Growing Veggies Year Round on an Apartment Balcony in Canada

See how this gardener is reducing her reliance on grocery stores, while living in an apartment.

The video introduces a garden tour of an apartment balcony that is used for vegetable and fruit gardening. The goal of the gardening is to reduce reliance on groceries due to the difficulties of getting to grocery stores during the coronavirus pandemic. The gardener grows a variety of greens, herbs, and medicinal plants, all of which are organic and free from unnatural fertilizers and pesticides. As an ecosystems ecologist, the gardener strives to balance beneficial and harmful insects in the garden by interplanting flowers and herbs that repel insects.

The garden features two raised beds containing dinosaur kale, broccoli, and a medicinal plant garden with echinacea, calendula, and marigold. The gardener also experiments with growing milkweed and bell peppers, as well as strawberries that are wind-resistant. The garden includes a sitting area with succulents and fragrant jasmine, and native ferns are planted nearby. By interplanting flowers and herbs, the gardener aims to create a balanced ecosystem that is similar to what is found in nature.

Key Takeaways

  • The gardener’s apartment balcony is used for vegetable and fruit gardening, with the goal of reducing reliance on groceries during the pandemic.
  • The garden features a variety of organic greens, herbs, and medicinal plants, and the gardener strives to balance beneficial and harmful insects by interplanting flowers and herbs.
  • The garden includes a sitting area with succulents and fragrant jasmine, as well as native ferns and wind-resistant strawberries.

Apartment Balcony Garden

The speaker in the video lives in an apartment and has a balcony where they grow vegetables and fruits. The goal of their garden is to reduce their reliance on groceries due to the difficulties of going to the grocery stores during the coronavirus pandemic. They grow a variety of organic greens, herbs, and medicinal plants without using any unnatural fertilizers or pesticides.

As an ecosystems ecologist, the speaker tries to balance beneficial and harmful insects in their garden. They interplant flowers and herbs with their vegetables to repel harmful insects and attract beneficial ones. The speaker has two raised beds where they grow most of their vegetables, including dinosaur kale, broccoli, and bell peppers. They also have a medicinal plant garden with echinacea, calendula, and marigold.

The speaker also grows nasturtiums, which have edible leaves that taste slightly spicy and are good for salads. They have a lot of strawberries, which are wind-resistant, and some sunflowers and calendula that are not thriving in the windy spot on their balcony. The speaker also has a sitting area with native ferns, flowers, and fragrant jasmine.

Organic Gardening Practices

The speaker in the video practices organic gardening in order to reduce reliance on groceries and promote a balanced ecosystem in their garden. They grow a variety of greens, herbs, and medicinal plants without the use of unnatural fertilizers or pesticides.

To promote a balanced ecosystem, the speaker interplants flowers and herbs that are known to repel harmful insects with their veggies. They also strive to balance beneficial and harmful insects in their garden.

The speaker’s garden includes two raised beds that contain a variety of veggies, including dinosaur kale, broccoli, and bell peppers. They also have a small medicinal plant garden that includes echinacea, calendula, and marigold. The speaker interplants these medicinal flowers with their veggies to prevent insect infestations and attract beneficial insects.

In addition to veggies and medicinal plants, the speaker also grows nasturtiums, strawberries, sunflowers, and succulents. They also have native ferns and fragrant jasmine in their garden.

Overall, the speaker’s organic gardening practices prioritize a balanced ecosystem and the use of natural methods to promote plant growth and deter harmful insects.

Balancing Ecosystem

The speaker in the video, who has a background in ecosystems and wildlife, strives to maintain a balanced ecosystem in their apartment balcony garden. They use organic methods and avoid unnatural fertilizers and pesticides. To reduce the overall amount of harmful insects, they interplant flowers with their veggies and herbs known to repel insects. This also helps attract beneficial insects.

The speaker has two raised beds that have the majority of their veggies. They grow dinosaur kale, which is their main source of greens, as it is easy to grow and quite pest-resistant. They also grow broccoli, which is a secondary green. In addition to veggies, the speaker also has a medicinal plant garden, including echinacea, calendula, and marigold. These plants are interplanted with the veggies to prevent insect infestations.

The speaker also tried growing milkweed and bell peppers, but only one milkweed plant grew out of twelve seeds planted, and the bell peppers did not thrive in the windy spot. They also have nasturtiums, which have edible leaves that taste a little spicy and are super healthy. The speaker has a lot of strawberries, which are wind-resistant and are expected to yield a lot this year. They also have some sunflowers and calendula, which are not growing well in the windy spot.

The speaker has a sitting area with native ferns, such as western sword fern, and some flowers. They also have fragrant jasmine that makes the whole deck smell good. Overall, the speaker’s garden is a well-balanced ecosystem that provides a variety of veggies, herbs, and medicinal plants while attracting beneficial insects and repelling harmful ones.

Vegetable Garden

The speaker in the video has an apartment balcony where they grow vegetables and fruits. Due to the difficulties of getting to grocery stores during the pandemic, their goal for gardening this year is to reduce their reliance on groceries. They grow a lot of greens, herbs, and medicinal plants, all of which are organic and do not use any unnatural fertilizers or pesticides.

The speaker tries to balance beneficial and harmful insects in their garden by interplanting flowers with their veggies and herbs that are known to repel insects. This helps to reduce the overall amount of harmful insects in their garden and improve the habitat of their garden.

