look beautiful.

 

An herb garden

A sheltered balcony is the ideal place to grow some herbs to enhance your cooking. In the summer, Mediterranean varieties like basil, oregano and marjoram are perfect, and they smell amazing. In the cooler months of the year, thyme and rosemary will be happy in pots. You can affix smaller pots to the sides of your balcony for herbs, so that you still have space on your balcony for seating. Some varieties of herbs, like the lemon verbena, are hardy perennials - these produce lots of leaves in the early summer, and then lose them at the end of the fall. You can always dry or freeze the leaves of your herbs however, so that you can use them all year round.

 

Your balcony is a valuable space and filling it with beautiful plants can really make your apartment feel like home. Even if you are on the 14th floor, your balcony can be your own personal backyard sanctuary away from the crowds of Boston.