Chelsea 2021: The Balcony Gardens

[@TheImpatientGardener]

I think the balcony gardens are one of the most interesting new elements to debut at Chelsea. It is truly so much more approachable for many gardeners. They are all lovely but I love the grasses and sense of enclosure in the last one.

[@christinathompson1630]

Thank you Bunny. You manage to show so much detail in just a few minutes, so much more than the hours of coverage on the BBC which always manages to show the same gardens again and again and not show some at all. This has been a lovely series of videos.

[@mikeq6384]

Thanks for sharing all the great balcony ideas !

[@JoannaLouise200]

My favourite balcony is the last one. The simplicity of the monochrome of the white flowers peeping through grasses is particularly appealing, and I can imagine those grasses swaying and gently whispering in a breeze encircling a building. So calming!

[@annecanty1227]

Gorgeous video and stunning balcony gardens.

[@penelopehammerton2907]

Loved this video, thank you for sharing these wonderful balcony gardens.

[@colette8694]

Your reviews are always so positive it is a pleasure listening to you 🌸 🐝

[@CloudGardenerUK]

As an 18th floor balcony gardener.. I went to Chelsea to see the balcony gardens myself. They were absolutely stunning! A joy to see balcony gardening being represented. However, none of them really reflected the struggles of real balcony gardening. I did a review on my channel plus have given a brand new balcony tour. I think my garden may be a little more representative to what most others have to put up with (wind, pollinators etc) However, it's a start and will be lovely to see this expanded on next year! ❤ Thanks for the video! 😊

[@pansepot1490]

The gardens at Chelsea are “show” gardens, meant to look fabulous during that week and give ideas and inspiration to visitors. Very few of them if any reflect the struggles of real gardening.

[@CloudGardenerUK]

@@pansepot1490 yes! I agree 100% it's an art form and they were all fabulous. I was just hoping for a little bit more of a blend is all. However, just being represented was a real win and can't wait to see next years! ❤

[@rebeccavalicoff1581]

Love this show and going in detail Great 💡

[@stacywettstein8285]

Love your energy, your appreciation and expertise.

[@minworks1626]

Thank you Bunny for your considered commentary on these gardens. I enjoy that you notice the small parts that make the whole and bring them to our attention. A treat to watch. Janine in BC Canada

[@kathrynmettelka7216]

Stipulating that these balconies are far bigger than any I have seen other than on TV or movies, I am thrilled that Chelsea has included this category. The commentary was informed and conversational, rather than sounding like a condescending lecturer. Bunny, you have a gift for making it seem like you are talking with a friend. You welcome people.

[@forthelove77]

Love the bee 🐝 balcony.

[@alisonburgess345]

Fabulous! Another goodie - thanks Bunny.

[@conniekeshet]

Thank you for doing this video!! I really wanted to see all these gardens. I didnt realize there were just a few. Its pretty amazing to see the character of each small garden.

[@themotivatedgardenergarden7822]

Amazing video Bunny & team a delicious box of horticultural chocolate delights. Small spaces with big ideas is key. Look forward to the container garden next week 😀 👌

[@tory5325]

Thank you so much for taking this American to Chelsea. And this year, I only have to wait 8 months for it to come again! ❤️

[@ValeCreekCottage]

Love the fact that the RHS is recognising that not everyone has a garden! I hope they keep this category going in May 2022. For 20 years I lived in a rented apartment and had a prolific balcony garden, but finding lightweight but sturdy pots, smaller scale furniture and smaller scale trees was a nightmare! I do think that they need to consider the weight of the items as a criteria (for safety reasons - not all balconies can support the weight of such items). I'm lucky enough now to have a large garden, but I still have a big back deck and this has given me so many ideas. In particular, Bunny, I was particularly struck by your comment to include larger trees on balcony and decks to emphasise the vertical aspects. I can see this idea in my minds eye for my space. My question is, as my deck faces full west (and I'm based in country NSW Australia) do you have any suggestions for such trees that would be manageable (e.g. not requiring repotting every year) that could handle this aspect?

[@juliedubberley1192]

Hi i live in the Uk, so can't be specific for Australia, but have had box, bay, olive and cypresses container trees for years both South and North facing, rarely repotting them and amazed how they adapt to totally different conditions.

[@EdurtreG]

Amanchelier, acer, prunus, platano, photinia, sorbus. Lucky you, having a garden ánd a deck. Enjoy.

[@sheilagavin6536]

I appreciate your excellent commentary Bunny! You are thoroughly delightful!

[@karenhart4316]

Thank you Bunny 🥰🧤👒🐨🦘🇦🇺Karen from Australia

[@bunnyguinness]

🪴🌹🪴🌹🪴🐇❤️

[@rinskeraphael8755]

Thanks for posting, I love the way youu display the garden so i have a realy good look ad them....greetings from a fan in The Netherlands🤩💖😡🌺🌹

[@bunnyguinness]

❤️🐇❤️🐇❤️🐇❤️🐇❤️

[@GrannysGarden]

Thank you for sharing. I'm loving your series on Chelsea 2021!

