BY ASHLEY CURRIE
Spring is finally here, and the sun is finally staying out longer. Some days it’s even warm enough to go out without a jacket. The birds singing and the sunlight all around can make anyone feel like getting a little dirty in the garden. Many students, however, do not have a house or a yard to plant and grow flowers or vegetables. Instead, they are stuck in an apartment with a small rectangle of a balcony as their only outdoor space. However, all is not lost.
Balcony gardening is more popular than ever. According to canadiangardening.com, there are some simple steps to consider before beginning your balcony garden.
The first one is to check any rules or regulations about balcony gardens. Sometimes there are regulations about balcony weight so you may need to use lightweight containers as an alternative to tradition clay pots.
The next step is to make a plan. To do this you need to figure out what you want to grow, and what will be possible to grow. Some plants like sun, while others prefer shade. Figure out what the conditions are like on your balcony and then plan to grow those items. Some fruits and vegetables such as strawberries and lettuce are great for balcony growing because they don’t require a lot of space.
“Once you figure out the growing conditions on your balcony, it’s a lot easier to figure out what you want to grow in your balcony garden,” said Jenna Lawrence, a Guelph resident and balcony gardener. “You don’t have to just grow vegetables, you can grow herbs or flowers just for the esthetics.”
The last step is just design; plan what is going to look nice where, or just let it grow naturally for a more rustic-looking garden.
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