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#160 My Edible Balcony Garden

posted by Sarah Neave on September 2, 2009, in postcode 2095

I've always been a lover of the great outdoors, and I've always struggled living in apartments in the city and not having any dirt at my feet...  So recently, after another move into another apartment, I made it a prerequisite that I have some balcony space for a little garden, and I hit the jackpot!!

 

 

Small beginnings

 

I bought 2 fibreglass long planter boxes and put castors on the corners to make them mobile, and started with a lovely organic soil.  I had pac choi and lettuce already sprouted and planted seeds in clumps, thinking I would thin out later if I needed too....  So we began to wait and watch, then the local possum and water rat came a digging so we put some thick plastic over the pots at night (putting the babies to bed!)

I planted pac choi, baby spinach, onions, lettuce, broccoli, carrots, chives, basil, mizuna, rocket, beetroot and broadbeans... 

 

 

Growing like a rocket!

 

The mizuna, rocket, pac choi and lettuce went bonkers and I've been harvesting continuously since they popped up.  The beetroot, carrots and chives have been plodding along slowly but surely.  And the rest is slowly doing its thing but not as fast as it should have.  I fertilize with miracle grow and seasol once every 2 to 3 weeks and it really keeps them looking perky!

We get sun on the north west facing balcony most of the day, there are hedges in front that will take the edge off the really hot summer sun, I hope!  

 

 

The Zen of growing

 

Eating LOTS more salad than I usually would (and LOVING IT!).  It costs way too much in the shops so I'm appreciating the garden more and more as the weather warms up.  More shots to come!

Hope you are having fun with your gardens too!  Even if you just grow some herbs in a pot on the window sill, it makes every meal made with them a feast for the senses!

 

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