Create An Apartment Balcony Vegetable Garden

Over these many years, living here and there, I wasn't able to always have a vegetable garden, but when I could, I did. Now, in these retired years, living in an apartment on the fourth floor, I have decided it was time to make an apartment balcony vegetable garden. When I made this announcement to my wife, she asked if I had lost my mind. When I told her my plan, she realized I may be on to something, and we sat down and planned out our vegetable garden on our apartment balcony deck.

First let me say that this is more of a hobby garden, and isn't going to produce a huge yield of crops, but it is going to produce fresh vegetables in a small amount. The great thing about having an apartment balcony vegetable garden is you have fresh vegetables that you know don't have any harmful insecticides and other harmful chemical sprays to worry about. You don't have to worry, because there are many things you can make yourself to control insects that aren't harmful to your health!

We are lucky that we will be able to make a nice size apartment balcony garden, because we have a fair sized balcony. Even with the garden, we will be able to have our BBQ and table with a couple of chairs, and not be crowded. If you have a small deck, no worries, there are ways to get around that. some ways is to create hanging plants, and hanging planters. Or, you can stack your planter boxes! The ideas are endless, you just have to go with what will suit your needs and space!

Since we are talking about a smaller space, what plants will you be able to plant in your apartment balcony vegetable garden. I am going to be planting vegetables that "grow up" instead of those that spread out. I'm talking bell peppers, yellow and green beans, sugar snap peas, and tomatoes. I may throw in a couple of sunflower plants as well.

I'm not only planting for taste, I'm planting health wise as well. There are so many vegetable plants available, and each has it's own health benefits to us. The thing is, we have to do the research to pick what ones give us the most health benefits. Not all vegetables are create equal when it comes to health and nutrition.

I have a great love for gardening, and I think it came from the visits I made to my grandpas each summer.I had many chores when I visited my grandpa, one of which was helping in the big vegetable garden he and my grandma grew each year. Usually my job consisted of helping "weed" the garden, and sometimes I got to help pick vegetables such as the green and yellow beans they would grow. I actually enjoyed helping in the garden, and I'm sure that my grandparents appreciated the help, it was free labor, and it saved them from having to do all the work!

I'd spend a couple of weeks every summer with him. I was around 10 or 11, and a ball of energy, he was in his late 60's, and waiting patiently till he could finally retire, after many years of hard work. Not the best mixture for a senior looking for some down time and some peace and quiet, but he loved me, and had me spoiled rotten.

My oldest son is a great gardener, much better than I am, I'd like to say I taught him all I know, but he actually taught me a great deal. It was something he started all on his on, and he was actually very young, and he went full bore when he began. I often call him if I have a gardening problem.

Yes, my son started early at his gardening, and I think that it is something we should be passing on to our children. Whether it is a flower garden, or an apartment balcony vegetable garden, or maybe a small indoor herb garden.

Our children will be the farmers of the future, they will feed those people that come after us, an important and necessary occupation. They will introduce new methods, and improve on old ones, as the worlds population increases, and the land mass decreases as we build and expand cities. New blood, new ideas! Something much needed today!

Until your children take over, get outside, enjoy the fresh air, and plant a garden. It doesn't matter if you have a yard, or just a deck or a balcony, it's a great hobby, and your harvest is good for you!