Why north-facing balconies deserve a second look

A north-facing balcony rarely sees direct sun, and that puts plenty of gardeners off before they have even started. But bright shade is not the same as darkness. In most UK towns and cities a north-facing space still receives hours of soft, indirect light reflected off the sky and neighbouring walls, and that gentle, filtered light suits a whole range of plants that would scorch or sulk in blazing afternoon sun. Picture a woodland floor rather than a desert, and you are already thinking along the right lines.

The second thing to understand is wind. North-facing balconies often behave like wind tunnels, and cold, drying gusts do far more damage than low light ever will. Choose plants with tough, leathery or hairy leaves, group your pots closely together so they shelter one another, and tuck the most delicate specimens behind taller ones. Get those two things right and a shady balcony can look every bit as lush as a sunny one.

Ferns: the backbone of a shady balcony

If you plant nothing else, plant ferns. They evolved on forest floors beneath dense canopies and they positively relish the conditions a north-facing balcony offers. A few that perform reliably in pots:

• Hart's tongue fern (Asplenium scolopendrium) — glossy, upright straps of evergreen foliage that look smart all winter and shrug off cold.
• Autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora) — new fronds unfurl in coppery pink before maturing to deep green, giving you a flush of colour without a single flower.
• Soft shield fern (Polystichum setiferum) — a neat shuttlecock shape that suits a pot beautifully and tolerates the occasional missed watering once established.

Keep the compost consistently moist but never waterlogged, and cut away tatty old fronds in early spring just as the new croziers begin to unfurl. Ferns ask for very little else.

Hostas and ivy: foliage that earns its keep

Hostas are the classic answer to shade, and for good reason. Their ribbed leaves come in blues, creams, golds and deep greens, and a single well-grown plant in a decent pot makes a proper statement. The one drawback is slugs and snails, so use a copper band around the rim of the pot or a gritty mulch of horticultural grit. High balconies usually see fewer slugs than ground-level gardens, which is quietly one of their advantages.

For small spaces choose compact varieties rather than the giants, and pair them with ivy. Common ivy is superb at softening hard railings and trailing over the edge of a planter, and it will happily grow in the gloomiest corner you have. Be disciplined about trimming it, though — ivy is vigorous, and left unchecked it will smother smaller neighbours.

Other shade-tolerant plants worth trying

Once the structural planting is in, layer in colour and interest with these dependable performers:

• Heuchera — grown for its foliage rather than its flowers, with caramel, plum and lime-leaved forms that glow in shade.
• Brunnera macrophylla — heart-shaped leaves, often silvered, plus tiny forget-me-not blue flowers in spring.
• Hellebores — flowering from January onwards, when almost nothing else bothers, and perfectly happy in shade.
• Hardy fuchsia — trailing forms look wonderful in hanging baskets, and the flowers bring hummingbird brightness to a dim corner.
• Japanese forest grass — a soft, arching grass that catches what little light there is and adds movement.
• Bleeding heart — dangling pink and white hearts in late spring, then it quietly dies back and waits for next year.

Watering, wind and compost in low light

Shade slows evaporation from the surface of the compost, but wind speeds it up, so the soil can be damp an inch down and bone dry at the roots. Push a finger in before you water rather than following a fixed schedule, and when you do water, do it thoroughly until it runs out of the drainage holes. Little and often is the surest way to kill plants in pots.

Use a soil-based compost mixed with a good handful of grit per pot for drainage, and avoid unglazed terracotta in exposed spots — it dries out alarmingly fast in a breeze. Glazed pots, plastic and even lined wicker all hold moisture better. Saucers help, but empty them after heavy rain so roots never sit in cold water. Feeding can be light: a slow-release granules in spring plus a fortnightly liquid feed through summer is plenty for anything that flowers.

Layering a small north-facing balcony

Small spaces respond brilliantly to vertical thinking. Work in three clear heights: tall ferns or a slim climber at the back against the wall, mid-height hostas and heucheras in the middle, and trailing ivy or fuchsia spilling over the front. A wall-mounted planter or two lifts greenery to eye level and makes the whole balcony feel twice as generous.

Stick to a tight palette — greens, silvers, creams and the odd splash of plum — so the scheme reads as calm rather than cluttered. Add a mirror on the wall to bounce what light there is, and a string of warm-white outdoor lights for the evenings. Finally, remember winter: evergreen ferns, ivy, hellebores and a few snowdrop bulbs in the compost will keep the balcony alive through the greyest months, ready for the ferns to unfurl again in spring.