Help with only a very small balcony space need advice.

[daisychainXX]

Hi I need some advice on gardening, I only have a small balcony (about 1m x 3m) which I really want to do some thing with it.
I was brought up on a farm and before that my parents ran a garden centre so I hate not have a garden, plus it looks so bad though the patio doors all metal and bare.
I have two house cat and a little boy so before I can start any 'gardening' we are going to put a woodern cage up around it and chicken wire over that, to save any cats or toys going over the edge when the windows are open.
I love the look of small cottage/country gardens with herbs and veg patchs and sweet peas, but I dont know if you can grow things like that in pots on balcony very easy.
(It has been years since I did any gardening)

Has any one else every done a balcony gardren or know any good books on how to do it?

Thanks

Ahem. When I read the title at first glance I thought you meant 'balcony' as in a balcony style bra ! (In my defence I have been shopping online for a maternity bra this morning and so have boobs on the brain!)

So back to gardens! How much sun do you get? Lots of herbs in pots do very well in small spaces (such as my tiny garden) if they get lots of sunlight IME.

Sorry I don't know any good books (but can recommend some good bra shops if you like!) hopefully someone else more helpful will be along soon!

LOL- 'balcony bra'...hee hee

It gets quite I bit of sun all day, So thats good news for the herb in pots!

Thanks

We have found a really good book called "Crops in pots" by Bob Purnell. This has really good advice about growing fruit and veg in small spaces. We are growing miniture apple trees in pots, potatoes in bags, tomatoes in hanging baskets etc. We do have a garden, but only a small part of it gets light because we are very overlooked. Actually it is mainly dh who is into gardening, and he recommended this book.

Hi, I had a balcony, about 1m by 5m a while ago. I grew all kinds of things. Rocket is a great one - it's so easy and a small pot about a foot across will be enough for salad for you all summer if you keep resowing and feeding it.

I also grew chillies (was south-facing balcony, v sheltered), strawbs in hanging baskets, tomatoes (the small tumbling cherry sort not big ones), globe artichokes, peas and beans in small quantities, herbs etc.

Thats great thank you. Im going to google that book and make a list of the plants in a min.
Im so glad that I am not the only one who whats make some thing of a balcony and that it can be done.
Thank you

You can plant loads of things in pots. I am preparing sweetcorn, peppers, tomatoes and have previously planted strawberries and raspberries. I think maybe planting a potted climber that you can use the balcony as a trelis (jasmine, clematis maybe) and then pot some rose bushes/lavendar and your herbs/seasonal stuff will be fab!