How to make a garden on a balcony of an Apartment?

Question

Me, my husband, and my daughter live in a second story apartment with a balcony around 5x7, we want to make a small garden mostly herbs, but we want more veggies and fruits (if possible) that are easy to maintain. Any ideas what else we can grow? And also any ideas on how to make a compact garden?
I tried looking online but they all recommend books that my city library does not carry.

Answer 1

What a wonderful idea!

Rene's Garden seeds have some compact "Container" seeds for growing veggies in pots -Perfect for apartment dwellers. http://www.reneesgarden.com/hm-gardnr/resource/containerorder.htm



You can also grow a root crop in the same container as an "above -the-ground" plant. Potatoes would be a nice thing to try with beans for instance which might need a pole for a trellis.

Watch this: http://video.about.com/containergardening/Grow-Potatoes-in-Containers.htm



Also, if smaller varieties are grown, try The three sisters, like Native Americans did .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Sisters_(agriculture)

Here are some images to get your creative juices flowing:

https://www.google.com/searchq=container+gardening&hl=en&site=webhp&prmd=imvnslb&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=pSIfT4LVJ9Sz0QGkufwF&ved=0CIkBELAE&biw=1174&bih=712#hl=en&site=webhp&tbm=isch&q=container+vegetable+gardening&revid=310220674&sa=X&ei=biMfT8qZLsrc0QHj4c0F&ved=0CD8Q1QIoAA&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.,cf.osb&fp=f2f6763f41fc2602&biw=1174&bih=712

Herbs in containers:

https://www.google.com/search?q=container+gardening&hl=en&site=webhp&prmd=imvnslb&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=pSIfT4LVJ9Sz0QGkufwF&ved=0CIkBELAE&biw=1174&bih=712#hl=en&site=webhp&tbm=isch&q=container+gardening+herbs&revid=81403304&sa=X&ei=hyMfT6-UNIjW0QG-wp0G&ved=0CEEQ1QIoAg&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.,cf.osb&fp=f2f6763f41fc2602&biw=1174&bih=712

Life on the Balcony:

http://lifeonthebalcony.com/community-container-garden-ready-set-start-those-seeds/

Pots for container gardens

http://lifeonthebalcony.com/lets-start-talking-pots-for-the-community-container-garden/

http://containergardening.about.com/

Answer 2

Try Earth Boxes, we love ours (Link Below) The box is about 2 1/2 feet long, 12" wide and about 12" deep. Three 3" from the bottom is a plastic layer which is remove-able. A watering tube at one end for auto or manual watering. Reuse-able, will fit onto rollers to roll out of the way. Check out the link Earth Box.

Answer 3

I don't have much space around my home and I always wanted a nice garden of my own. Not sure if this is the kind of think you're looking for, but it helped me out, so I thought maybe you'd like it too -

I got my mulch from the second link - Good luck!

Answer 4

Google "topsy turvy tomato planter" and topsy turvy strawberry planter.

With those you can grow tomatoes and strawberries on a balcony.

Bellpepper and other pepper plants are quite small, so you could put them in a flower pot.

I don't know where you live, but in Mississippi we have succeeded in growing pineapples in a large flower pot. they take several years to produce and have to be brought inside whenever it is below freezing outdoors.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Big containers are good to plant things in.

Tomatoes and peppers are good to grow if you have a lot of sun on the balcony.

Answer 6

Try straw bale gardening. It's amazing how much stuff you can grow in one bale of straw.

http://garden.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Straw_Bale_Gardening