Closer to nature

In Uruguay, you very quickly begin to value your own outdoor space. Even if it is not a house with a plot in Carrasco, but an ordinary apartment with a balcony in Pocitos or a patio in Ciudad Vieja. A few plants, a table, an armchair and a little light — and the apartment already feels completely different. The good news is that you can set up your own mini-garden in Montevideo literally over a weekend and without an enormous budget.

Where to start

The main mistake newcomers make is buying plants ‘because they are beautiful’. In Uruguay, other things matter more: how much sun the balcony receives, how strong the wind is and whether there is protection from winter damp. In Montevideo, the wind is no joke, especially in winter and in areas closer to the Rambla. Light plastic planters blow away, tall plants dry out, and some species simply ‘burn’ from the constant salty air. First answer three questions: is your balcony sunny or shaded, is it sheltered from the wind, and are you prepared to water the plants regularly in the hot summer?

Which plants really grow well here

Lavender, rosemary, jasmine, succulents, bougainvillea and miniature olive trees thrive on sunny balconies. For shaded patios, choose ferns, monstera, philodendron, calathea or ivy. Edible mini-gardens are a separate story: mint, basil, rocket, cherry tomatoes and hot peppers.

In Uruguay, this has long been part of the lifestyle: many people grow herbs right at home, and the trend became noticeably stronger after the pandemic.

Where to buy everything

The most obvious option for basic equipment is SODIMAC: it has planters, soil, tools, balcony furniture, outdoor lighting and artificial grass. For plants, local nurseries are more interesting. Garden Pot specialises in stylish indoor and decorative plants, Jardín Urbano is well suited to city balconies and compact spaces, and Vivero Pikaflor is a classic Uruguayan nursery with reasonable prices. Many people go to Casa Brava or La Casa De Madera for furniture and decor.

How much does it cost

Even with a modest budget, you can create a space that genuinely changes the feeling of an apartment. Three to five plants cost 1,500–5,000 pesos, planters cost 300–2,000, and soil and drainage cost another 500–1,500. A small table with two chairs costs from 6,000 to 20,000 pesos, and a string of lights or lighting costs 1,000–3,000. In total, a starting budget of around 10–15 thousand pesos is quite realistic.

Why it matters for real estate

In Uruguay, people really use their balconies and patios — they are not ‘decorative square metres’, as they often are in large cities. A beautifully arranged outdoor space makes an apartment look more expensive, helps when letting it and strongly affects the overall sense of quality of life. Sometimes the balcony becomes the main argument when buying an apartment in Montevideo. In a country where half of socialising happens over mate outdoors, that is perfectly logical.