Let’s green Greater Manchester’s Skyline together. Help nature thrive from your balcony or window box.
The National Trust’s Sky Gardening Challenge launches this spring – encouraging people across Greater Manchester to green their balconies or window boxes.
Researchers at the University of Manchester found that together, all the balconies in Greater Manchester cover an area the size of more than 33 football pitches. Greening just one quarter of these balconies could host enough flowers to support 1.4 million pollinators.
After a successful pilot in 2024, this year’s challenge is open to all residents in Greater Manchester who live in a flat or apartment and have a balcony or window box – regardless of whether they’re a nature novice or seasoned pro. By getting more people to give it a go, the charity hopes to improve people’s connection to nature, increase access to green spaces and help wildlife thrive. Gardening support will be offered to those who sign up, with gardening advice and inspiration in the form of a Sky Gardening Challenge guide, a monthly newsletter, balcony gardening tips and the chance to get involved with a competition later in the summer.
Balcony gardening has a lot of potential for improving access to nature in urban areas – making innovative use of space in places where it’s limited. It’s great for the planet, and our health and wellbeing too.
Find out more about National Trust’s Sky Gardening Challenge 2025
