This is where I pretend to be a Garden Blog!

Last year when we first moved to NJ, we came in August. We moved into a second story apartment which is lovely but unfortunately has no yard. At the time I wanted to start a small balcony garden, and while I did by a few plants, it was too late to really do anything with it. So our poor balcony languished for a few months, with only a bird feeder to adorn it. Not anymore! Spring is here in full force, and I have begun the transformation from boring balcony to garden balcony! 


This has been kind of a piece-meal process, with assorted pots I have acquired over the winter and knowledge gathered from all kinds of library books about container gardens and patio gardens and urban rooftop gardens. Our very first gardening adventure on internship was wildly successful, so I am coming into this with some know-how already. The real trick is downsizing and scaling back. We can't plant rows and rows of peas and beans, but we can plant a few. I'm also learning about pots and the best kind to use and how to make sure they have enough drainage (since excess water can't just disperse into the ground). 


So far I have planted spinach and garden greens, green beans, and have started my snap peas indoors. We also plan on planting red peppers (that one has to wait since the seed packet had NO SEEDS in it when I opened it) chives and green onions. 

In the deep windowsill in the kitchen, I've decided to place my Herb Annex. Since the cats can't (well, SHOULDN'T anyway) be up there, there is plenty of space and it will be convenient to cook with. 

I just finished a wonderful and helpful book called This Odd and Wondrous Calling. One chapter reminded me that the time of a pastor is both more free and more random than in practically any other line of work. This has given me the chance to pursue and expand my knowledge and interest in gardening. And probably keeps me from try to do too much or to get too obsessed with thinking about the church! Being called part-time can be a tricky business to navigate, but it has also been a blessing, sometimes in unseen ways. For example, I, like Katie Luther before me, get to be "head of household" and make decisions thus, like what to plant!!! 


Has anyone else tried balcony/container gardening? Any tips?