Green fingers: the best outdoor plants to buy when starting a city garden

Thanks to the recent good weather, spending time outdoors is at the top of our priority list.

If you’ve got a small balcony, or are lucky enough to have a proper garden, adding plants can quickly inject some life into your outdoor space, making it all the more enjoyable.

Getting started with outdoor plants needn't be daunting but beginner gardeners are always wise to do some research when choosing plants and containers, planting up and caring for them.

Of course, not everyone has lots of outdoor space, but you can get involved in urban gardening even if you only have a window ledge.

Here are Patch's top tips on branching out into some larger container gardening.

1. Consider how much light your space gets

This will help you decide if you need sun lovers or plants that can survive with less light. Whip out the compass app on your phone and see which direction you’re facing: south-facing is brightest, north-facing is darkest, east and west-facing are somewhere in the middle.

2. Keep an eye out for obstacles casting shadows

South-facing gardens are great, but they won't work for sun-loving plants if a high-rise blocks the light for most of the day.

3. Pay attention to the wind

Some plants, such as bay trees, are a lot hardier than others, so will put up with a breezy spot. Others, like Australian ivy, not so much.

4. Think carefully about containers

Choose a heavy material if it’s a windy spot, to keep the plant weighed down. If it gets a lot of sun, remember that metal containers will heat up very quickly in warmer months, potentially damaging your plant, so you’ll need to insulate them. For example, you can add a layer of bubble wrap between the pot and your plant’s roots.

5. Shop to suit your conditions

Once you’ve got an idea of the conditions you’re working with, you can easily select plants to suit them. The Patch website has handy filters. Say your outdoor space is dark and windy: filter according to these conditions and you’ll see that Mae (Chamaerops humilis) or Beryl (Dryopteris affinis) would be great choices.

The world of outdoor plants can seem endless: during the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year, we saw displays of numerous new varieties of already familiar plants, not to mention the species we may not have been aware of before.

To make things easier, we put together a collection of the best outdoor plants for beginners.

Keeping things simple is top priority for us, as city life keeps us busy enough already without having to worry about caring for fussy plants.

These plants are low-maintenance but will bring any space to life — scroll through the gallery above for our favourites.

Freddie Blackett is the founder of Patch.

Whether inside or outside your home or office, Patch helps you discover the best plants for you, deliver them to your door and helps you look after them. Follow @PatchPlants on Instagram to get inspired by the world’s best indoor and outdoor urban gardens.