In an ideal world, we might all envision a sprawling garden behind our home, filled with flowers, fruits, vegetables, shrubs, trees, and all kinds of plants and flora. However, that’s not possible for those of us who live in smaller city homes and apartments that have little to no yard space.
One solution for apartment dwellers is a balcony garden. They are an efficient and cost-effective solution for gardening if you don’t have the space to have a full-on garden in your home. However, in order to have a balcony garden, you have to have containers for growing your plants.
With that in mind we’ve selected six of the best containers for balcony garden so you can bring flower, herbs and vegetables to your home.
Comparison Chart
Best Containers for Balcony Garden Reviews
Keter Urban Bloomer Raised Bed Self-Watering Planter
If you are looking for an attractive simple, smart-designed container for your balcony garden, then this is the container for you. As the name suggests, this is a raised garden bed, meaning that it sits off the ground on four legs. It also has a self-watering function to make your life simpler. Its classic looks will make a great addition to your balcony garden.
Review
The Keter Urban Bloomer is ideal for city gardening and for growing vegetables, herbs, and other plants. As a raised bed, this system offers an ergonomic advantage. This means that you will not need to do any kneeling or bending when tending to the plants in this container. Experienced gardeners know that it can take a toll on your legs and back, which is why an ergonomically designed raised garden container is a treat to work with.
The unique wooden texture on this bed gives the container a polished, finished look that will accent and complement any patio or balcony. Its compact footprint will fit comfortably with your furniture or grill.
The Keter Urban Bloomer holds 12.7 gallons of soil which is more than enough for a nice crop of herbs, peppers, salad greens, or even a couple small tomato plants. The self-watering feature has an easy to read gauge which let alerts you to when you need to refill the water reservoir. The kit also comes with a seed starting tray to make getting your plants up and growing that much easier.
Pros
- Raised bed ergonomic design prevents leg and back strain
- Polished, finished look
- Built in self-watering reservoir and gauge
- Drainage tap for easy draining of water
- Easy to assemble
- 12.7 gallon soil capacity
Cons
- Assembly required
- Drainage tap can leak
- Water gauge could be located in a better position
Watex Mobile Green Wall
The Watex Green Wall is a great small space garden container set up and the perfect mobile balcony garden. Its double frame construction features a base with four wheels to make moving the wall around a breeze. Easily reposition it as the sun light changes throughout the year and bring it indoors when the weather turns cold. It is an excellent container system for people who are looking to grow a variety of flowers, herbs and veggies.
Review
The Watex Mobile Green Wall is one of the most versatile planters for smaller spaces. It seems to be designed with urban gardens in mind with a small foot print and the ease in which it can be repositioned thanks to the wheeled base.
The system features 4 levels with 3 different size pots. Six small pots fill in the top two row, 4 medium pots on the third row and 2 large pots (where the most soil weight will be) make up the bottom row. Fill in small herbs, greens and flowers at the top, descending to larger plants at the bottom. Perhaps a couple of tomatoes or peppers in the bottom containers.
Construction of the gram is solid with powder coated surfaces to inhibit rust. The planter pots are made from BPA free first grade recycled plastic.
The kit comes with a drip irrigation system that will make watering your plants a breeze. Attach a garden house and a timer and you’ll be all set to water your plants without having to think about it.
We think this planter system is a winner for balcony and patio gardeners. Check it out more in this quick video from the manufacturer.
Pros
- Compact design, small space requirements
- Mobile design with wheeled frame
- Four tiers and three pot sizes for a range of growing options
- Irrigation system included
- Recycled plastic pots
Cons
- Assembly may take time
- Care should be taken in loading the system to be sure it is stable
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Foreman Raised Garden Bed
If you are looking for a high-end raised garden balcony container with a contemporary design, then the Foreman Raised Garden Bed is the answer.
Review
Manufactured in the USA and constructed of premium materials including HPL plastic panels, anodized aluminum and stainless steel, the Foreman Raised Bed is a premium product for the gardener who values quality, form and function.
