Feed the Need
When I was living in Oregon, I had planted my first garden in a huge back yard, which grew wonderfully. We had a huge lettuce bed, corn, herbs, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, watermelon, peas and miniature pumpkins. It was the first time I had ever tasted home grown vegetables and I was instantly hooked. A year later we ended up moving to an apartment and I was losing my mind!! I couldn't grow!! We would make weekend trips to the local Saturday markets and the food was home grown, but it was then that I realized that not only did I love the taste of the food, I loved being a part of the process. One evening I stood on my small balcony and looked around. That's when the idea hit me.
Setting It Up
Before ever planting my first garden, I had researched my tail off. At the house, all of the vegetables were planted in raised beds. This time, I realized, I could use the same process but putting the vegetables into containers instead. The biggest thing you need to do is to first decide what you want to grow. This is the time to be realistic. On an apartment balcony, your space is limited. It is best to grow only the things you know you will eat and not take up your space with thing you think should be in a garden just because.
Next you have to look at your space and pick planters that will fit while giving you room to move around to work with the plants. In my "apartment garden" the planters were different shapes, sizes and colors. You may enjoy having all the same color or shape. The "apartment garden" is truly as individual as the person growing it.
My "Apartment Garden"
In my home we ate a salad with dinner every night so it was important to me to at least be able to grow the vegetables needed to make a decent salad. In one corner, we put a large tomato plant and in the opposite corner, in a round container, I planted three cucumber plants. From a hook above the cucumbers I tied three long pieces of twine and attached them to the planter to give the plants something to climb on. In a third corner, in a square container, I planted six small cornstalks that were made to only grow 5-6 feet tall. In the final corner was a 10 gallon trash can where I planted the potatoes. Between the tomatoes and cucumbers was a mixed lettuce bed that we eventually used for salads.
There were two "strawberry/herb" pots, one with multiple herbs for cooking and the other for strawberries for the girls to grow. Along the wooden balcony enclosure was a long, thin planter where I planted green beans and again utilized hooks and twine from the overhanging for climbing. Finally, I placed a nice sized bag of premixed soil that I had put holes in the bottom, cut off most of the top, and planted broccoli. The bag of soil made an instant planter. There was plenty of room for walking around and I still maintained the ability to stand on the balcony to look out into the night sky.
Yes, It Really Worked
Daily, I was able to get out on that balcony and get my hands in the dirt. Just as in the backyard, the plants began to grow and fill the balcony with their bulk and aromas. The smell of the tomatoes and herbs floated through the back door each time it was opened. The corn grew tall and straight. We even had people come by to remark upon what we had done! In the end, we got our fresh salads, our fresh herbs for cooking, potatoes, corn and the other items we had planted. The harvest from that small garden was more abundant then one would imagine. It had been unfortunate that we had had to move into an apartment for a year but having that small garden gave us back a home.
Resources
For those souls who are interested, there is a large amount of information on the internet that can help you. Look for information on container gardening. There is also a method called "lasagna" gardening that I utilized even in my backyard. You can start from seed, but I personally started from small plants with most of my garden. Look around for things that would make good planters. Yes, plants will grow in an old boot! If you like, buy some earthworms from a fish and tackle store and put a few in each of your planters to keep the soil aerated. I did and it truly made a difference.
Finally, make sure to put at least one pot of flowers in your garden. Not only will it be pleasing to the eye, it will also attract the insects needed to help pollinate your garden. Enjoy yourself and happy gardening!