The speaker has two raised beds that have the majority of their veggies. They grow dinosaur kale, broccoli, bell peppers, and strawberries. They also have a medicinal plant garden with echinacea, calendula, and marigold. They interplant their medicinal flowers with their veggies to prevent any sort of insect infestations.

The speaker also grows nasturtiums, which have edible leaves that can be thrown into salads. They have some sunflower and calendula plants, but they are not thriving. The speaker also has a sitting area with native ferns and flowers, including fragrant jasmine.

Overall, the speaker’s vegetable garden is a diverse and balanced ecosystem that provides them with fresh and organic produce.

Medicinal Plant Garden

The gardener has a small balcony where they grow vegetables and fruits. This year, their goal is to reduce their reliance on grocery stores due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They are growing a variety of greens, herbs, and medicinal plants, all of which are organic and free from unnatural fertilizers and pesticides.

As an ecosystems ecologist, the gardener tries to balance beneficial and harmful insects in their garden. They interplant flowers with their veggies and use herbs that repel insects to reduce the number of harmful insects in their garden.

The gardener has two raised beds that contain most of their veggies, including dinosaur kale, which is their main source of greens. They also grow broccoli and bell peppers. They have a small medicinal plant garden that includes echinacea, calendula, and marigold. These plants attract beneficial insects and prevent insect infestations.

In addition to their veggies, the gardener grows strawberries, sunflowers, and nasturtiums. The nasturtium leaves are edible and have a slightly spicy taste. They also have succulents, ferns, and jasmine in their garden.

Overall, the gardener’s medicinal plant garden not only provides them with fresh organic produce but also attracts beneficial insects and creates a balanced ecosystem.

Experimental Planting

The speaker in the video has an apartment balcony where they grow vegetables and fruits. They aim to reduce their reliance on groceries due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The speaker grows a variety of greens, herbs, and medicinal plants, all of which are organic. They do not use any unnatural fertilizers or pesticides and strive to balance beneficial and harmful insects in their garden.

To achieve this balance, the speaker interplants flowers with their veggies and herbs that repel insects. They have two raised beds with dinosaur kale, which is their main source of greens, and broccoli. They also have a medicinal plant garden with echinacea, calendula, and marigold, which attract beneficial insects. The speaker also grows bell peppers, nasturtiums, strawberries, sunflowers, and marigolds.

The speaker has also planted native ferns and fragrant jasmine in their sitting area. They are experimenting with growing milkweed, but only one plant grew out of twelve seeds. The speaker’s experimental planting includes trying out different plants to see if they can grow in their windy spot.

Strawberry Planting

The speaker has a balcony garden where they grow vegetables and fruits. They aim to reduce their reliance on groceries due to the difficulty of going to grocery stores during the pandemic. They grow everything organically and do not use any unnatural fertilizers or pesticides. The speaker tries to balance beneficial and harmful insects to their plants by interplanting flowers with their veggies and herbs that repel insects.

The speaker has two raised beds where they grow a variety of vegetables including dinosaur kale, which is their main source of greens. They also grow broccoli, which is quite pest resistant. The speaker has a medicinal plant garden with echinacea, calendula, and marigold, which also attract beneficial insects. They have interplanted their medicinal flowers with their veggies to prevent insect infestations.

The speaker also grows strawberries, which are wind-resistant and seem to be thriving. They have also planted some sunflower and calendula seeds in a windy spot, but they are not growing well. The speaker has a sitting area with native ferns and fragrant jasmine, which makes the whole deck smell good.

In summary, the speaker has a balcony garden where they grow a variety of vegetables, herbs, and fruits organically. They try to balance beneficial and harmful insects and interplant flowers and herbs to repel insects. The speaker also has a medicinal plant garden and a sitting area with native ferns and fragrant jasmine.

Succulents and Sitting Area

In addition to her vegetable and medicinal plant garden, the speaker also has a sitting area on her apartment balcony. The sitting area is surrounded by native ferns and various flowers, including fragrant jasmine. Along with her veggies, she also has several succulents in this area.

The speaker’s use of native ferns and flowers helps to attract beneficial insects to her garden, which can help to reduce the overall amount of harmful insects. The succulents provide a low maintenance and aesthetically pleasing addition to her balcony garden.

The sitting area serves as a relaxing space for the speaker to enjoy her garden and the natural surroundings. The fragrant jasmine adds a pleasant aroma to the area, making it an even more enjoyable space to spend time in.

Fragrant Jasmine

The garden tour includes a variety of plants, including fragrant jasmine. This plant is known for its sweet scent that fills the entire balcony. It is a popular choice for gardeners who want to add a touch of beauty and aroma to their space.

In addition to its fragrance, jasmine is also known for its medicinal properties. It has been used in traditional medicine for centuries to treat a variety of ailments, including anxiety, depression, and insomnia. It is also believed to have antioxidant properties that can help protect the body against damage from free radicals.

Jasmine is a relatively easy plant to grow, and it can thrive in a variety of conditions. It prefers full sun to partial shade and well-draining soil. It can be grown in containers or in the ground, and it is often used as a climbing vine to add height and dimension to a garden.

Overall, fragrant jasmine is a beautiful and beneficial addition to any garden. Its sweet scent and medicinal properties make it a popular choice for gardeners who want to create a peaceful and healthy outdoor space.