I am not going to lie, I REALLY MISS having a backyard with a large veggie garden. At my last house, we planted no less than 50 tomato plants each planting season. Several types of squash, beans, eggplants, broccoli, onions, and peppers to name just a few of the plants. People do tend to have larger yards in the States, but since I now live in Germany, I will manage a balcony garden.
I am happily making due with the space that I have here at our apartment. Dirk was very kind and ordered me two stand up planters. They hold two tomato plants each. Dirk’s mom gave me countless pots of various sizes, so I have planted some spinach, lettuce and green beans too. I also have a zucchini plant set up on a chair.
I still have plenty of room to add more veggies on my balcony, I am just in need of some more planting soil. For this, I need Dirk to drive me to the local Bauhaus. I do not think I can manage to drag home a few bags of potting soil on the bus, then tote them up the four flight of stairs by myself. But, it may come to that if I can’t get him to bring me to Bauhaus soon.
I am still waiting for Dirk to take me back to the Bauhaus. I can assure you that I was very well behaved at our last visit, and only purchased a few plants. (In the past, I may have gone a bit crazy with my greenhouse purchases. So, I do understand his reluctance in bringing me to a store that feeds my gardening addictions.)
But, alas, Dirk is not a gardener. He does not share my love of digging in the dirt. He also does not share my desire to completely fill the balcony with a veggie garden. He is more of a Biergarten type of fan. I also feel that, maybe, he is worried that I may manage to grow too many vegetables….. again. A few years ago, we were eating fresh tomatoes(of all varieties), every day, from July until November. He felt that was a bit much. He also turns a bit green when I mention we will be eating zucchini. One year, I may have fed him zucchini every day for 3 months. I did not even try to over fed him with the green beans, I just brought a bag of fresh beans to work, everyday for over a month.
Yesterday we had our first salads out of the garden. I am really looking forward to the tomatoes,zucchini, and beans, but those will be a while yet.
There are a few benefits to having a smaller, balcony garden.
- No bunnies are able to eat the lettuce
- No deer to eat everything else
- Everything is in pots/containers, so no weeding necessary.
- Watering is SO MUCH EASIER
- It’s much easier on my back, not much bending
- I can rearrange everything to get optimal sunlight
- I can’t grow enough food to feed the Western side of Germany….yet
So, although I would really like to add just a few more plants to my garden, it really is almost perfect. I wonder if I can manage enough German on the phone to get a Taxi to take me to Bauhaus……….
Do you have a garden, in the yard or on the balcony? How is your garden doing this year? Does you family support your gardening addiction love?
I wonder if you could grow hops, make him feel at home? Lol only kidding. What about a few strawberries in a hanging basket?
We have had an unprecedented run of sunshine here so i’ve been watering and weeding every couple of days to keep on top of things.
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LOL. I have left him plenty of room on the balcony to be able to sit under the umbrella and drink beer. I just want to fill ALL of the pots with plants, it that really so much to ask??? I am sure the neighbours would love some fresh veggies.
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Oh yes, life without a garden is like a dog without a tail- unwaggably awful. Luckily we have a significant plot form which we extract some veg, a lot of enjoyment and arms that look like we self harm. The downside of a large garden is of curse that you don’t enjoy it in a traditional look, sit, sigh combo but more a look, spot, weed progression. When friends visit there are moments, sitting chatting, absorbing the compliments when you spot that rogue strand of weed and have to hold back from throwing yourself at it immediately and spending the rest of the evening certain it has seeded itself like some radioactive cloud polluting the whole of your beloved patch. Hold the faith!
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This is the perfect description of having a large garden. I love it!!
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Might have to remember this post when we contemplate buying our next house and I have ideas of planting a big garden or we may even live in an apartment. Good luck with the plants Cherie!
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Thanks!!
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Wow your green thumb is really proving successful, Cherie. Gives me ideas for our balcony although we don’t have bunnies or deers where I live 🙂 Have a great week! xx
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Thanks! I am looking forward to these fresh tomatoes!
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Thanks Cherie for linking up and sharing with us at Midlife Share the Love Party. Always great to have you join us. xx
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I just came in from water the garlic field (we have about seven thousand planted this year) and have to go work on it some more after dinner. The weather has been very dry so we are having to water several times a week to keep things alive and well. The rest of our garden sounds pretty much like what you used to grow. It is important to us to be able to produce much of our own food. I was reminded why when my husband bought a store brand of spaghetti sauce recently. It didn’t even have a tomato flavor.
