Container Garden 411

You can bring new life to your balcony by adding a few potted herbs. Having them in containers makes it a cinch because you can move them around (as you figure out the amount of sun your balcony gets). If you cultivate your balcony herb plants in containers, they are portable—so you can bring them inside at the end of the season.

Balconies are all about sunlight and you will want to go with herb plants like morning glories that grow well with a lot of sun. These little herbs will tolerate the reflection from the windows and doors and also the heat that a metal balcony captures. Check out your balcony at different times of the day to see the quality of sunlight, the heat and the intensity. You’ll also want to know which way your balcony is facing—will you get a lot of morning or afternoon sun?

Use gray or silver-colored herbs as well as those with a velvety texture or thick leaves in your balcony garden. Their unique features prevent the loss of water in evaporation.

Try a few of these fabulous herb plants on your balcony:

• Aloe vera: Adding an aloe vera plant to your balcony will be easy. It tolerates the sun very well and needs minimal watering. It is also very helpful for burns, just lop a small piece off and rub it on the burn. It will cool the location, but it can be sticky!

• Cayenne pepper: With cayenne pepper on your balcony, you can always add a little spice to your meal next time you grill out. This herb should do very well on your balcony and add some color too.

• Cucumber: A trailing vine, like a 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: These are among my most favorite plants. These do not need a lot of watering—they are water-holding succulents—and can tolerate the hot temperature and bright sunshine that you might have on your balcony. They are adorable to look at too!

• Lavender: Just one whiff of the soothing aroma of this fragrant herb and you’ll be more at ease. It is also a brilliant plant that adds a nice pop of color.

You can choose a few nice-sized containers to put on your balcony or try a hanging balcony basket that has an inside layer from a coconut liner. I actually made my own balcony basket with chicken wire and moss. It was my first try at something like that. That basket wasn’t the best thing since sliced bread, but it was functional. It will work better if you carefully consider the drainage when you are buying your basket or pot.

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.

If you are like me, I absolutely love the smell of fresh herbs. However, buying fresh herbs at the grocery store would often make my wallet cry, so I would pass them up. Often times I didn’t buy enough or they would spoil before I used them all.  So like me, Container Herb Gardening can give you an abundant, readily available supply of fresh herbs. It doesn’t matter if your living quarters are small because you can put the containers inside in the kitchen within reach.  Even next to the coffee pot.

Growing herbs in containers is the perfect gift for gardening friends, as well as for cooking. Take into account these 3 tips for the successful container herb garden, for some flavorful and or smelly results.

Tip #1.  Select the herbs you want to grow. Choose from basil, oregano, rosemary, sage, thymes, parsley, mints and dill. All are easy to grow in containers, require very little maintenance, and are adaptable for a wide variety of dishes. Plants such as lavender and yarrow spread quickly and can take up all your space, so these are ideal for container herb gardening in small batches.

You will want to grow herbs that you will actually cook with. Because your fresh herbs are full of flavor and not diluted, you only need to use half the amount of fresh herbs as store bought herbs in recipes. In fact, when substituting dried herbs for fresh herbs, one tablespoon of fresh herbs equals about one teaspoon of dried herbs. You might even consider growing a container full of organically grown herbs. It’s safer for you and less expensive because you aren’t using pesticides. Organic pest control is a comprehensive approach instead of a chemical approach.

Tip #2.  Seeds or budding plantings’ are viable options. Growing herbs in a small garden is quite affordable especially if you start from seeds. Don’t skimp on seeds of good quality, go ahead and spend a little more. Remember seeds can spoil just like other natural food products.  I typically don’t get my seeds from plants, but it’s your choice. In doing that, you just need to understand how to properly dry out and store the seed. Remember to check the dates on the package, to ensure your seeds are fresh.

If you are using plants to start your container garden, plant the plants at the same height.  If you plant them too shallow, some hair roots may be exposed. If you plant them too deep, they may choke or suffocate due the all the soil overhead. Also, check to see if your plants have become root bound. If roots start coming out of the drainage holes, replant them in a larger container. Roots have feelings too. Have you ever worn a pair of pants and have gotten a wedge. Ouch. !

Tip #3.  Where are you placing the containers (pots, etc.)? Mother Nature will not provide the right amount of water and sunshine. Container herb gardening provides the mobility necessary to protect your herbs from bad weather and seasonal conditions, as well as hungry animals and insects. Inside, you can place your containers in the right location for the herbs they contain. Most herb plants require similar growing conditions: a minimum of six hours of sunlight per day. Plants may need full sun, partial sun or partial shade. For example, parsley and thyme like to be in a sunny spot. Plants will only receive what you give them; therefore, you will be able to regulate the pH, nutrients, nutrient strength, water amount, and light amount. This makes it important that you research the plants you will be growing so you know what they need to survive.

Now that your vision has been expanded, you can see that the possibility of creating that special herb container garden that can happen now. You will be able to incorporate all of your 5 senses; touch, taste, smell, feel. What you will hear is everyone applauding the wonderful flavor or smell you create. Using these 3 tips for a successful container herb garden will have you well on your way to herb heaven.

See also: Herb Container Garden Soil Needs