Mar 10 2010
Your Balcony Herb Garden
Does your balcony need new life? Try potted herbs! Using pots is helpful because you can easily change their place as you experiment with the quality and amount of light they get. If you cultivate your balcony herb plants in pots, they are portable—so you can bring them inside at the end of the season.
Balconies are all about light and you will want to go with herb plants like morning glories that grow well with a lot of sunshine. Morning glories are awesome because they will handle the bright reflection from your windows and also all the heat that a metal balcony can generate. Check out your balcony at different times of the day to see the quality of light, the heat and the intensity. Check to see which way your balcony faces and whether it gets a lot of morning or afternoon sun.
Use gray or silver-colored herb plants as well as those with a velvety texture or thick leaves in your balcony garden. These will do well because they lose less water in evaporation.
Here are some herb plants that I recommend for your balcony:
- Aloe vera: Aloe vera is an easy herb to grow. It does not require much water and it tolerates a lot of sun and heat. You can use aloe vera easily by snipping off the tip and rubbing it on a burn or other skin problem. It will cool the place, but it will be sticky!
- Cayenne pepper: If you grill out on your balcony, imagine being able to break off a pieces of cayenne pepper to add to your next dinner. This plant should do quite well on your balcony and add some color too.
- Cucumber: A trailing vine, like the cucumber, can provide an added touch to your balcony. You can also use cucumbers in cosmetics—like facials! You can also grab a few cucumbers to slice for your salads, straight from the balcony!
- Hens-and-chicks: I completely love hens-and-chicks. Because they are succulents, they can hold water very well (less watering for you) and they can handle the bright sun and hot temperatures you may have on your balcony. Not to mention that they are so cute too!
- Lavender: Just one whiff of the soothing smell of this fragrant herb and you will be more at ease. It is also a beautiful herb that provides a lovely pop of color.
You can choose a few nice-sized pots to put on your balcony or try a hanging balcony basket that has an inside layer from a coconut liner. I used chicken wire and moss to make my own herb balcony basket. I had never attempted anything like that before. That basket wasn’t the best thing since sliced bread, but it was functional. The key is to choose a pot or basket that can allow for good drainage.
Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.
Here is more information on Windowsill Herb Garden. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.
