Harsh Microclimate
Balconies and courtyards in Brisbane offer a very harsh environment or microclimate.
The factors involved include:
- Wind: A 19th-floor balcony can be a very windy place. It is probably best if the plants are not taller than the railing.
- Sun: The direction the balcony faces is very important:
- North: A Northerly facing balcony gets a lot of winter sun but is probably the best aspect.
- East: An Easterly facing balcony will get morning sun, which can be very hot in the summer.
- West: A Westerly facing balcony will get the afternoon sun and cook some plant species.
- South: A Southerly facing balcony is the worst, it gets no sun and plants really suffer.
- Rain: Some balconies let the rain in and others are totally sheltered.
Types of Balcony Planters for hire
Most indoor planters can be used on balconies but may need an overflow hole to prevent them from filling up with water from the rain. Some people don’t like this because the planters overflow onto the tiles and may stain – but this is unavoidable.
Typically planters made for outside are made of Concrete, lightweight concrete (fibreglass composites), terrazzo or terracotta and need to be configured for sub-irrigation with an overflow in case of rain.
