I’m really thrilled to share today’s post, written by Gail from Calgary, AB Canada. Gail is new to gardening, but I think she’s definitely up to the challenge of apartment gardening! I hope all LOTB readers can identify with her post about the lessons she has learned from her garden this year, because beginner or expert, nature has more than a lifetime’s worth of things to teach us. If you’d like to chat with Gail, you can find her at twitter.com/missferran.
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I started a container garden on my balcony last year, which was, well, less than a success. The best thing that came out of it was one lonely pea pod. It tasted good, though 
. This summer I started a garden again. Fortunately, it was a better garden than last year’s but not as much of achievement I would have liked. Strangely I only got one lonely pea pod again.
However, I have learned a few things…
The first thing I’ve learned is to mark my containers. I think this will be very handy next year. I got really excited and planted a whole bunch of plants and had no idea what they were. Ok, it sound obvious to do that, but it didn’t really occur to me how important this would be.
I’ve discovered that you can get inexpensive pots and soil. Walmart is an option, especially at the end of the season. I got an awesome deal on soil that I took advantage of. The Dollar Store for pots and plant containers is an amazing resource. My mom has a tea pot that, if she wants to get rid of it, I will actually take and use for a decorative container.
Another thing that I learned was that I will have to start some plants in the house around early May. I live in Alberta, Canada and the weather is a) unpredictable and b) summer weather is very short. VERY SHORT. I think that if I start them inside, by the time I can plant outside, they will be mature enough to actually produce fruits and veggies. There’s been crazy weather here, even by our standards and plants need as much help as they can get. I’ve heard that it is very difficult for most plants to grow here and a lot of care is needed for them.
I’ve learned that I have to ask questions of other people who have knowledge of plants. I come from a family who have never gardened, so have never learned the nuances of gardening. One would think that you just put some dirt in a container, put a seed into it and water it every day. It’s just not that simple. There’s soil quality, insects, and such that must be taken into account. So I took the bull by it’s horns and joined the local horticultural society. I think next year I will also volunteer for some of the community gardens here..it can’t hurt!
In addition I’ve learned that I should put the same things in the same pot. I’m a bit stingy with seeds and so when I planted my chives, I put a little in one pot and put a little in another. This probably goes along with the “pot marking” issue as mentioned above. At any rate, I had a little clump of chives in one pot and a little clump in another. I must say, they taste good, but I could have put them in on container and put something else in the other.
I also learned this year that the sun is important. Very important. So, when I move next year, I know I want an apartment with a balcony facing the sun. I didn’t think about it when I first moved in here as I hadn’t learned about the joys of gardening at the time, but now it’s a high priority.
As for my pea plants, I’ve learned that a bigger container encourages them to grow. I actually have two that are growing right this minute…even in this colder weather we’re currently getting. I’m hoping they survive once I bring them in.I’d love to have more fresh peas!
With all that I’ve learned and will continue learning next year about container gardening, I know that there will be more containers on my balcony and a lot of Sun, Fun, Peas and Plants!
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Thanks for sharing! I had the same trouble. I started my first container garden this year in May. With very little knowledge, I had hopes and dreams of strawberries, tomatoes, zucchini and bell peppers galore. My zucchinis were eaten by caterpillars, strawberries were a bust, tomatoes were stunted by too small a container, and all I have to show is one bell pepper. At least my culinary herb garden is flourishing beyond anything I imagined. So my cooking arsenal is rather deadly and delicious. I’m still hopeful. I remedied some problems by getting larger containers, but my garden area is lacking more sun time. I need to move!
So here’s to fall harvest, round two!
Great post. I’m new to gardening too and, as this summer draws to a close, have been looking over the lessons learned – and continuing to learn from lessons that others have learned. Thank you for sharing your experiences. I hope your peas do well when you bring them in!
There are definitely nuances of gardening that people don’t know until they’ve actually gardened. I enjoyed this article as I’m a semi-new gardener. I had a garden in high school, but have never had a container garden and I’m learning quite a bit. Thanks for the post!
Did you know the metal free standing shelves, like the ones they make for over the toilet, make lovely plant stands – also, they can be “enclosed,” using clear plastic tarps and duct tape, to form a sort of greenhouse for tender plants. To supplement sun, use flourescent bulbs, which “mimic” the sun. A timer is nice, but not necessary. Use the compact ones in a cheap fixture for small places, the inexpensive tube lights (hung with S-hooks from chain) for larger planters. About 6 inches above the plants is usual.
For inexpensive and interesting pots: yard sales, and flea markets, and thrift shops! Fun to find. Scrub well in hot soapy water. Rinse very well. Disinfect with a soak in bleach solution/vinegar solution. Rinse again. Dry in the sun/open air. My peppermint loves growing in an old, deep hubcap hanging from cords. There’s a bird bath made from a shallow cake pan and a rock in the teir above the mint; and the top teir is a bird feeder made from a pie tin and a broken toy coffee pot.
Thanks everyone! I’m really excited about next year’s season! I know that all of us will have a successful harvest next year
Thanks for the ideas Alice, I’ll definitely try them!
- Gail
I have gardened for many years and still learn new ideas each year. For plants such as peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers it is advisable to buy started plants at a green house or garden centre. Buy tomatoe plants that are already blooming and have tomatoes forming as you will have more success. When the weather turns cooler cover these plants with clear plastic bags and leave them open at the bottom. This acts as a mini green house and will give your plants more time to finish for the season. Ripe tomatoes off the vine – yum! Try planting your balcony garden in tubs such as Rubber Maid. Line the bottom with a layer of styrofoam chips or other light material and then top with soil. The containers will not be so heavy but will allow for lots of growing room. Don’t forget to put a few holes in the bottom for drainage. I know more and more gardeners trying this instead of a full fledged garden. Happy gardening!
Great post! I started my first veg garden last fall in 4 small framed beds. The lesson I learned this year is to invest in good quality tools, sprinklers/soaker hoses and hoses. I ended up having to replace the cheap things I bought. You’re not alone in the one pea club. That’s about all I got too!
I hear you on the sun situation! I’m lucky enough to live in zone 9, so I can plant mostly rainforest plants that like the shade, bringing them in when I get a frost. Its very difficult to grow any edibles in the shade, especially annual ones in such a short summer!
If you’d like to try to get a head start on your growing season or try to extend it, try using garden cloches. You can make small or large ones out of water/milk bottles. You can also build frames and cover the frame with plastic or a cloth material. They work well in keeping the surrounding air warmer. If you’re looking to buy something you can checkout our website as well…there’s lots of options out there.
Jeff
Hi
I’ve just found this site and wanted to say, although i’m in the UK i think it will be very useful. Last year was my first year to gardening and i may have gone over the top. I planted, peppers, onions, spring onions, beetroot, carrots (lots), leeks, potatoes, salad leaves, brocolli, squash, sprouts, mange tout and spinach. most was under a frame, on top of paving slabs with a black sack under the slabs The peppers, salad leaves and spinach got eaten by ants, the brocolli and sprouts by caterpillars. The squash rotted in the wet weather and the potatoes died a death! BUT the carrots are still producing, 1 year later ( i did say a planted a lot!) The leeks were fair ( but very skinny), the beetroot was tiny but tasty, I had to pick all the mange tout in one week cos the slugs loved em but boy were they delish! I’m hoping to go for it again this year, but any advice or the killer ants? Many thanks and happy gardening.
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