Rainy season balcony

October 26, 2022 5:21 PM

I have a balcony. I live in Portland Oregon. It will rain 50% or more of the days for the next 6 months as far as I can tell. I want this balcony to be useful and aesthetically enjoyable, both as a place to grow things and as a place to sit when it's not raining. What should I do? What plants in containers can handle this much rain?

I'm in an apartment building and there is a roof over the balconies (kinda like these), but I don't want to put all the plants in the dryest middle zone. What plants could survive on the perimeter? I assume I should not use saucers at all during rainy season to avoid standing water?

I just took up the outdoor rug (bright orange pattern and woven plastic) to shake it out and now I wonder if I should just keep it off so the floor can dry in between rains. The balcony is awfully drab now though. Is it okay if I put the rug back down, or will I create mold and other issues?

What can I do to make my urban balcony more cheerful during this season of constant rain? Garden gnome? Outdoor lights?

Should I put up a bird feeder? We have indoor-only cats, who would love to see birds close up, but I mostly see crows up here (4th floor).

posted by spamandkimchi to Home & Garden (13 answers total)

I don't live there, but the rain I've experienced in Portland has usually been drizzly and light, not too much to soak plants beyond what they can handle. But if you had some plants you wanted to keep drier or warmer, you could put them out in a little greenhouse like this.
posted by pinochiette at 5:52 PM on October 26, 2022

Everything I ever planting in Portland grew. Plants love Portland rain. Maybe don't plant things from the desert.
posted by aniola at 6:19 PM on October 26, 2022 [2 favorites]

Put the saucers in storage for the winter and you’ll be fine keeping your plants in the wet part. If you have succulents, bring those under cover but still outside - cold will be ok but standing water will not.
posted by janell at 6:52 PM on October 26, 2022 [1 favorite]

Japonica fatsia are my go-to for a huge pop of PLANT. They seem to enjoy a range of conditions, and will happily enjoy any size container they're put in, indoors or out. Native ferns (hell, all ferns) will also go particularly nuts.

This is my first year sprouting them, but shiitake logs seem to love the weather, and they are tasty but they are also oh my god fucking adorable. Maybe not full bore in the rain all the time, but they'll do with plenty of moisture.

The last several years to the point of becoming 'new normal' have seen some drops in temperature and some pretty hard freezes in the city; just keep that in mind. Ferns and Japonica will both do well with that, but I would still keep an eye on them.
posted by furnace.heart at 7:07 PM on October 26, 2022 [3 favorites]

I have no strong opinions about what you should plant. but:

Should I put up a bird feeder?

We're in Portland, on the 7th floor, and have seen a few hummingbirds since we put out hummingbird feeders on our deck a couple months ago. There were a few out there today, this morning when it was raining, which was cool. Our two cats are OBSESSED with watching the hummingbirds. It's fantastic.

I assume I should not use saucers at all during rainy season to avoid standing water?

Standing water is more of an issue in spring and early summer, when it becomes mosquito breeding grounds. This time of year, just occasionally empty the saucers and you'll be fine.
posted by pdb at 8:53 PM on October 26, 2022 [1 favorite]

I turn my saucers upside down in the winter so the plants get adequate drainage.
posted by clew at 9:59 PM on October 26, 2022 [2 favorites]

I'd like to surround myself with plants that are evergreen rather than looking like doomed twigs. Rosemary is one that loves the PNW, and even has a bit of scent knocked free by rain falling. Pick a variety that's a bit hardier than 8b since it'll be in a pot.

Thyme is another, and likewise useful. Also sage. Look I like smells ok.
posted by away for regrooving at 10:34 PM on October 26, 2022 [4 favorites]

Go to a good nursery and look for plants that are native to Portland and outside right now and still with some green or other interest. That's how you know a plant will love the Portland rain: because it's from here. Portland Nursery would be a great spot to start and they could give you some ideas of what would grow well in containers.

The Oregon grape (mahonia) and sword fern are both native and evergreen, and that's a pretty classic combo. It would be pretty neat to grow them in containers on your porch.
posted by bluedaisy at 11:59 PM on October 26, 2022 [6 favorites]

You could use terra cotta, or any unglazed pottery, for plants that your worry are getting too much water. As a bonus, you might get some moss growing on the outside of the pot which looks cool.
posted by Drosera at 5:35 AM on October 27, 2022 [1 favorite]

My deep planter with a small tree and some ground cover was very happy in Vancouver rain (and with no summer water until it got killed by 50 days of sunshine, heat dome and near-total neglect).
posted by lookoutbelow at 6:39 AM on October 27, 2022

Response by poster: Thanks for all the plant advice. I got "drought tolerant" plants (a mix of PNW natives and non-natives) from Blooming Junction over the summer because my balcony faces east, and also gets a lot of afternoon sun, but now I'm concerned that their roots will rot in water logged soil(e.g. stonecrop sedum). It sounds like I don't need to be so worried.

Excited about hummingbirds coming up that high! I've been eyeing the suet feeders at Portland Audubon's Nature Store as a less messy option to a traditional bird seed feeder too.
posted by spamandkimchi at 11:06 AM on October 27, 2022

What side of the building are you on?

Definitely, feed the hummingbirds. The Anna hummingbirds winter over. Just be careful to replace it frequently or have two to swap if it starts freezing. (When it's really cold, we have two going at the same time, usually - we just swap the outside one with the fridge one at least a couple of times a day.)

Two cautions: be careful to use the correct proportions (hummers will starve if the sugar is too low) and in warmer weather, be cautious of mold/ the sugar water going bad.
posted by stormyteal at 12:38 PM on October 27, 2022

I got "drought tolerant" plants (a mix of PNW natives and non-natives)

So, I again recommend Portland native plants, because they are used to surviving summers without much water, since our natural rain cycle is most rain comes fall through spring. Of course, things in lots of heat and containers can dry out faster. I water my small outdoor container plants most every day in summer heat, but less often this time of year.
posted by bluedaisy at 1:26 PM on October 27, 2022