[@lilwilliams7277]

I’m enjoying these videos Bunny, thank you 🙏

[@wendyrobertson5205]

Thank you so much ……been waiting in anticipation and so worthwhile !

[@theswissgardenvlog3189]

Beautiful, very inspiring.

[@fennecfox8623]

Another fantastic video from Bunny and how wonderful that Chelsea is thinking of those of us with tiny gardens (my own is just 12 by 16.5 feet). Thank you Bunny 😃

[@charissaluke9348]

The last garden is a home run!!!!!

[@stareye8]

One of the reasons most people don't have big plants or trees on their balconies is because many buildings have a weight restriction. To have those huge cement planters on a apartment balcony would be impossible.

[@DamsonElvira1212]

These balconies were very large, more like a small courtyard. Having lived in a flat I know that for balconies privacy and beauty are important but also wind and weight may be an issue to consider as to what is necessary for a good design. I think design can be both practical and beautiful and don’t think that should necessarily result in something boring. Most of the first few designs whilst beautiful, due to the use of very large multi stemmed trees, were seemingly impractical due to their weight and the access of how to get them up there (not all flats have lifts). There were good ideas in each however and I am really pleased to see this category being added. Thanks.

[@bertibear1300]

My balcony is quite high up and windy, exposed and I think it would be difficult to grow much.Never sit out on it, cook on charcoal on it.Hang washing on it.It is in Sicily.

[@CloudGardenerUK]

Hi Berti! Take a look through my channel! My Balcony is 18 floors up and I can grow quite a bit despite the awful wind! ❤

[@christinabrooks7540]

You mention, adding trees. I love this, but how do you know how much weight your balcony will support?

[@bunnyguinness]

If I am adding significant weights I get a structural engineer to work out how much and where I can place them. But as mentioned before to previous comment they are usually designed to take lots of people, heavy snow loads etc and then I work out the weight of the pots and soil. You can add light weight fillers to mix with the soil to reduce the weight.🐇

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

We love Bunny!

[@bunnyguinness]

❤️🐇

[@marialane1805]

Lovely 🙏

[@DamsonElvira1212]

Further to my previous comment regarding ‘trees on balconies’ I found a photo about greening cities that shows it can be done - ‘Bosco verticale’ in Milan - two tower blocks designed from the outset to have trees in the balconies. The amount of trees all over the building creates a harmonious and impressive building that is actually a tourist attraction.

[@giovannamonteiro7216]

Lovely balconies! that one without furniture (and diagonal floor) also used recycled plastic on the walls, which is really cool!

[@1lunarin]

any advice on overwintering a tree i have two nana catalpa ball topiaries and they are still potted i live in canada, should i store them in the garage till next season or in the ground ?

[@roselinerussell4928]

Great reviews Bunny... XXX

[@dianwilliams239]

So interesting but it would be so much better if the plant names were given in the details.

[@conniekeshet]

Hm. Im in a forgrign country so this wouldnt help me much. But generally a great idea!

[@anderjpoo]

@@conniekeshet why? botanical names are the same world wide!

[@conniekeshet]

@@anderjpoo i said generally. Sometimes its not clear the names. I dont mean with her videos. I seem to catch the names.

[@conniekeshet]

@@anderjpoo or should i say another country, a differing climate, and different supply of plants here.

[@jgfreer8322]

I agree - I'd love to look up the trees and plants & learn about them - see if I could grow any in my situation

[@carolinesykes3636]

How much watering do these balcony gardens need? Should there be a watering system?

[@bunnyguinness]

Balconies can be quite exposed and windy, so if your pressed for time it can be useful, we put the drip pipe up through the base of the pot so you don’t see it.🐇

[@sumari972]

not only in the U.K. people do want their privacy and dream of being able to go naked through their garden without being arrested or all avoided by the neighbourhood.

[@tyeteams7928]

Wonderful to see balconies represented. I do however have issue with the length and the depth of them ( ie...Thay are far too large) Second, why is there no hight restrictions/ no adjoining walls,etc. This presentation represents small terraces not real life balconies city dwellers must deal with. Very disappointed.

[@StephanieJarman]

these look cool but i wonder if the designer lived in an apartment? you can't have a tree because there are usually ceilings on balconies or the bottom of the one above you and there are weight restrictions. - how would you even get it onto the balcony? what if you don't have an elevator? what landlord would give you permission to put soil on? the roots however shallow could compromise the structural integrity...there are so many impracticalities!!! i would have preferred to see practical, achievable designs. they are beautiful though!

[@bunnyguinness]

When I am working on balconies I often have to get a structural engineers advice about the load the roof can take, it often is a few quick calculations they can do so is not usually very expensive. They are usually designed to take quite a heavy load for maximum quantities of people, deep snow (surprisingly heavy). In my experience problems can occur when builders doing the work pile all the materials in one place rather than spreading them evenly over the area. It is amazing what sized plants you can get in up stairways and through doors when you want to, though for big commercial ones we have had to resort to big kit such as cranes, but for domestic balconies this would not be feasible /necessary.🐇

[@TheNosarajr]

Get a barret or two and stop messsing with your hair.

[@jeanrae2171]

Bunny, Darling, fix your teeth.