Balconies and rooftops in Perth set the brief before the pots do. The slab has a load limit, the sun angle shifts through the year, and water has to drain somewhere that is not the balcony below. On this documented Perth balcony project we supplied and installed a container layout built around the Verna Trough, Divider Troughs and an oval boat planter.
Lightweight Polystone Resin for balcony load limits
Weight-loading capacity is the first constraint on any rooftop or balcony garden. Traditional stone and heavy concrete pots are manageable empty and much heavier once filled with soil, drainage gravel, water and a mature plant.
This project used lightweight Polystone Resin planters to stay within the structural allowance. Polystone Resin has the appearance of stone at a much lower weight, so the troughs were easier to carry in, position and rearrange later without giving up durability.
Where a slab has a tighter load budget again, marine-grade fibreglass planters are the lightest in our range, approximately 70% to 80% less than cast concrete. They are the usual specification for upper-level penthouses and rooftop terraces where every kilogram is accounted for.
Divider Troughs and an oval boat planter in a small footprint
Divider Troughs were paired with an oval boat planter to structure the layout. The linear troughs run along the perimeter, holding the most planting volume in the least floor area and forming a green boundary, while the combination creates distinct functional zones on the balcony.
Browse our full range of trough planters for more linear container options.
Concealed wheels for shifting sun
Balcony light angles change considerably between summer and winter across Perth, and a position in full sun through summer can sit in shade through winter. The Verna Trough has wheels concealed in its base, so the trough can be rolled to follow the light or moved aside when the balcony is needed for something else.
Planting, drainage and integrated lighting
- Resilient and native plants: Herbaceous varieties and Western Australian native species, selected to suit local climate conditions
- Drainage engineering: Built-in drainage layers to prevent waterlogging and root rot in an exposed balcony setting
- Integrated lighting: LED lighting built into the planter scheme for evening illumination
Project details
- Setting: Apartment balcony, Perth WA
- Type: Residential balcony and rooftop
- Planters: Polystone Resin Verna Trough with concealed wheels, Divider Troughs, oval boat planter
- Material: Polystone Resin, with marine-grade fibreglass as the lighter alternative specification
- Key constraint: Suspended slab load limit
- Detailing: Internal drainage layers, integrated LED lighting
Check the floor rating with your builder or strata manager before filling planters on a suspended slab, and use our Potting Mix and Planter Volume Calculator to work out filled volume first. See more of our work on the projects page.