
First of all, I can't even begin to describe the ascribed worth of a balcony attached to apartments. If an apartment is a piece of phooey and someone mentions that it has a balcony, no matter how minuscule, the apartment seems to have become a find in seconds, and covered in flowers, vegetables, bushes, and climbers of every kind within days.
Secondly, many people rent or buy a plot of land in an area dedicated specifically to gardens. They are fenced off and usually quite small, but they bloom beautifully and some people even have a tiny hut on the plot where they can spend summer evenings enjoying the fruits of their efforts.