On 11/03/2012 22:44, laurap74 wrote:
Hi all, I live in London and I love plants but unfortunately I only have
a balcony to work with...it faces west, I would like to have some advice
on evergreen plants and trees to put there, something that may give a
bit of green through winter....maybe also little trees, like palm trees
to create shade and some flowering plants for spring...I am looking
forward to your advice, thank you!!

Living in London gives you many advantages in terms of plants which are
too tender to grow outside elsewhere. You might like to consider a
Meyer's Lemon (if you like making your own "G and T"!). A small olive
tree would also be attractive. Many cacti and succulents will survive
and flourish if kept dry over winter on a west-facing balcony.

Remember that a west-facing balcony in summer will be fiercely hot and
even large tubs will dry out quickly under those conditions. The cacti
and succulents won't care, but some sort of automatic watering system
should be an early consideration for other plants.

--

Jeff