Balcony Gardening

I am lucky that in this apartment we have a long 'entrance' that is exposed to both to the east and south.  This way, I get sun here almost all day long.  Which is great for growing things.  Hopefully, come fall/winter, I can offer enough protection that they will last a bit longer than normal.


The first thing I 'planted' was a handful of strawberry plants I had dug up while weeding at Tizer Botanical Gardens.  I was told I could have then and since I hate throwing plants away, I brought them home.  They are in a potato 'bag' filled with potting soil.  Over the past couple of weeks, with the warming temperatures, they have taken off.  Granted I won't be canning from this little patch of strawberries, but we will have a couple dozen off them.  This is fun, especially since it's been years and years since I have grown strawberries.

Yesterday, I got my pots and the rest of my tomato plants.  I am really amazed at the number of what I consider 'heirlooms' available on the commercial market these days.


I have seven tomato plants:

Mortgage Lifter
Pink Brandywine
Cherokee Purple
Lemon Boy
Sun Sugar Cherry 
Black Cherry
Juliet Grape

I have grown all of these in the past.  Lemon Boy has always come through for me, regardless of where I planted it.  Sun Sugar is a branch of Sun Gold and they always put out tons of cherry tomatoes.  Black Cherry, another great producer.  And every time I have planted a Juliet Grape, I am overrun with tomatoes.  Guess the people at work will be getting some cherry and grape tomatoes this year.

I do have two pots, a bit larger than these, where I have planted Scarlet Runner beans on one side of the pot so I can train them up the railings.  Then I have Sugar Snaps in the front of the pot.  Not enough to really do much with, but enough that I can snack on a few.  I also dropped a couple of nastursiums in the tomato pots so they will grow over the edge and hang down.

In the next week, I will get a couple of pots for herbs.  Thinking one for mints and another for herbs - rosemary, chives, thyme and basil.

Now when we give directions to the house, I can say "look for the plants".


(The above picture was taken early - like 7am early.  My two gardening helpers.)

Comments

  1. Looks great! Now you have me energised to get my garden done this weekend...

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