Available in 6 color options and two size configurations the bed features a modern style aluminum frame. The large bed measures 48” long by 24” wide,12” deep and 30” high, giving you plenty of volume for a nice garden patch. The regular bed is also a spacious 36”x 24”x 12”x 25”.
Both sizes are available with or without caster wheels. Either size will be quite heavy when filled with soil (the large size is rated at 300lbs capacity), so while the wheeled version is $40.00 more, we believe it is worth the extra to give you the easy ability to move the bed around.
We love the contemporary look, the sturdy construction and the Made in USA appeal of this bed. And while the price tag is higher, we believe the quality justifies it. And, it comes with a 10 year manufacturer’s warranty which should alleviate any concerns.
Pros
- Premium quality
- Upscale, contemporary design
- Wheeled option available
- Resistant to weathering/wear and tear
- Can be placed both indoors and outdoors
- Made in the USA
Cons
- May be too big for some balconies
- Price tag may be a negative depending on your budget
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Outland Living 4-Tier Vertical Planter
This 4 foot tall garden balcony planter system provides plenty of planting space yet only takes up a 6 square feet of space. It comes with four large containers that allow you to plant plenty of plants. If you have a smaller space it could easily work as the only planter in your balcony garden.
Review
This free-standing, space-saving, self-watering garden planter offers four separate levels for growing. The water from the top container trickles down to the container below it, and so on and so forth, creating a kind of self-watering mechanism that saves the gardener time. Water once on the top level and it cascades down to the lower ones.
This is the perfect planter for narrow balconies, porches, small patios, and decks, or any location where space is limited. Even with a limited amount of square footage, and you will still have plenty of room to grow herbs, flowers, small fruits, and vegetables.
The design is aesthetically pleasing and takes ergonomics into consideration. Garden while standing or sitting on a stool without having to bend down to the ground. The planters rotate on support pegs allowing you to tip them forward or backward to allow for easier watering, pruning, harvesting, etc.
The plant containers are made from high quality BPA free polypropylene, feature a simulated wicker design and are available in three color options- brown, green and grey. And if one “row” of vertical planters is not enough, the system comes in a “double-wide” version featuring 8 planters in two side-by-side vertical rows. A 6 ft. tall version is also available.
Pros
- Powder-coated steel frame
- Food grade polypropylene plant containers
- Provides plenty of planting space with small footprint
- Nice aesthetics and ergonomic design
- Rotating containers make access easier
- Decent soil capacity at 12 quarts per container
Cons
- Assembly required
- Drill required for creating drain holes
- May be difficult to move
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Outsunny Self-Watering Plastic Planter Boxes
Last, but certainly not least is the set of self-watering plastic planter boxes from Outsunny. This system features a tall and low set of two 15x15x7 inch planter boxes. The taller set is 17 inches high and the low set measures 10 inches from the ground to the top of the box. This is a great planter for anyone who values a simple, elegant, functional design.
Review
As mentioned, this planter comes with two sets of two boxes. This makes it quite versatile in that the two sets can be positioned together in a stair-step configuration together or in a corner or they can be used separately in two different locations.
Made from light-weight, reinforced polypropylene, this is a lightweight, weather resistant and practical outdoor planter for growing herbs, vegetables, fruits, and flowers. It’s great for planting in a terrace, balcony, backyard, garden, patio.
The design features a wicker style pattern in dark brown. It also uses a no-fastener system, so no tools or screws are needed to assemble it. Each box is self-watering and has drainage plugs
The smartly designed planter will complement any living or garden space, and gives you the freedom to experiment with different placement options.
Pros
- Easy to assemble, no fastener design
- Can be set up in multiple configurations
- Quality construction
- Self-watering
- Small foot-print
Cons
- Smaller than other box type planters
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Wrapping Up
That concludes our list of our favorite balcony garden planters on the market. We hope that you found this article useful and that you will be able to make an informed decision on your next purchase. Happy gardening!