apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

i don't have a garden, and only a very, very small balcony. Nevertheless i will some herbs ( rosemary, basilic, mint ) in a box on my kitchen window sill.

i'm starting my very first windowsill garden! i bought a trio of Matchstick Gardens since i'm such a fan of super convenience.

This year i'll be growing cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, poppies, peppers and whole slew of other things.

I'd really highly recommend Johnny's and Fedco for seeds. they have a huge selection, really great prices (especially Fedco) all organic varieties, etc...

I was just chatting with my wife yesterday about growing a few things. I'm mostly a carnivore and she's a vegetarian, since i don't predict keeping an cow on the balcony for me, we'd though we'd try growing a few things for her.

Although we always had a huge garden as a kid in the country, i don't know too much about growing things, so i've got some questions.

The plan is probably cherry tomatoes and maybe some red peppers. Can both of these be grown in pots on my balcony? How big should the pots be, diameter, depth, etc? Would we be able to grow any yellow squash or zucchini in a similar way, or do they need a bigger area? Would you suggest large floor style pots, or something different. Our balcony is large, but it's not huge when you get a couple chairs, 2 bikes, and the grill on it.

I was looking at seeds and it said to start them inside first. does this have to be done, or can i just start them outside? we don't have room indoors and plus the dog will eat the dirt.

Last, this may seem stupid, but are their specific red peppers, or do they just turn red, pretty much everything i saw were green sweet peppers or something hotter.

Any and all suggestions would be great. it would feel great to grow some food and get away from the grocery store since they want like 2.99 for one red pepper... Along with the small "garden" we are going to be at the farmers market a lot.

I grow my own veg every year in abundance, and put by much of it for winter. I grow almost exclusively heirlooms, primarily organic methodology, and all delicious. I do suppliment my crop with a few things which the local farmers simply are better equipped for (large takes of corn and raspberries for example), though I pick my own of these on their farms. There is the occasional farmers market purchase, but by and large my veg are from my garden.

I am also a garden blogger, with my blog being Sweet Vitriol {the garden chronicles}. Coming up today is a step-by-step of yesterday's seed starting extravaganza!

@jmorey: There definitely are varieties of tomatoes and peppers which do well in containers, though not all thrive in such an environment. Heirlooms definitely tend to be the sort that dislike the cramped life of container growing, so you might want to look at some modern hybrids for this. As I grow almost exclusively heirlooms I can't suggest a varietal for you- but I'm sure Burpee has come out with something perfect for you.

Many green peppers will indeed turn red, though not all. If you want a yellow, orange, purple, or chocolate pepper you'll want to grow specifically that variety.

Squash do need more space, as they sprawl their vines. You might be better off picking these up at the peak of their season at your local farmers markets- they tend to be insanely cheap then.

If you are planning on growing from seed you will need to start them indoors (though not in anything large as their intended pots- a yoghurt container does the job quite nicely) before taking the seedlings outside. Unless you live in a steadily warm climate year-round your plants need the jump start on the growing season that starting them indoors 6-8 weeks prior to your last frost outside provides. I know many start their seeds atop their fridge, or another warm spot very close to a light source.

An alternative, if you don't feel comfortable starting from seed, is picking up seedlings at a local nursery or garden center. You might not get as much variety to choose from, but you'll be certain to find varieties that grow well in your area and are hardy.

Hope that helps!

4 kinds of heirloom tomatoes, 2 kinds basil, and nasturtium for me this year.

My marjoram, mint, chives and oregano should come back on their own.

I just started a mesclun mix on my balcony, it should be ready before I put in my flowers for summer (in theory, this will be the first year I've done it)

This is my first year but I'm going to create a balcony herb garden.

Garden space is not cleared yet for planting, but we already have a lot of herbs - and two apple seedlings - started in peat cups sitting in the window. We also have six large young pumpkin plants growing in pots that were started from seeds of last Halloween's Jack-o-lantern. Most of these plants will take up the border space around the perimeter of our home, while I hope to keep the herbs in pots on the back patio - just a few feet away from the kitchen.

This will be my second year of balcony gardening.

Last year was all about trying as many things as possible and resulted in mostly failure.

