My Balcony Garden

This summer I've started something I've always wanted to have--my very own balcony garden! I began only a few weeks ago, and it was a lot of work, but I am already enjoying all my efforts! Above is my blue delphinium plant. I wanted to grow them because I had these flowers at my wedding and I love them. Since I took this photo, the plant has gotten really tall and has developed buds which are just beginning to acquire a blue tinge. It's so exciting!


Above are my herbs. I tried to transplant the herbs I had in my Aerogarden, but it didn't work very well. The roots just weren't developed to reap nutrients from soil, so they wilted and died pretty quickly. For some reason though, the parsley managed to survive and is doing well. I replaced the rest of the herbs with new thyme and mint plants as well as rosemary and lavender.

I wanted to have some kind of plant that produced edible fruits, but there's not a lot of space, so I opted for a basket of cherry tomatoes. Originally it was a hanging basket, but I figured if I hung the basket it would get too windy and blow right away! Instead, I decided to cut the hangers off the basket and put it on a stand. It's doing well and has produced two ripe tomatoes since I took this picture.


On the ground in a corner I have a Japanese lilac plant. It's just starting to bloom and smells really nice.



On the table, I have some ivy. The leafy tendrils look lovely spread out on the tabletop.


Finally, I have some moss roses. They were a really good choice for a windy, high-altitude balcony--they grow really low and can withstand the conditions. Right now they're blooming like crazy, and it seems that as soon as one of the blooms wilts, three more blooms replace it!


And here's a wider shot of my balcony garden! In the balcony railing box to the left, I have some assorted flower seeds growing. I can't remember which ones--I guess I'll find out when they bloom!

In case anyone who's reading this is thinking about starting a balcony garden, I'd like to offer a few tips for higher-altitude balcony gardening (I live on the 8th floor). I think it is a bit more of a challenge due to the windy conditions that seem to come along with being anywhere above the 4th floor of a building.

First, installing a "windbreaker" onto the rails of the balcony--some kind of physical barrier to cut down on the wind and protect the plants--is a good idea and wasn't too difficult or expensive. You can put it on all three sides of the balcony or just two, and you can use all sorts of different materials, like bamboo or wooden/plastic lattice. I decided to use bamboo blinds turned sideways, which blended in and weren't too obvious. To install them, I used lots of plastic zip ties--they've created a very stable connection between the railing and the bamboo blinds and you can't see them unless you look really closely.

Second, I'd recommend choosing plants that don't grow too tall. The wind will whip a tall plant around and may destroy it. The blue delphinium is probably a bit too tall to grow especially well on my balcony, but I've positioned it up against the bamboo windbreaker I've installed on the side railings so that it blows against that instead of straight off the balcony.

Third, if you're planning on hanging window boxes off the balcony railing, invest in sturdy, adjustable brackets from a place like Home Depot. My window boxes came with some really flimsy, non-adjustable brackets that barely fit and I am really glad that I upgraded, because I have much more peace of mind knowing the window boxes are being properly supported.

That's about it! My balcony gets a lot of sun, so I have to water them every day. I don't mind, though, because then I can go outside and note the progress the plants are making. They change so much every day! I love my garden!