Starting a balcony garden

The weather has been so beautiful lately and it seems like everyone has been playing in their gardens. For the past couple of weeks I have been admiring the flowers planted by others. On my way to work I drive by a cute, little yellow house with a front yard full of gorgeous, tall purple orchids. I slow down so I can take a good, long look at those happy blooms before I have to continue on. One of my neighbors has the most beautiful and simple patio garden consisting of several hanging pots with a variety of multi-colored, annual flowers and there are beautiful globe-shaped, white string lights hanging from the ceiling. She is often sitting at her bistro table with her husband enjoying a glass of wine. It makes me smile every time I see it. It is such a perfect little space. It inspired me to create my own. 

There are 2 balconies in our apartment. The larger one is connected to our living room and it is where we have our grill currently. The smaller one is connected to our bedroom and the only thing on it is my bicycle and two metal plant stands left by the previous tenant of our apartment. Unfortunately, neither balcony gets much direct sunlight. I decided to make the smaller balcony my own little space.

My husband and I took a trip to the garden center at Home Depot and soon discovered that we were not the only ones who would be planting today. The place was packed! We grabbed a cart and picked up 3 six inch terra cotta pots, 3 saucers, and 2 bags of Miracle Gro potting mix soil to start. Then we headed to the herb section. We cook pretty much every night of the week so being able to go out on the balcony and pick the fresh herbs we need will make our dishes tastier and will also save us some money at the grocery store. A win win! We decided to start with basil, as we use it in many of our  Italian and Thai dishes, and mint for summer cocktails. I wanted to use my last pot to plant flowers. There are so many beautiful ones to choose from, but my eyes went immediately to the orange marigolds. I have happy memories of my Oma planting marigolds in her garden and since orange is my favorite color it was an easy decision. 

As soon as we got home we transferred our plants into the terra cotta pots. It was very simple with the Bonnie plants we purchased. Bonnie’s biodegradable pots can be put into the soil “pot, plant, and all.” You just remove the label, tear off the bottom of the pot, and plant the whole thing. As the pot disintegrates it becomes part of the soil. These pots prevent transplant shock by allowing the roots to remain intact from container to soil so that plants make a smoother transition to the garden. It doesn't get any easier than that and using biodegradable pots helps prevent pounds of plastic from entering our landfills. Another win, win! 

Sweet basil- I love rubbing the aromatic leaves between my fingers and taking in the spicy scent

Happy, orange marigolds that remind me of my Oma because she always plants them in her garden every summer

Spearmint that I plan to use for mojitos this summer :)

So I have a mini balcony garden now and I love it. I spent the afternoon enjoying my new little space by laying out my manatee beach towel (a gift from my Oma years ago), reading my borrowed library book, and sipping a glass of pinot grigio. It was very relaxing! My cats even came out to join me for a little bit. We had a screened in lanai when we lived in Florida so they were used to being able to hang outside with us. Here the balconies are not screened in so I only let them out when my husband and I are there to supervise as I am afraid they may jump off....you never know with Mugsy and Zepplin! :) They enjoyed the fresh air today too. 

Mugsy and Zepplin are exploring my new little space

I am looking forward to adding on to my container garden. Jim got me some wildflower seeds that I will plant once I get the right planter for them. I also found a cute bistro table set and some outdoor lights on Target.com that I think would be perfect for my little space. I think it is important to have a place in your home to call your own where you can relax and feel at peace. My husband uses the second bedroom in our apartment as a music studio. It is his creative space. I am hoping this balcony will be mine. :)

"Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food, and medicine for the soul"- Luther Burbank"

If you are a beginner to herb gardening check out this video from Home Depot on how to start an herb garden:  http://howto.homedepot.com/videos/watch/1496369598001/How-to-Start-an-Herb-Garden.html

For more information about Bonnie Plants check out their website: http://bonnieplants.com/our-story/the-greener-grower/

I would love to hear about your garden or see pictures of it! :)