I learned about the harsh conditions I have to deal with on a balcony. Ripping and drying winds and intense sunlight, shadowy spots, etc.

This year, I will be taking a strategic approach. Deeper containers, richer soil fortified with compost, less variety, shelter from the wind and sun will be the direction I take.

Carry-overs from last year.

Organic dwarf Siberian kale. Grows super fast, super hearty and can be harvested (with scissors) several times throughout the growing season. Super healthy and great flavor.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/art_chel/1030419480/

Baby organic salad mix. Grows fast, multiple harvests.
Picture below shows optimal harvest for me this year.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/art_chel/1030418484/

A variety of amaranth called "love lies bleeding". This is a super hearty variety of amaranth that is both ornamental and edible. I grew too many of these seeds too closely together. I had no idea how large these plants would grow.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/art_chel/548711881/in/set-72157600319268858/

plus, these guys will be helping me this year:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/art_chel/829820478/

We've got a great organic, family owned, no-GMO seed company here in Vermont called High Mowing Seeds:

http://www.highmowingseeds.com

We're not quite ready to start a whole garden yet (still have a lot of hard landscaping to do and trees to plant), but I'm planning to get some of their herbs - "Aroma" basil, "Darki Triple Curled" parsley and "Santo" cilantro.

I've started my tomatoes indoors (perhaps a bit early for May long weekend planting), as well as a number of other herbs, flowers and beans. Squash will be started later. I'm lucky to have a large backyard, and the more I can wrestle away from the dandelions and into edibles, the happier I'll be.

I also keep herbs in the kitchen: sage, basil (though I don't think I get enough light for it to be truly successful), mint, catnip, oregano.

My favourite seed sources are Vesey's: http://www.veseys.com/ and (local Canadian company) Apache Seeds. Both are really good for offering species that are appropriate for northern zones with shorter growing seasons. And, of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention hometown favourites Hole's http://www.holesonline.com/ who have always been great for frost-resistant trees and shrubs for me. We've got from them saskatoon and cranberry bushes, cherry trees and raspberry canes, all developed for and guarenteed to survive prairie winters.

Oh yeah, I too will be growing nasturtiums, my new favorite flower and leafy vegetable.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/art_chel/1866379769/

I would like to be able to grow enough of them this year to be able to pickle the buds to create something similar to capers.

I have sprouted basil, curly and Italian flat parsley, oregano and chives, my cat Macchiato's favorite--it's like she's a crack addict for chives. I got two of those mini-pot packs with peat pelets, seeds and a plastic "green house" and gave the leftover seeds to my greenest-of-thumbs mom last night to share with my sister. I got sprouts the second day but the others dried out too much in my upstairs south-facing window, so I added about 12 tablespoons of water and put them back in the sun two days ago and I got more sprouts! yea!

Nice nasturtiums, art! They're my favorite flower, too, but the aphids like to eat them as much as I do, so they never make it into the kitchen. Last year I planted Select Seeds' caribbean cocktail, and Botanical Interests Alaska, Peach melba, and Mahogany. The alaska has great vareigated foliage!

has anyone tried anything like this

http://www.agardenpatch.com/

they seem to be slightly less expensive the the earth grow box, or other varieties. i thought it might be a good start for me. this way i can have all the plants (hopefully) in one large area, and see how it goes. the self watering seems ideal. then maybe after the first year if it goes well i can branch out more.

I live in the Midwest and just got my garden in the ground last week. Didn't start any seeds inside and already have turnips, broccoli, beans, zucchini, cukes, and radishes popping up. My melons, peppers, okra will take longer to sprout, but harvest in August. With hot peppers we pick them at different stages, depending on how much heat we want.

I buy small tomato and pepper plants to start out as my soil hasn't been kind to the seed. I am also doing 4 long planters for lettuce mixtures and scallions. I grow herbs inside all year and move them out in the spring a few hours a day until they can stand all day long.

I have bought an old feed sack made of burlap filled with dirt to grow potatoes in this year, hope that goes well.

Cherry tomatoes, jalapenos and bell peppers can grow in containers, just make sure you get it big enough for the root system to develop and to stake the plants. Think about the size of a 5 gallon bucket for the tomatoes (but prettier if you'd like) and half that for the peppers.