Starting a Balcony Garden

By Jeff Laurence

Have you ever thought about having a garden where you sit down on a chair, stretch your legs over a silky grass, smell fragrances of Jasmines and Gardenias, sip coffee while brushing up your dog’s hair and then you get up to pluck your garden grown juicy red tomatoes, cucumbers and chilies? Isn’t it wonderful? Of course, but you say—“I live in an apartment and there is no space to have even a ‘G’ of Garden”, I know because I live in an apartment too, and how limited space I have, still I have a garden— beautiful and engaging, thriving like nowhere; a Balcony garden.

I have a big balcony, so lot of space there but if you have a dinky balcony don’t mind, odds are not enough to stop you, transform it into a lovely oasis, create a balcony garden where you can plunge into the pleasures of gardening: Plant annuals if you love colorful flowers; if you love fragrances then develop a fragrant balcony garden or plant herbs like Mint, Basil or Cilantro. Plant veggies— Okras, Chilies or Tomatoes (easy to grow and productive) so you can enjoy the tasty, organic and mouthwatering meal. If you don’t want your garden to be theme based; plant whatever you like to and enjoy.

“You reap what you sow”, not always true. When you develop a garden many other things come by it— insects, pests and birds; loving or annoying. Depends on where you live, atmosphere and environment; beautiful butterflies, noisy bumble bees, glossy dragonflies, leaping crickets and colorful birds visit you. Your small garden nurses these creatures and supports Mother Nature, deteriorating. In my balcony garden— hummingbirds, sparrows and robins dance everyday, I wake-up with their chirps, lively. You, too can do this, devote some time in it daily and “reap more than what you sow”.

You need to chalk out a plan to implement before you begin it, measure the size of your balcony to decide how and where you ought to place the pots, if you need planters and of what type; then you need to use the vertical space of your garden and how you can use it. Find out the face of your balcony, how many hours of sunlight it receives and great luck if it is sunny, if shady, your options are defined. Also, you need to make a budget. There are lot of things be not listed or written here and by your experience you will only find out. Balconygardenweb.com is here to help you in that.