We start most of our plants from seed but usually shop at a local greenhouse for a few. I usually go crazy buying all kinds of pretty plants that I don’t really have a plan for and spend way too much money. This year I was very restrained and only bought a few – my husband thought there was something wrong with me. LOL.
Keep looking on the bright side when you are missing it and think of us spending hours watering and weeding and putting up fencing and netting to keep out bunnies, deer and birds.
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Yes. This is a good bright side for sure!
Hope you get some rain soon!
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We are about to have our first tomato and are so excited!
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Yay!!!! I have several cherry tomatoes, but they are still very green.
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Love it! I’ve had a garden every place I’ve ever lived – even if it was a container garden on my apartment patio. So refreshing to see life flourishing around you! And I’m jealous that the bunnies and deer can’t get to your veggies. 😂😂 Enjoy!
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So far even the birds haven’t been a problem!
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Your plants look really healthy. Perhaps you could get an allotment to cope with the addiction.
Personally I don’t see what’s wrong with eating courgettes every day. I expect that’s what I’ll be doing soon. At the moment I’m eating rather a lot of strawberries. I’ve got over 40 plants now and can pick a large bowlful every day during most of June.
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I am fine having ratatouille everyday through out the summer, but my family is not in agreement.
We have talked about an allotment, but that may have to wait a bit.
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I totally get it about digging in the dirt. it is SO satisfying. I think a balcony garden is a great compromise! And you will enjoy your veggies. I love seeing the zucchini in the pot- my zucchini grow all over and sprawl everywhere. Why not go up with them? Can’t say that I have tried it!
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This is the first time I have grown it in pots, and it seems to be doing really well. I have it arranged so it can climb on the chair and the wall.
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I think sometimes less is more – if you had 50 tomato plants I’m not surprised you had tomatoes coming out of your ears for months on end! Perhaps only a couple of tomato bushes and one zuchini might mean you comfortably feed the family and have space on the balcony for some other interesting vegetables – can you do a potted orange or lime? Or is it too cold?
Thanks for linking up with us at #MLSTL and I’ve shared this on my SM xx
Leanne | http://www.crestingthehill.com.au
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I would love to do some potted fruit plants.
Good idea!
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I have the brownest thumb in the world and do well to keep two houseplants living. lol I do love fresh tomatoes from the garden. I was born and raised in WV and my mother and grandmother put in a huge garden every year. We canned and froze all of the extras. You have a great looking garden going on even if it is smaller.
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Thanks. I love to freeze and can the veggies too. My back is enjoying the smaller garden this year!
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That’s great your vegetable garden is growing!
My boyfriend’s mom let me use her greenhouse to grow veggies so I’m growing cucumbers, chilis, peppers, tomatoes & salad. Outside there’s strawberies & raspberries. I’ve already harvested a handful of chilis, a huge cucumber & some strawberries 😄
My boyfriend’s mom also kindly drove me around & bought all the veggies & soil for me, but I have to do all the hard work haha but I don’t mind 😊
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I would love a balcony garden like this! I have a tiny garden plot but there’s huge brown slugs that just kills everything.. So using a balcony sounds a lot better, even if it’s not a proper garden.
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I have an apartment patio on the ground level so there’s a small plot of dirt for planting. Tomatoes don’t do too well as it’s facing north and they rot on the vine. I keep an eye out for squirrels and they sit there and defy me as they munch on my strawberries. 😀 Lovely post! #MLSTL
http://www.meinthemiddlewrites.com
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It’s a constant battle against the critters when you have a garden!
At my last house, the deer would munch on the squash like it was a buffet set out just for them!
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I am pretty terrible at gardening but am ok with a few small projects. Since moving to the farm I am totally overwhelmed by the amount that would need to be done in our landscaping. I bought new secateurs this morning however…#whatcouldpossiblyhappen?
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I would LOVE to live on a farm. I grew up surrounded my various farms, and would get to work on them in the summers. Huge amounts of work involved!
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My husband never ever stops
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I bet!
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Oh so lovely. The Zucchini on the chair!!! I love Greens. I too have planted lemon, chili and guava in pots. Yours is wonderful. Loved the tomatos too.
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Thanks! I have some dill and green beans now too!
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lovely
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Oh man. I hate zucchini. And it’s one of those plants that is just impossible not to get a great crop from. I can remember being forced to stay at the table to eat disgusting things made from zucchini. I will never eat it again. But I do love a nice fresh tomato from the garden!
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Lol. Dirk feels the same way!!
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