Choosing planting

How to make the most of a large balcony? Our tips and advice

Tips for landscape design and plant selection

Contents

Modified the 5 February 2026 by Angélique 5 min. Difficulty: Débutant

You’re lucky enough to have a spacious balcony, and you’re not sure where to start when planning it? If a spacious balcony offers more freedom than a small outdoor space, you do need to take into account a number of factors such as its layout, the maximum load it can safely bear, its orientation and the climate in your region. From these factors, your choices of furniture—as well as shrubs, trees, perennial plants, annuals and climbing plants that you install there—will depend. Discover our tips for arranging a spacious balcony, growing trees and suitable plants there, and turning this outdoor space into a place where you can enjoy the sun’s rays, your plantings and relax.

Difficulty

Key information to know before fitting out a large balcony

A large balcony offers many possibilities, but it also has its own particular considerations to bear in mind before you start imagining your layout.

Surface and layout : The size and shape of your balcony are important criteria for designing the overall layout of your outdoor space, the different areas you plan to create there and the furniture you will choose. A balcony that is square, round or rectangular cannot be laid out in the same way. Drawing up a clear plan will guide you to optimise the space without overcrowding it. You will thus be able to visualise and plan where to place the different areas you dream of, such as a seating area for a drink, reading or sunbathing, a dining area, a space for a vegetable patch or to grow plants, for example.
Maximum load : It is also important to think about safety and to check with the manufacturer about the maximum load of your balcony. Generally, it is estimated at a maximum of 350 kg per square metre, taking into account the furniture, the people present and the plant pots, whose weight increases when watered.
Orientation and climate: these are two important criteria for selecting the plants and trees you will install on your balcony, if you want your cultivation to succeed. For a south-facing balcony, the choice will fall on drought-tolerant plants, while for a shaded balcony, you would favour species that tolerate less light.

Define a style and plan a budget

Defining a style for your balcony is also essential for creating a cohesive and inviting space. Whether you lean towards a contemporary, tropical, natural, Asian, bohemian, romantic, cosy style, each style has its own requirements in terms of materials, plants and decoration.

Another factor to consider when decorating a large balcony is the budget. Indeed, a large space means many possible expenses and you can easily be carried away by your imagination, so it’s best to plan your budget in advance! Plan a detailed budget including furniture, plants, pots and decorative or functional accessories.

Creating a cohesive style—or even just a single colour—across the furniture, flooring and pots helps prevent the space from looking cluttered

Choosing trees and shrubs suitable for a large balcony

On a large balcony, you can install compact shrubs and small-growing trees that will provide shade and a leafy screen if needed. Be sure to choose only plants suited to your climate and to your balcony’s orientation, to optimise your plantings. Keep in mind the maximum load to observe on your balcony.

Among compact trees, the olive tree is a good option for a sun-facing balcony. It grows easily in a pot and should be placed away from wind and frost. For a shaded or half-shaded situation, you may opt for a Japanese maple. There is a wide choice of leaf colours and sizes. You can also grow a palm tree for a tropical feel or a conifer for an Asian-inspired style, depending on the ambience you want for your large balcony.

On the shrub side, there is a wide range as well, dependent on the style you wish to create, as well as climate and balcony orientation. To shield yourself from neighbours and create a balcony away from prying eyes, small hedges will prove useful. Among plants that can serve as a leafy screen, think of bamboos, as well as evergreen shrubs and climbing plants which may offer fragrance, such as wisterias or jasmine.

To go further, consult our advice sheets and draw inspiration from them:

The olive tree, like maples, makes a good balcony bush, chosen according to exposure and climate

Choosing plants suited to growing in pots

To green up and flower your large balcony, you can draw from the range of perennials which help create a lasting greenery and from the annuals which let you renew plantings each year. To decorate vertical surfaces or create a windbreak hedge, you can opt for des climbing plants that you will train up on a pergola or trellis, for example. Think about staggering flowering across the seasons to refresh the atmosphere and colours through the months. Again, climate in your region and the orientation of your balcony should be taken into account when making your choice.

If you want to enjoy your large balcony for growing vegetables and fruit, it’s also an option available to you. You can install a balcony vegetable garden and even grow dwarf fruit trees to enjoy your own harvests. Time to grow lettuces, tomatoes, and also apples and cherries!

For further inspiration, consult our advisory sheets and draw ideas from our selections:

A large balcony can also accommodate a vegetable garden

Tips for growing plants in pots or containers

Growing trees or young plants in pots or tubs requires a little more maintenance than in the garden. You need to plan to water more often, as young plants dry out more quickly, but also to feed, prune and care for them, to overwinter frost-tender plants, to repot or top-dress from time to time and to choose the right containers suited to the planting and to the style of your large balcony.

If you want to be worry-free about watering, install an automatic watering system that will keep your plants regularly hydrated and spare you from forgetting to water. Also mulch your potted plants to reduce evaporation and conserve water resources.

For further reading, discover our articles: The ABC of pot planting and Growing potted plants.